ServiceNow Connector for Alteryx : Get attachments by parent row search via SQL

Learn how to get attachments by parent row search using the ServiceNow Connector for Alteryx. This connector enables you to read and write ServiceNow data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate incidents, tasks, attachments, and records — almost no coding required. We'll walk you through the exact setup.

Let's dive in!

ServiceNow ODBC Driver Powering this integration

High performance
Bidirectional
Low-code / No-code
Easy to use

Built on the ZappySys API Driver, the ServiceNow ODBC Driver is a high-performance, low-code / no-code solution. It enables you to connect to ServiceNow data without any coding right in your SQL Server, or any ODBC/JDBC application. Part of the ODBC PowerPack.

Documentation

Create data source using ServiceNow ODBC Driver

Download and install ODBC PowerPack (if you haven't already).
Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):
Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ZappySys API Driver driver:

ZappySys API Driver
- Create and use a User DSN if the client application runs under a User Account. This is the ideal option at design time (e.g., when developing in Visual Studio). Use it for both types of applications (64-bit and 32-bit).
- Create and use a System DSN if the client application runs under a System Account (e.g., as a Windows Service). This is usually the required option in a production environment. If your Windows Service is a 32-bit application, you must use the 32-bit ODBC Data Source Administrator to configure this
When the Configuration window appears give your data source a name if you haven't done that already, then select "ServiceNow" from the list of Popular Connectors. If "ServiceNow" is not present in the list, then click "Search Online" and download it. Then set the path to the location where you downloaded it. Finally, click Continue >> to proceed with configuring the DSN:

ServicenowDSN

ServiceNow

Now it's time to configure the Connection Manager. Select Authentication Type, e.g. Token Authentication. Then select API Base URL (in most cases, the default one is the right one). More info is available in the Authentication section.

Basic Auth (UserName and Password)

ServiceNow authentication

Authenticate using ServiceNow instance username and password.

Locate your ServiceNow instance credentials and use them for HTTP authentication:

Go to https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do and log in.
Click on your profile picture.
When a menu appears, click on Manage instance password or a similar option:
In a new window you will see your HTTP Basic Authentication credentials:
Done! Use this username and password when configuring HTTP Authentication parameters.

API Connection Manager configuration

Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

Set Authentication Type to Basic Auth (UserName and Password) [Http]
Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
Finally, hit OK button:

ServicenowDSN

ServiceNow

Basic Auth (UserName and Password) [Http]

https://[$InstanceName$].service-now.com/api/now

Required Parameters
InstanceName (e.g. mycompany)	Fill-in the parameter...
User name	Fill-in the parameter...
Password	Fill-in the parameter...
Optional Parameters
ApiVersion	v2
RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
RetryStatusCodeList	429
RetryCountMax	5
RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True
Date Time Value Handling

OAuth Authorization Code Grant (User Creds)

ServiceNow authentication

Authenticate using OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code Flow (3-legged)

Create OAuth application and use it for authentication:

Login to your instance at https://your-instance-id.service-now.com.
Start by clicking on menu item All, then search for oauth, and click Application Registry option:
Then click button New:
Continue by clicking Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients option:
Move on by naming your OAuth application and entering a Client Secret (or let it be generated automatically).
Click on the lock icon next to the Redirect URL. Enter https://zappysys.com/oauth. This is not needed if you use Client Credentials Grant or Password Grant
Finally give it a final touch by increasing the Refresh Token Lifespan value to 315,360,000 (it should last for 10 years):
Change Default Grant Type as per your need.
NOTE: If you prefer to use Client Credentials grant (Service account style access without using real userid-password) then your admin must enable it. Client Credentials is only supported on instances where it is explicitly enabled by the ServiceNow administrator. Its not supported in Dev / Free instance.
Done! Now you can use Client ID and Client Secret when configuring OAuth Authentication parameters.

Enable Client Credentials Grant Type

Enable the Client Credentials Grant Type: Go to System Properties > All Properties, create a new property named glide.oauth.inbound.client.credential.grant_type.enabled, and set it to true.
Configure the OAuth Application: Navigate to System OAuth > Application Registry, click New, and select Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients. Set the name and save the record. In the Default Grant Type field, select Client Credentials and associate it with the integration user.

API Connection Manager configuration

Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

Set Authentication Type to OAuth Authorization Code Grant (User Creds) [OAuth]
Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
Press Generate Token button to generate the tokens.
Finally, hit OK button:

ServicenowDSN

ServiceNow

OAuth Authorization Code Grant (User Creds) [OAuth]

https://[$InstanceName$].service-now.com/api/now

Required Parameters
Redirect URI (*Must match as App Registry Page*)	Fill-in the parameter...

