System roles · SN Doc Reader

Administrators can control access to features and capabilities on a ServiceNow instance by assigning roles to users.

Your ServiceNow AI Platform instance includes roles to grant access to the platform features and applications included in a base system instance. Applications you install on your instance may include additional roles to control access to those installed features. For more information about roles, see Exploring user administration.

Important: Base system and roles installed with applications can be deactivated by administrators, but can’t modify or rename these roles.

Base system roles

Base system roles are present in all ServiceNow instances and don’t require the installation of additional plugins.

Role	Description
admin	The system administrator role. This role has access to all system features, functions, and data because administrators can override access control list (ACL) rules and pass all role checks. Avoid assigning this role to your users when more targeted roles are available. Warning: Grant this privilege carefully. If you have sensitive information, such as HR records, that you need to protect, you must create a custom admin role for that area. You must also train any users authorized to see those records to act as the administrator. Also note the Special Administrative Roles.
agent_admin	Agent administrators can download and administer the system's built-in agent. They can manage MID Server-related scripts.
ais_admin	AI search administrators can query, create, update, and delete indexing and search settings and log messages through the AI Search application.
approval_admin	Approval administrators can view or modify approval requests not directly assigned to them. Use the approver_user role to enable approvers to only view or modify requests directly assigned to them. Use of this role requires a Fulfiller license. Use of the approver_user role requires an Approver license.
approver_user	Approver users can modify requests for approval routed to them. They also have all capabilities of requesters.Note: There’s a fee associated with this role. Don’t assign it to users without confirming your organization has the appropriate entitlement.
assignment_rule_admin	Assignment rule administrators can manage assignment rules.
asset	Asset users can manage hardware and software assets.
business_process_admin	Business process admins can create, read, update, and delete all records and their relationships in the business process. In the context of Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), users with the sn_grc.admin role who manage GRC applications and their setup automatically gain access to this role. This access enables the GRC administrators to administer a business process and its records similar to other GRC tables. Important: This role is assigned to users who are administrators and have thorough information and training on business processes.
business_process_manager	Business process managers can create, read, and update any business process and manage the relationship of business processes with other records. This role is assigned to business process managers who are usually specialists and manage multiple business processes in the organization. These users generally work with other employees and are experts around business processes. In the context of GRC, users with the sn_grc.manager role automatically inherit this role that enables them to manage the business processes for the entire organization.
business_process_user	Business process users can update the business processes that a user owns and can also read any business process. This role must be assigned to the respective process owners who manage the business process that they own. This role can also be provided to users who are required to view the business processes in the organization and understand them better. In the context of GRC, users with the sn_risk.user role are automatically assigned this role as this role enables them to manage the business processes they own as well as read all business processes.
catalog	Catalog users can access service catalog requests.
catalog_admin	Catalog administrators can manage the Service Catalog application, including catalog categories and items.
catalog_editor	Catalog editors can create, modify, and publish items within categories that they’re assigned to.
catalog_item_designer	Catalog item designers can view the status of their category requests. This role is granted automatically to users when they make a request for an item designer category.
catalog_manager	Catalog managers can view and assign catalog editors to their categories. Can also create, modify, and publish items within their categories.
category_manager	Category managers can create, edit, and delete model categories.
cmdb_dedup_admin	CMDB de-duplication admins can review and remediate CMDB de-duplication tasks.
cmdb_ms_user	CMDB multiscource readers can access and run a multi-source CMDB query, but can't create a query. This role contains Contains cmdb_read role.
cmdb_ms_editor	Can create and run a query, has full read and write access, but can't do Recompute. Contains cmdb_ms_read role.
cmdb_ms_admin	Can create and run a query, and can modify CMDB 360 properties. Contains cmdb_ms_write role.
cmdb_read	Can read any CMDB table. Contained in admin and itil.
communication_manager	Manages communication for major incidents and is responsible for communicating with all stakeholders.
contract_manager	Can create, edit, and delete contracts through the Contract Management application.
data_classification_admin	Administers all aspects of the Data Classification application, data classification code setup and assignment,
data_classification_auditor	Audits Data Classification code assignments.
ecmdb_admin	Can administer the CMDB.
filter_admin	Can manage filters.
filter_global	Can create global filters.
filter_group	Can create filters that belong to groups of which the user is a member.
gauge_maker	Can create gauges from reports. Starting with Helsinki, reports are no longer made into gauges.
guided_tour_admin	Can manage and administer Guided Tour functionality.
image_admin	Can manage image files on the Images [db_image] table.
impersonator	Can impersonate users. This role doesn't allow impersonation of admin users.
import_admin	Can manage all aspects of import sets and imports.
import_scheduler	Can schedule imports. Warning: Grant this role carefully. The import_scheduler role is equivalent to giving the user the admin role, because the import_scheduler has the ability to execute scripts with administrator level privileges.
import_set_loader	Can load import sets.
import_transformer	Can manage import set transform maps and run transforms.
incident_manager	Manages Incident properties and Major Incident trigger rules.
inventory_admin	Can create and delete stock information. Only users with the inventory_admin role can edit stock rules, stockrooms, and stockroom types.
inventory_user	Has access to stock information. Can create and manage transfer orders.
itil	Can perform standard actions for an ITIL helpdesk technician. Can open, update, close incidents, problems, changes, configuration management items. By default, only users with the itil role can have tasks assigned to them.
