How to Display the 'Post' Button in Scoped Applications

ServiceNow developers often seek to enhance the user experience in custom applications, especially when it comes to intuitive form interactions. One such improvement is enabling the “Post” button next to work notes—a familiar feature in global applications, but less straightforward in scoped applications. Many developers find themselves relying solely on the "Save" UI Action, which works but lacks the user-friendly feel of the "Post" button. In this blog post, we will walk through the verified process to properly configure the “Post” button for journal fields like work notes within a scoped application. This guide is ideal for ServiceNow developers who are building custom applications and want to ensure a seamless activity log experience.

Why the "Post" Button Is Missing

When configuring a scoped application, developers often discover that their journal input fields (e.g., work notes or additional comments) don’t display the “Post” button as expected. This issue arises because scoped applications do not automatically inherit the same Activity Formatter behavior as global applications. Without the right configuration, the Activity Log doesn’t function fully, and journal entries fail to display properly, even if the fields are correctly set as journal inputs.

How to Properly Display the "Post" Button

Here is a step-by-step guide to enabling the “Post” button and ensuring the Activity Formatter displays entries correctly in a scoped application.

Step 1: Create an Activity Formatter for Your Scoped Application

• Navigate to UI Formatters and create a new formatter within your application scope.

• Choose the formatter type as “Activity Formatter.”

• Assign this formatter to the desired table within your scoped app.

  
  

Step 2: Add the Formatter to Your Form Layout

• Go to the Form Layout configuration for your target table.

• Add the newly created Activity Formatter to the form layout and save.

  
  

Step 3: Define Activity Log Fields via System Property

• Navigate to the System Properties list (sys_properties.list).

• Create a new property with the following naming convention:

glide.ui.[custom_table_name]_activity.fields

Replace [custom_table_name] with your scoped table name (e.g., x_12345_my_app_table).

• In the Value field, enter a comma-separated list of field names you want to include in the activity log. For example:

short_description,work_notes

Note: Upon saving, the Name field might auto-populate with a prefix like x_12345_my_app.glide.ui.... To correct this, edit the property from the list view and remove the scope prefix before glide.

Step 4: Configure the Activity Formatter Fields

• Return to your form and locate the Activity Formatter you added.

• Open its Available Fields configuration (usually accessible via the funnel icon).

• Ensure the fields specified in the system property (e.g., work_notes, comments) appear and are selected.

• Add special keywords such as *Attachments* or *Email* if you want to include those activity types as well.
  

Step 5: Ensure the Journal Field Is Set as a Journal Input

1. Open the field definition (e.g., Work Notes) in the table dictionary.

2. Confirm that the field type is set to Journal Input.

3. Save the changes if any adjustments were made.

   
   

Final Check

After completing all the above steps, return to the form. You should now see:

• The Activity Log section correctly displaying entries

• The “Post” button next to your journal input field (e.g., Work Notes)
  

If the “Post” button still does not appear, double-check the field names in the property, ensure the field is of type “Journal Input,” and confirm that the activity formatter is active and correctly configured.

Activating the “Post” button for journal fields in a ServiceNow scoped application requires more than simply adding a field to a form—it involves carefully setting up an activity formatter and ensuring proper system property configuration. By following the verified process outlined above, developers can achieve the same polished functionality available in global applications.

Key Takeaways:

• Scoped apps require explicit activity formatter setup and system property configuration.

• Journal input fields must be correctly typed and listed in the activity field property.

• Use wildcards like *Attachments* and *Email* to include additional activity types.
  

• Stay updated with platform upgrades, as UI behavior may evolve in future ServiceNow versions.