Delete a record with GlideRecord

Record deletion in ServiceNow is permanent and unforgiving. The deleteRecord() method doesn't ask for confirmation, doesn't move records to a trash folder, and executes immediately. Most tables don't maintain deletion history. The critical mistake developers make is assuming delete permissions — ACLs absolutely apply to delete operations, and canDelete() is your only reliable guard against silent failures where the method returns false with no error message.

When to use this

• When you need to programmatically remove specific records by sys_id in server-side scripts
• When cleanup or archival processes need to remove records based on business rules
• When you're certain the record should be permanently removed (not marked inactive)
• When working with staging tables or temporary data that has defined lifecycles

When NOT to use this

• Don't delete records when you should mark them inactive — use setValue('active', false) instead
• Don't use this for bulk deletions of hundreds of records — use deleteMultiple() or batch processing instead
• Don't delete records that have audit requirements — check table configuration first
• Don't use this in client scripts — it's server-side only and will throw errors

Key behaviors and gotchas

• You must call get() first to load the record — deleteRecord() operates on the current record
• ACL checks happen at delete time — even admin users can be blocked by table-level delete ACLs
• Business Rules and Script Engines fire on delete — before/after delete rules will execute
• Domain separation applies — you can only delete records in your accessible domains
• The method returns true on success, false on failure — always check the return value
• Child records with reference fields may prevent deletion — check for foreign key constraints