itil_admin	Possesses more privileges than the itil role and is intended for team leads. This role has the ability to delete incidents, problems, changes, and other related entities when both the itil and itil_admin roles are assigned. In addition, the itil_admin role grants full control of the CMDB. The itil_admin role includes all of the permissions granted to the sn_cmdb_admin role, which provides full access to CMDB data, tools, and UIs.
knowledge	Can create, edit, and review knowledge base articles.
knowledge_admin	Can manage the knowledge base.
list_updater	Can use Update Entire List and Update Selected menu options on lists.
maint	Reserved for ServiceNow use.
mid_server	Role that any MID server user should be granted. This role gives the MID server access to the tables it ordinarily uses.
model_manager	Can create CMDB models. Model manager can control the base models and any model extensions that aren’t software or consumables. Consumable models are controlled by the asset manager role (asset). Software models are control by the software asset manager role (SAM).
major_incident_manager	Initiates the major incident process by assessing and approving major incident candidates or creating a major incident. Maintains the ownership and accountability for the life cycle of the incident. Identifies the users and groups to be involved in the resolution activities and sets up communication channels.
nobody	The nobody role means that no user has access - not even admin or maint. Use the nobody role carefully. The nobody role takes precedence over the admin override option on ACLs, so even admins can’t have access. See Create an ACL rule. Don’t assign it to specific users. You can use this role in ACLs that control access to resources, such as UI pages, processors, script includes, and records. Warning: Applying the nobody role may be irreversible if applied to some important system functions.
personalize	Can configure forms, lists, rules, controls, scripts.
personalize_choices	Can configure choices and predefined responses for non-journal fields designated as choice or suggestion fields.
personalize_control	Can configure controls on lists, such as filters, links, and buttons.
personalize_dictionary	Can configure dictionary entries and labels.
personalize_form	Can configure forms.
personalize_list	Can configure lists and list calculations.
personalize_responses	Can configure predefined responses for journal fields designated as suggestion fields.
personalize_rules	Can configure business rules and scripts. This role contains the following specialized roles for granting selective, administrative access to rules and scripts:- business_rule_admin client_script_admin ui_policy_admin ui_action_admin
personalize_styles	Can configure field styles.
personalize_ui	Can configure forms and lists.
public	No login is required to access features or functions with the public role.
release_admin	Can edit Release history for a release.
report_admin	Can manage reports.
report_global	Can create global reports.
report_group	Can create reports and share reports with groups that the user is a member of. Users with this role can edit reports shared by other users in the group.
report_publisher	Can make reports available on a public page.
report_scheduler	Can schedule a report to be emailed.
script_fix_admin	Can create and manage fix scripts but can’t run fix scripts.
search_application_admin	Can query, create, update, and delete records on search UX-related tables. Contains the ais_admin role.
sn_appclient.app_client_company_installer	Can install applications containing the same company as the currently logged in instance. User role that enables first-time installation of applications for the company associated with the current instance. A user with this role can’t install an application for another company.
sn_appclient.app_client_user	Can install applications containing the same company as the currently logged in instance.
sn_cmdb_admin	Provides full access to CMDB data, tools, and UIs. A CMDB Admin, for example, sets policies in the CI Class Manager and application service requirements. CMDB Admin provides the highest level of access to the CMDB.
sn_cmdb_editor	Provides access to CMDB records. A CMDB Editor can't change policies such as in the CMDB Data Manager or in the CI Class Manager.
sn_cmdb_user	Provides read-only access to CMDB data and to basic UIs such as CMDB reports and dashboards.
soap	Can query, create, update, and delete records on all tables, as well as execute scripts.
soap_create	Can create records on all tables and columns.
soap_delete	Can delete records on all tables and columns.
soap_ecc	Can query, create, and update on the ECC Queue table only.
soap_query	Can query records on all tables and columns.
soap_query_update	Can query and update records on all tables and columns.
soap_script	Can execute business rule endpoint function via script.do.
soap_update	Can update records on all tables and columns.
survey_admin	Can see all Surveys, their definitions, questions, instances created by them and others. Survey administrators can use all modules in the Survey application menu.
survey_reader	Users with survey reader role can view surveys and related information, such as survey responses, survey groups, scorecards, and reports. Survey_reader can’t change or modify a survey or survey responses.
task_editor	Can edit protected task fields.
template_editor	Can create templates for personal use, and modify or delete personal templates. Included in the itil role in the base system.
template_editor_global	Can create templates for global use.
template_editor_group	Can create templates for groups.
template_scheduler	Can schedule template-based record creation.
text_search_admin	Can customize Global Text Search groups and tables.
timecard_admin	Can approve, modify, and delete the time cards of other users.
ts_admin	Can administer Zing text indexing and search engine.
unlimited_createnow	Role for CreateNow unlimited licensed users.
upgrade_app	Can upgrade installed applications containing the same company as the currently logged in instance. Can’t perform first-time installations of applications published to the Application Client page.
user	Available for customer use, has no function in the base system.
user_admin	Can administer users, groups, locations, and companies.
view_changer	Can switch active views.
workflow_admin	Can create, edit, publish, or delete graphical workflows.
workflow_creator	Can create new graphical workflows.
workflow_publisher	Can publish graphical workflows.

## Application-specific roles

Applications you install on your instance may include additional roles. Follow the links in this section to see roles documentation on roles installed along with applications.

Product	Application
Platform Capabilities	Advanced Work Assignment

Parent Topic:Managing roles

title	System roles
description	Administrators can control access to features and capabilities on a ServiceNow instance by assigning roles to users.
locale	en-US
canonical_url	https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-administration/user-administration/base-system-roles.html
release	brazil
product	User Administration
classification	user-administration
topic_type	reference
last_updated	2026-09-10
reading_time_minutes	11
breadcrumb	Managing rolesUser administrationConfigure core featuresAdminister the ServiceNow AI Platform