GlideRecord.isNewRecord() — ServiceNow API

isNewRecord()→ boolean

beginnerTested on Xanadu

What It Does

The isNewRecord() method checks the internal state of a GlideRecord to determine if it represents a record that exists in the database. When you create a new GlideRecord using newRecord() or instantiate one without calling get() or query(), the record is considered "new" until it's saved with insert() or update().

Internally, ServiceNow maintains a flag on each GlideRecord instance that tracks whether the record has been persisted. This flag is set when the record is first saved and remains false for the lifetime of the GlideRecord object if it was created programmatically. The method simply returns the boolean state of this internal flag.

The method returns true for genuinely new records and false for existing records loaded from the database. It never returns null or undefined — it's always a proper boolean value. Even empty or invalid GlideRecord objects will return either true or false.

Edge cases include scenarios where a get() call fails to find a record — the GlideRecord remains in a "new" state and isNewRecord() returns true. Similarly, after a failed insert() operation due to ACL restrictions or validation errors, the record remains "new" until successfully saved.

This method complements isValidRecord() and isValid() in the GlideRecord state checking arsenal. While those methods verify if a record exists and is accessible, isNewRecord() specifically tells you about the persistence state — crucial for determining the appropriate business logic path.

When to Use This

Use isNewRecord() primarily in Business Rules that fire on both insert and update operations when you need different behavior for each scenario. Common patterns include setting default values only on insert, sending different notifications for new vs updated records, or applying specific validation rules that only apply to new records. It's also essential in Before Business Rules when you need to perform operations that should only happen once when a record is first created.

Avoid using isNewRecord() when you're working with records loaded via queries — use isValidRecord() instead to check if a record was found. Don't use it as a substitute for proper null checking when dealing with GlideRecord objects that might not be initialized. The method tells you about persistence state, not about whether the object contains valid data.

⚠️

In Before Business Rules, isNewRecord() reflects the state before any database operations. After calling insert() or update(), the record's state changes and subsequent calls to isNewRecord() will return false.

Return Value

Returns a boolean value — true if the record is new and hasn't been persisted to the database, false if it represents an existing database record. The method never fails or throws exceptions — it always returns a definitive boolean result that can be safely used in conditional statements without additional null checks.

The return value is immediately usable in if statements, ternary operators, and boolean logic operations. Since it's a proper boolean and not a string or object, you don't need to worry about truthy/falsy conversions or type coercion issues that can occur with other ServiceNow API methods.

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Platform Behavior & Side Effects

No database queries are executed — this is a pure state check that reads from the GlideRecord object's internal flags
No Business Rules, ACLs, or notifications are triggered by calling this method — it's read-only
Performance is excellent — this is one of the fastest GlideRecord operations since it only accesses in-memory state
The result is not cached and reflects the current state — if you call insert() and then isNewRecord(), it returns the updated state
Behavior is identical across all server-side contexts — Business Rules, Script Includes, Scheduled Jobs, and Background Scripts
No audit trail entries are created since this method only reads existing state without modifying anything
The method works correctly even with records that have failed validation or ACL checks — the persistence state is independent of data validity

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Code Examples

Basic usage in Business Rulesbasic

// Business Rule firing on insert and update for incident table
(function executeRule(current, previous) {
    if (current.isNewRecord()) {
        // Only runs for new incidents
        current.number = new NumberManager('incident').getNextObjNumber();
        current.opened_at = new GlideDateTime();
        current.opened_by = gs.getUserID();
        
        gs.log('New incident created: ' + current.number);
    } else {
        // Only runs for existing incidents being updated
        if (current.state.changesTo('6')) { // Resolved
            current.resolved_at = new GlideDateTime();
            current.resolved_by = gs.getUserID();
        }
        
        gs.log('Existing incident updated: ' + current.number);
    }
})(current, previous);

This Business Rule demonstrates the classic pattern of using isNewRecord() to apply different logic for insert vs update operations. The number assignment and opening fields are only set for new records, while resolution tracking only applies to updates.

Conditional field population in Script Includeintermediate

// Script Include method for standardizing user record creation
var UserUtils = Class.create();
UserUtils.prototype = {
    setupUserRecord: function(userGR, isManagerRole) {
        // Always set these fields
        userGR.active = true;
        userGR.locked_out = false;
        
        if (userGR.isNewRecord()) {
            // Only set defaults for new users
            userGR.user_password = this.generateTempPassword();
            userGR.password_needs_reset = true;
            userGR.source = 'automated_provisioning';
            
            if (isManagerRole) {
                userGR.roles = 'itil,approver_user';
            } else {
                userGR.roles = 'itil';
            }
        }
        
        return userGR;
    },
    
    type: 'UserUtils'
};

This pattern shows how isNewRecord() prevents overwriting existing user data when the same method is used for both creation and updates. Password and role assignment only happen for new users, preserving existing configurations.

The classic mistake — checking after database operationsadvanced

// WRONG: Checking isNewRecord() after insert()
var gr = new GlideRecord('incident');
gr.newRecord();
gr.short_description = 'Test incident';
gr.insert(); // Record is now persisted

if (gr.isNewRecord()) {
    // This will NEVER execute because insert() changed the state
    gs.log('This is a new record');
}

// RIGHT: Check before database operations
var gr2 = new GlideRecord('incident');
gr2.newRecord();
gr2.short_description = 'Test incident';

var wasNew = gr2.isNewRecord(); // Store the state before insert
gr2.insert();

if (wasNew) {
    // This executes correctly
    gs.log('Record was created (not updated)');
    // Send new incident notification
}

The state changes immediately after insert() or update() is called. If you need to know the original state after performing database operations, store the result before calling insert() or update().

Gotchas

The method returns true for GlideRecord objects where get() was called but no record was found — they remain in 'new' state until successfully loaded.

After calling insert() or update(), the record state immediately changes and subsequent isNewRecord() calls return false, even in the same script execution.

Failed insert() operations due to ACLs or validation errors leave the record in 'new' state — isNewRecord() still returns true until successful persistence.

Records loaded via query() or next() always return false for isNewRecord(), even if they were just inserted by another session.

In Before Business Rules, checking isNewRecord() after modifying field values still returns the original persistence state — field changes don't affect the 'new' flag.

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