Read a system property value

System properties are ServiceNow's configuration mechanism, but they're cached in memory for performance. This creates a critical gap: when you update a sys_properties record, gs.getProperty() may still return the old value until the cache refreshes. Always provide a sensible default value — properties can be missing, empty, or misconfigured in production. The second parameter isn't optional in real applications.

When to use this

• When you need configuration values that administrators can change without code deployment
• For environment-specific settings like API endpoints, timeouts, or feature toggles
• In Business Rules, Script Includes, or Scheduled Jobs where server-side configuration is needed
• When you need values that change infrequently but must be configurable by non-developers

When NOT to use this

• Don't use in client-side scripts — system properties aren't accessible from the browser
• Don't store sensitive data like passwords — use encrypted fields in custom tables instead
• Don't use for values that change frequently — database queries are more appropriate
• Don't call repeatedly in loops — cache the value in a local variable if you need it multiple times

Key behaviors and gotchas

• Properties are cached in memory — changes to sys_properties records may take several minutes to appear via gs.getProperty()
• All values are returned as strings — use parseInt() or explicit string comparisons for non-string data
• Missing properties return the default value — never null or undefined if you provide a default
• Empty string properties return empty string, not the default — check for !value if empty strings should use defaults
• Property names are case-sensitive and scope-aware — global properties are readable from scoped apps
• Boolean properties must be explicitly compared to string 'true' — any non-empty string is truthy in JavaScript