GlideRecord.getRowCount() — ServiceNow API

getRowCount()→ number

intermediateTested on Xanadu

What It Does

The getRowCount() method executes the current query and returns the total number of records in the result set as an integer. Unlike methods that return data from individual records, this method processes the entire query result to provide an accurate count.

Internally, ServiceNow executes the full database query including all addQuery() conditions, addEncodedQuery() filters, and ACL restrictions. The platform retrieves all matching records and loads them into the GlideRecord object, then counts the total. This means the method has the same performance characteristics as a full query() operation.

The method returns 0 when no records match the query conditions, and never returns null or undefined. The count respects all security restrictions—records that the current user cannot read due to ACLs are excluded from the total.

Edge cases include queries on tables with large datasets where getRowCount() may hit memory limits or timeout. The method also includes records that might be filtered out by client-side display business rules, since it operates at the database level before display processing occurs.

This method complements hasNext() and next() by providing the total count without requiring iteration through individual records. Unlike getDisplayValue() or getValue(), it doesn't require the cursor to be positioned on a specific record.

When to Use This

Use getRowCount() when you need the exact number of records for business logic decisions, pagination calculations, or progress indicators where you're already working with a GlideRecord object. It's most appropriate when you'll also be processing the actual record data, since the query execution cost is already incurred.

For count-only operations, use GlideAggregate instead—it performs database-level counting without loading records into memory. When you only need to check if records exist, use hasNext() after query() rather than checking if getRowCount() > 0.

⚠️

Avoid using getRowCount() in loops or frequently-called functions with large datasets—each call executes a full database query.

Return Value

Returns a JavaScript number representing the count of records in the result set. The value is always a non-negative integer, with 0 indicating no matching records were found. The count includes only records that the current user has read access to based on ACL evaluation.

The method never fails or throws exceptions—even malformed queries return 0. You can safely use the return value in mathematical operations, comparisons, or string concatenation without null checking.

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Platform Behavior & Side Effects

Executes a full database query with identical performance impact to query()—loads all matching records into memory
Triggers ACL evaluation on every record in the result set, excluding inaccessible records from the count
Does not fire Business Rules, notifications, or audit records—it's a read-only operation
Results are not cached—each call executes a fresh database query
Can hit transaction timeout limits on tables with millions of records or complex query conditions
Behaves identically in before/after Business Rules and Script Includes—no execution context differences
Memory consumption scales with result set size—large counts can impact available heap space

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Code Examples

Basic usage — counting filtered recordsbasic

// Count high-priority incidents assigned to specific user
var gr = new GlideRecord('incident');
gr.addQuery('priority', '1');
gr.addQuery('priority', '2');
gr.addQuery('assigned_to.user_name', 'admin');
gr.addQuery('state', '!=', '7'); // Not closed

// Execute query and get count
var totalCount = gr.getRowCount();

if (totalCount > 10) {
    gs.log('High workload detected: ' + totalCount + ' critical incidents');
    // Trigger escalation workflow
} else {
    gs.log('Current workload manageable: ' + totalCount + ' incidents');
}

Demonstrates basic counting with multiple query conditions. The method respects all addQuery() filters and returns the exact count for business logic decisions.

Intermediate — pagination calculationintermediate

// Calculate pagination for catalog item requests
var pageSize = 50;
var gr = new GlideRecord('sc_req_item');
gr.addQuery('state', 'IN', '1,2'); // Requested or Approved
gr.addQuery('sys_created_on', '>=', gs.daysAgoStart(30));

var totalRecords = gr.getRowCount();
var totalPages = Math.ceil(totalRecords / pageSize);

// Now fetch the actual page data
gr.orderBy('sys_created_on');
gr.chooseWindow(0, pageSize); // First page
gr.query();

gs.log('Showing page 1 of ' + totalPages + ' (' + totalRecords + ' total requests)');
while (gr.next()) {
    // Process individual records
    gs.log('Processing: ' + gr.getDisplayValue('number'));
}

Shows how to use getRowCount() for pagination calculations before fetching actual data. Notice chooseWindow() is called after getting the count but before query().

The classic mistake — inefficient existence checkadvanced

// WRONG: Inefficient way to check if records exist
var gr = new GlideRecord('sys_user');
gr.addQuery('active', 'true');
gr.addQuery('department', 'IT');
if (gr.getRowCount() > 0) {
    gs.log('IT users exist');
}

// RIGHT: Efficient existence check
var gr2 = new GlideRecord('sys_user');
gr2.addQuery('active', 'true');
gr2.addQuery('department', 'IT');
gr2.query();
if (gr2.hasNext()) {
    gs.log('IT users exist');
}

// EVEN BETTER: For count-only operations
var ga = new GlideAggregate('sys_user');
ga.addQuery('active', 'true');
ga.addQuery('department', 'IT');
ga.addAggregate('COUNT');
ga.query();
ga.next();
var count = ga.getAggregate('COUNT');

The wrong approach loads all matching records just to check existence. Use hasNext() for existence checks or GlideAggregate for efficient counting without loading data into memory.

Gotchas

getRowCount() executes the full query and loads all matching records into memory, making it as expensive as query() for large result sets.

The count respects ACLs and excludes records the current user cannot read, potentially returning different values for different users.

Calling getRowCount() multiple times on the same GlideRecord executes the query each time—results are never cached.

On very large tables (millions of records), getRowCount() can hit transaction timeout limits and cause script execution to fail.

The method returns 0 for both 'no matches found' and 'query failed'—there's no way to distinguish between these scenarios from the return value.

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