OAuth Client Credentials Grant (Must be enabled by Admin)

ServiceNow authentication

Authenticate using OAuth Client Credentials Grant (Client ID and Client Secret). [API reference]

Create OAuth application and use it for authentication:

Login to your instance at https://your-instance-id.service-now.com.
Start by clicking on menu item All, then search for oauth, and click Application Registry option:
Then click button New:
Continue by clicking Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients option:
Move on by naming your OAuth application and entering a Client Secret (or let it be generated automatically).
Click on the lock icon next to the Redirect URL. Enter https://zappysys.com/oauth. This is not needed if you use Client Credentials Grant or Password Grant
Finally give it a final touch by increasing the Refresh Token Lifespan value to 315,360,000 (it should last for 10 years):
Change Default Grant Type as per your need.
NOTE: If you prefer to use Client Credentials grant (Service account style access without using real userid-password) then your admin must enable it. Client Credentials is only supported on instances where it is explicitly enabled by the ServiceNow administrator. Its not supported in Dev / Free instance.
Done! Now you can use Client ID and Client Secret when configuring OAuth Authentication parameters.

Enable Client Credentials Grant Type

Enable the Client Credentials Grant Type: Go to System Properties > All Properties, create a new property named glide.oauth.inbound.client.credential.grant_type.enabled, and set it to true.
Configure the OAuth Application: Navigate to System OAuth > Application Registry, click New, and select Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients. Set the name and save the record. In the Default Grant Type field, select Client Credentials and associate it with the integration user.

API Connection Manager configuration

Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

Set Authentication Type to OAuth Client Credentials Grant (Must be enabled by Admin) [OAuth]
Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
Finally, hit OK button:

ServicenowDSN

ServiceNow

OAuth Client Credentials Grant (Must be enabled by Admin) [OAuth]

https://[$InstanceName$].service-now.com/api/now

There are no parameters to configure.

OAuth Password Grant

ServiceNow authentication

Authenticate using OAuth Password Grant (ServiceNow instance username, password, OAuth Client ID, and Client Secret). [API reference]

Create OAuth application and use it for authentication:

Login to your instance at https://your-instance-id.service-now.com.
Start by clicking on menu item All, then search for oauth, and click Application Registry option:
Then click button New:
Continue by clicking Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients option:
Move on by naming your OAuth application and entering a Client Secret (or let it be generated automatically).
Click on the lock icon next to the Redirect URL. Enter https://zappysys.com/oauth. This is not needed if you use Client Credentials Grant or Password Grant
Finally give it a final touch by increasing the Refresh Token Lifespan value to 315,360,000 (it should last for 10 years):
Change Default Grant Type as per your need.
NOTE: If you prefer to use Client Credentials grant (Service account style access without using real userid-password) then your admin must enable it. Client Credentials is only supported on instances where it is explicitly enabled by the ServiceNow administrator. Its not supported in Dev / Free instance.
Done! Now you can use Client ID and Client Secret when configuring OAuth Authentication parameters.

Enable Client Credentials Grant Type

Enable the Client Credentials Grant Type: Go to System Properties > All Properties, create a new property named glide.oauth.inbound.client.credential.grant_type.enabled, and set it to true.
Configure the OAuth Application: Navigate to System OAuth > Application Registry, click New, and select Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients. Set the name and save the record. In the Default Grant Type field, select Client Credentials and associate it with the integration user.

API Connection Manager configuration

Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

Set Authentication Type to OAuth Password Grant [OAuth]
Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
Finally, hit OK button:

ServicenowDSN

ServiceNow

OAuth Password Grant [OAuth]

https://[$InstanceName$].service-now.com/api/now

Required Parameters
User name	Fill-in the parameter...
Password	Fill-in the parameter...

Then go to Preview tab to start building a SQL query.
Once you do that, proceed by opening Query Builder:

ZappySys API Driver - ServiceNow

Read and write ServiceNow data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate incidents, tasks, attachments, and records — almost no coding required.

ServicenowDSN
Then simply select the Get Attachments By Parent Row Search endpoint (action).
Continue by configuring the Required parameters. You can also set optional parameters too.
Move on by hitting Preview Data button to preview the results.

