Policy invocation API

concept brazil Updated Sep 10, 2026 1 min read pace-return-decisions.md

When a PaCE policy is invoked, the calling service passes the relevant object (tables and document IDs) that is being validated by providing the documentRecord object. A calling service is a service or product that uses the PaCE API. PaCE determines which policies must be executed by using the mapping table and the documentRecord.

All selected policies are executed concurrently. When all the policies have been executed, a final single decision is returned (in JSON format) with information on all executed policies and policy-level decisions. The final decision can be:

compliant: Indicates that all the selected policies comply with the requirements and have returned a compliant decision.
non_compliant: Indicates that one or more of the selected policies do not comply with the requirements and have returned a non_compliant decision.
complaint-exception: Indicates that a policy exception has been approved and any policies that are non-compliant are set to the compliant-exception state.
other: Indicates decisions that are not complaint, non_compliant, or complaint-exception.

Policy invocations can be in one of the following states:

new
in_progress
complete
canceled
error
timeout

35 lines · 2.0 KB Wrap lines

---
title: Policy invocation API
description: When a PaCE policy is invoked, the calling service passes the relevant object \(tables and document IDs\) that is being validated by providing the documentRecord object. A calling service is a service or product that uses the PaCE API. PaCE determines which policies must be executed by using the mapping table and the documentRecord.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/servicenow-platform/policy-as-code-engine-pace/pace-return-decisions.html
release: brazil
product: Policy as Code Engine \(PaCE\)
classification: policy-as-code-engine-pace
topic_type: concept
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 1
breadcrumb: [Write and test policies, Policy as Code Engine \(PaCE\), Extend ServiceNow AI Platform capabilities]
---

# Policy invocation API

When a PaCE policy is invoked, the calling service passes the relevant object \(tables and document IDs\) that is being validated by providing the `documentRecord` object. A calling service is a service or product that uses the PaCE API. PaCE determines which policies must be executed by using the mapping table and the `documentRecord`.

All selected policies are executed concurrently. When all the policies have been executed, a final single decision is returned \(in JSON format\) with information on all executed policies and policy-level decisions. The final decision can be:

- compliant: Indicates that all the selected policies comply with the requirements and have returned a compliant decision.
- non\_compliant: Indicates that one or more of the selected policies do not comply with the requirements and have returned a non\_compliant decision.
- complaint-exception: Indicates that a policy exception has been approved and any policies that are non-compliant are set to the compliant-exception state.
- other: Indicates decisions that are not complaint, non\_compliant, or complaint-exception.

Policy invocations can be in one of the following states:

- new
- in\_progress
- complete
- canceled
- error
- timeout