Return a result object from a Script…

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Return structured success/failure data from a Script Include method

Script Include

var UserAccountUtils = Class.create();
UserAccountUtils.prototype = {
    
    createUserAccount: function(firstName, lastName, email, departmentSysId) {
        if (!firstName || !lastName || !email) {
            return {
                success: false,
                error: 'Missing required fields: firstName, lastName, email'
            };
        }
        
        // Check if user already exists
        var existingUser = new GlideRecord('sys_user');
        existingUser.addQuery('email', email);
        existingUser.query();
        
        if (existingUser.next()) {
            return {
                success: false,
                error: 'User with email ' + email + ' already exists',
                data: {
                    existingUserId: existingUser.getUniqueValue()
                }
            };
        }
        
        var newUser = new GlideRecord('sys_user');
        newUser.initialize();
        newUser.setValue('first_name', firstName);
        newUser.setValue('last_name', lastName);
        newUser.setValue('email', email);
        newUser.setValue('user_name', email);
        newUser.setValue('active', true);
        
        if (departmentSysId) {
            newUser.setValue('department', departmentSysId);
        }
        
        var userSysId = newUser.insert();
        
        if (!userSysId) {
            return {
                success: false,
                error: 'Failed to create user record'
            };
        }
        
        return {
            success: true,
            data: {
                userSysId: userSysId,
                userName: email,
                fullName: firstName + ' ' + lastName
            }
        };
    },
    
    type: 'UserAccountUtils'
};

The result object pattern exists because ServiceNow developers need a consistent way to handle both success and failure scenarios without relying on exceptions. Unlike languages with robust exception handling, server-side JavaScript in ServiceNow benefits from explicit success/failure communication. When your Script Include method throws an exception, it crashes the calling Business Rule or Scheduled Job with cryptic error messages. When it returns structured objects, calling code can gracefully handle failures and provide meaningful user feedback.

When to use this pattern

When your Script Include performs operations that can fail (record creation, external API calls, data validation)
When calling code needs to handle failures differently than successes (show error messages vs. redirect users)
When you need to return both status information and data payload in a single response
When your method is called from Business Rules, Scheduled Jobs, or other Script Includes that can't afford to crash

When NOT to use this pattern

For simple getter methods that just return data — use direct return values instead
When calling from client-side code — use GlideAjax with proper JSON serialization instead
For utility functions that perform calculations — return the calculated value directly
When the operation genuinely should crash the system on failure — let exceptions bubble up

Key behaviors and gotchas

Always return the same object structure — {success: boolean} with optional data or error properties
Include relevant data in error responses when it helps calling code make decisions (like existing record IDs)
Error messages should be specific enough for debugging but safe for end users to see
Check for null/empty parameters at the method start — fail fast with clear validation errors
Use getUniqueValue() not getValue('sys_id') when returning record IDs in the data payload
GlideRecord insert() returns the sys_id string on success or null on failure — check explicitly

⚠️

Never concatenate error messages with user input without sanitization. A malicious department name or email address can become an injection vector when displayed in the UI.

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Alternative Approaches

Exception-based error handling

createUserAccount: function(firstName, lastName, email, departmentSysId) {
    if (!firstName || !lastName || !email) {
        throw new Error('Missing required fields: firstName, lastName, email');
    }
    
    var existingUser = new GlideRecord('sys_user');
    existingUser.addQuery('email', email);
    existingUser.query();
    
    if (existingUser.next()) {
        throw new Error('User with email ' + email + ' already exists');
    }
    
    var newUser = new GlideRecord('sys_user');
    newUser.initialize();
    newUser.setValue('first_name', firstName);
    newUser.setValue('last_name', lastName);
    newUser.setValue('email', email);
    newUser.setValue('user_name', email);
    
    var userSysId = newUser.insert();
    if (!userSysId) {
        throw new Error('Failed to create user record');
    }
    
    return userSysId;
}

Use when you want the calling code to crash immediately on any failure condition.

Trade-offs: Simpler to write but harder for calling code to handle gracefully — exceptions crash Business Rules and Scheduled Jobs.

API Methods Used

GlideRecord.insert()GlideRecord.addQuery()

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Return a result object from a Script Include