If you see the results you need, simply copy the generated query:

Get Attachments By Parent Row Search

Required Parameters
TableName	Select the value from the dropdown
Optional Parameters
Attachment Filter / Order By
Page Size (Default=2000, Max=10000)	2000
PagingOffset
SysId
Fields to include in response (Keep blank to get all fields -OR- Enter comma separated list)
Query / Order By (Server Side Filter)
Advanced Properties
PagingMode	ByResponseHeaderRfc5988
ContineOn404Error	True
DateFormatString	yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss

-- Find attachments for specific parent records (multiple parent IDs)
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_idIN62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8,6632130c730123002728660c4cf6a734')

-- Parent-level filter: problems updated in last 2 days; attachment-level filter: file name ends with .png or .zip
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(
  TableName='problem',
  Query='sys_updated_on>=<<today-2d,FUN_TO_DATETIME>>',
  AttachmentQuery='file_nameENDSWITH.png^ORfile_nameENDSWITH.zip'
)

-- Parent-level filter by sys_id and attachment filter by exact file name
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_id=62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8', AttachmentQuery='file_name=dump.png')

-- Attachments uploaded by a specific user for parents matched by parent query
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='incident', Query='opened_by=jsmith', AttachmentQuery='sys_created_by=jsmith')

-- Attachments larger than 1 MB for problems updated in the last month
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(
  TableName='problem',
  Query='sys_updated_on>=<<today-1m,FUN_TO_DATETIME>>',
  AttachmentQuery='size_bytes>1048576'
)

-- Only image attachments (content type starts with "image/") for a given parent
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_id=62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8', AttachmentQuery='content_typeSTARTSWITHimage/')

-- Order attachments by creation date (per-parent results ordered by attachment date)
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_updated_on>=<<today-2d,FUN_TO_DATETIME>>', AttachmentQuery='ORDERBYsys_created_on')

-- Combine parent IN-list and attachment name contains filter
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(
  TableName='problem',
  Query='sys_idIN62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8,6632130c730123002728660c4cf6a734',
  AttachmentQuery='file_nameLIKEerror'
)

Click OK to use built SQL query and close the Query Builder.

Now hit Preview Data button to preview the data using the generated SQL query. If you are satisfied with the result, use this query in Alteryx:

ZappySys API Driver - ServiceNow

Read and write ServiceNow data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate incidents, tasks, attachments, and records — almost no coding required.

ServicenowDSN

-- Find attachments for specific parent records (multiple parent IDs)
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_idIN62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8,6632130c730123002728660c4cf6a734')

-- Parent-level filter: problems updated in last 2 days; attachment-level filter: file name ends with .png or .zip
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(
  TableName='problem',
  Query='sys_updated_on>=<<today-2d,FUN_TO_DATETIME>>',
  AttachmentQuery='file_nameENDSWITH.png^ORfile_nameENDSWITH.zip'
)

-- Parent-level filter by sys_id and attachment filter by exact file name
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_id=62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8', AttachmentQuery='file_name=dump.png')

-- Attachments uploaded by a specific user for parents matched by parent query
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='incident', Query='opened_by=jsmith', AttachmentQuery='sys_created_by=jsmith')

-- Attachments larger than 1 MB for problems updated in the last month
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(
  TableName='problem',
  Query='sys_updated_on>=<<today-1m,FUN_TO_DATETIME>>',
  AttachmentQuery='size_bytes>1048576'
)

-- Only image attachments (content type starts with "image/") for a given parent
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_id=62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8', AttachmentQuery='content_typeSTARTSWITHimage/')

-- Order attachments by creation date (per-parent results ordered by attachment date)
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_updated_on>=<<today-2d,FUN_TO_DATETIME>>', AttachmentQuery='ORDERBYsys_created_on')

-- Combine parent IN-list and attachment name contains filter
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(
  TableName='problem',
  Query='sys_idIN62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8,6632130c730123002728660c4cf6a734',
  AttachmentQuery='file_nameLIKEerror'
)

API ODBC Driver-based data source data preview

You can also access data quickly from the tables dropdown by selecting <Select table>.

A WHERE clause, LIMIT keyword will be performed on the client side, meaning that the whole result set will be retrieved from the ServiceNow API first, and only then the filtering will be applied to the data. If possible, it is recommended to use parameters in Query Builder to filter the data on the server side (in ServiceNow servers).

Let's not stop here and explore SQL query examples, including how to use them in Stored Procedures and Views (virtual tables) in the next steps.

ServiceNow SQL query examples

Use these SQL queries in your Alteryx data source:

Read attachments by parent record

This example set demonstrates how to use the get_attachments_by_parent_search endpoint. This endpoint first finds parent rows (for example, records in the problem table) using a parent-level Query, then for each parent record fetches attachments using the AttachmentQuery filter. Because it performs a per-parent lookup it can be slower than direct attachment-table queries, but it is useful when you must filter by parent record attributes (for example, problems updated in the last 2 days).

