Integrating Third-Party API with ServiceNow: A Step-by-Step Guide

In the digital transformation era, integration is a critical component, enabling disparate systems to communicate and operate seamlessly. For organizations using ServiceNow, integrating third-party APIs can vastly improve efficiency and data consistency across ITSM processes. In this blog post, we’ll walk through a practical example of integrating a third-party weather API into ServiceNow, allowing you to display real-time weather updates in your ServiceNow dashboard. This can be particularly useful for incident response teams who need weather information for operational awareness.

Understanding ServiceNow Integration

ServiceNow provides a robust platform for managing IT services and operations. One of its strengths is its ability to integrate with other applications and services via its API. For our example, we will use the OpenWeatherMap API, a popular service that provides weather data.

Prerequisites

• Access to a ServiceNow instance
• API key from OpenWeatherMap

Step 1: Obtain API Key from OpenWeatherMap

Before you can fetch weather data, you need to register on the OpenWeatherMap website and obtain an API key. This key is essential for making requests to their API and receiving data.

Step 2: Create a Scripted REST API in ServiceNow

ServiceNow allows developers to create custom APIs using the Scripted REST API feature. Here’s how you can set one up to consume the weather data:

1. Navigate to the Scripted REST APIs: In your ServiceNow instance, go to System Web Services > Scripted REST APIs.
2. Create a new Scripted REST API: Click on New to create a new API. Name it something descriptive like “Weather Integration.”
3. Create a GET method: Under the resources tab, add a new resource for a GET method, which will be used to retrieve weather data.

Step 3: Scripting the GET Method

In the resource you just created, you’ll need to write a script that makes an HTTP request to the OpenWeatherMap API. Here’s an example script:

(function process(/*RESTAPIRequest*/ request, /*RESTAPIResponse*/ response) {

    // Define the endpoint and API key
    var endpoint = 'https://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather';
    var apiKey = 'your_api_key_here';
    var city = 'London';  // You can dynamically set this based on input
    
    // Construct the full URL
    var url = endpoint + '?q=' + city + '&appid=' + apiKey;

    // Make the HTTP request
    var httpClient = new sn_ws.RESTMessageV2();
    httpClient.setHttpMethod('get');
    httpClient.setEndpoint(url);
    
    // Send the request and get the response
    var httpResponse = httpClient.execute();
    var statusCode = httpResponse.getStatusCode();
    var responseBody = httpResponse.getBody();
    
    // Parse the JSON response
    var jsonData = JSON.parse(responseBody);
    
    // Respond with weather data
    return {
        statusCode: statusCode,
        weather: jsonData.weather[0].main,
        temperature: Math.round(jsonData.main.temp - 273.15)  // Convert Kelvin to Celsius
    };

})(request, response);

Step 4: Testing and Validation

Once your API is set up, test it by sending a request to the resource URL. You should see the weather data returned in JSON format, which includes the current weather condition and temperature for the specified city.

Integrating third-party APIs into ServiceNow can significantly extend the platform’s capabilities, providing users with real-time data and additional functionalities. This example of integrating a weather API not only enhances the usability of ServiceNow for operational teams but also serves as a foundation for more complex integrations. By leveraging ServiceNow’s Scripted REST APIs, you can tailor the platform to meet specific organizational needs, driving efficiency and data-driven decision-making.