Streamline Your ServiceNow Catalog: Moving Existing Variables into a Variable Set

If you've managed complex catalog items in ServiceNow, you've probably faced the daunting task of reorganizing or consolidating variables. One common challenge is moving existing variables from individual catalog items into variable sets. This article provides clarity on how to accomplish this efficiently and safely, ensuring a clean, manageable, and reusable configuration.

Understanding the Issue: Variables vs. Variable Sets in ServiceNow

ServiceNow catalog items frequently contain numerous variables for capturing user input. However, as your catalog items grow in complexity, managing hundreds of individual variables can become cumbersome. Variable sets offer a practical solution by grouping related variables together, making them reusable across multiple catalog items. A frequent question among ServiceNow administrators is: Can existing catalog item variables be moved directly into variable sets without recreating them?

Fortunately, the answer is yes, and this guide will walk you through exactly how to do it.

How to Move Existing Variables into a Variable Set

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create Your Variable Set: Begin by creating a new variable set within ServiceNow. Clearly name the set to reflect its purpose and ensure it's appropriately associated with your catalog items.

   
   

2. Identify Existing Variables: Navigate to the "Item Variables" module in the Service Catalog application. Use filters to locate variables currently associated with your specific catalog item.

   
   

3. Update Variables to Associate with Variable Set: Select the variables you wish to move. Instead of individually editing each one, use the bulk update functionality:

   
   

   • Clear the existing "Catalog Item" field for these variables.

   • Populate the "Variable Set" field with the name of your newly created variable set.

     
     

   Important Note: Each variable should only have one field populated—either "Catalog Item" or "Variable Set," never both.

   
   

4. Verify the Transition: After saving your changes, double-check that the variables now correctly appear under your variable set. The variables should no longer display individually on the catalog item, but rather, appear only when the variable set is included.

   
   

Common Challenges & Solutions

Issue: Deleting individual variables accidentally removes variables from variable sets.

Solution: Ensure that when moving variables into a variable set, the "Catalog Item" field is completely cleared. Do not attempt to delete individual variables directly from the catalog item after association with a variable set, as this may inadvertently remove them entirely.

Issue: Variables losing references or UI policies no longer working.

Solution: Variables maintain associations through unique system IDs (sys_ids). Always validate your UI policies, client scripts, and workflows after migrating variables into variable sets. Check and correct any lost or broken references.

Alternative Approach: Export/Import Method

If bulk updates cause issues, an alternative is exporting existing variables and importing them back into ServiceNow after updating their "Variable Set" associations externally. This method can be safer if you have many interdependencies and need extensive testing before deployment.

Conclusion

Reorganizing your ServiceNow catalog items by migrating existing variables into variable sets can significantly simplify management, enhance reusability, and streamline your catalog. Follow the outlined steps carefully to avoid common pitfalls, always validating functionality after making changes.

Next Steps

• Review your existing catalog items and identify opportunities for consolidation into variable sets.

  
  

• Plan your migrations thoroughly, including validation of UI policies and client scripts.

  
  

• Leverage the benefits of variable sets to create a more efficient, maintainable, and scalable ServiceNow catalog environment.