Use the AttachmentQuery to apply server-side filters on the sys_attachment table (examples: file_nameENDSWITH.png, content_typeSTARTSWITHimage/, size_bytes>1048576, or date placeholders like <<today-2d,FUN_TO_DATETIME>>). Replace sample sys_id and table names with values from your instance.

-- Find attachments for specific parent records (multiple parent IDs)
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_idIN62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8,6632130c730123002728660c4cf6a734')

-- Parent-level filter: problems updated in last 2 days; attachment-level filter: file name ends with .png or .zip
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(
  TableName='problem',
  Query='sys_updated_on>=<<today-2d,FUN_TO_DATETIME>>',
  AttachmentQuery='file_nameENDSWITH.png^ORfile_nameENDSWITH.zip'
)

-- Parent-level filter by sys_id and attachment filter by exact file name
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_id=62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8', AttachmentQuery='file_name=dump.png')

-- Attachments uploaded by a specific user for parents matched by parent query
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='incident', Query='opened_by=jsmith', AttachmentQuery='sys_created_by=jsmith')

-- Attachments larger than 1 MB for problems updated in the last month
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(
  TableName='problem',
  Query='sys_updated_on>=<<today-1m,FUN_TO_DATETIME>>',
  AttachmentQuery='size_bytes>1048576'
)

-- Only image attachments (content type starts with "image/") for a given parent
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_id=62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8', AttachmentQuery='content_typeSTARTSWITHimage/')

-- Order attachments by creation date (per-parent results ordered by attachment date)
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(TableName='problem', Query='sys_updated_on>=<<today-2d,FUN_TO_DATETIME>>', AttachmentQuery='ORDERBYsys_created_on')

-- Combine parent IN-list and attachment name contains filter
SELECT * FROM get_attachments_by_parent_search
WITH(
  TableName='problem',
  Query='sys_idIN62304320731823002728660c4cf6a7e8,6632130c730123002728660c4cf6a734',
  AttachmentQuery='file_nameLIKEerror'
)

Create SQL view in ODBC data source

ZappySys API Drivers support flexible Query language so you can override Default Properties you configured on Data Source such as URL, Body. This way you don't have to create multiple Data Sources if you like to read data from multiple EndPoints. However not every application support supplying custom SQL to driver so you can only select Table from list returned from driver.

If you're dealing with Microsoft Access and need to import data from an SQL query, it's important to note that Access doesn't allow direct import of SQL queries. Instead, you can create custom objects (Virtual Tables) to handle the import process.

Many applications like MS Access, Informatica Designer wont give you option to specify custom SQL when you import Objects. In such case Virtual Table is very useful. You can create many Virtual Tables on the same Data Source (e.g. If you have 50 URLs with slight variations you can create virtual tables with just URL as Parameter setting.

Go to Custom Objects Tab and Click on Add button and Select Add Table:
Enter the desired Table name and click on OK:
And it will open the New Query Window Click on Cancel to close that window and go to Custom Objects Tab.
Select the created table, Select Text Type AS SQL and write the your desired SQL Query and Save it and it will create the custom table in the ZappySys Driver:
Here is an example SQL query for ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders also. Read more about placeholders here
```
SELECT
  "ShipCountry",
  "OrderID",
  "CustomerID",
  "EmployeeID",
  "OrderDate",
  "RequiredDate",
  "ShippedDate",
  "ShipVia",
  "Freight",
  "ShipName",
  "ShipAddress",
  "ShipCity",
  "ShipRegion",
  "ShipPostalCode"
FROM "Orders"
Where "ShipCountry"='USA'
```
That's it now go to Preview Tab and Execute your custom virtual table query. In this example it will extract the orders for the USA Shipping Country only:
```
SELECT * FROM "vt__usa_orders_only"
```

Get attachments by parent row search in Alteryx via SQL view

Open Alteryx Designer.
First, verify your DCM Settings to ensure you can access ODBC drivers. Go to Options > User Settings > Edit User Settings.

If DCM Mode is set to DCM Only, change it to DCM Optional if you would like to access the legacy Generic ODBC Connection.

After changing this setting, you may need to click Save and restart the connection window for the "Generic ODBC" icon to appear.
Drag an Input Data tool onto your Alteryx canvas.
In the Configuration pane, click Set Up a Connection.
Note for DCM Users: If your environment has DCM (Data Connection Manager) enabled, the classic "Generic ODBC" icon may be hidden. To find it, select Data sources on the left and type "ODBC" in the search bar.
Once the ODBC window opens, click Connect Asset and select your ServicenowDSN DSN from the list.

Ensure you have configured a 64-bit System DSN in the Windows ODBC Data Source Administrator before this step.
After selecting your DSN, configure your SQL Query in the Input Data tool configuration:
To save your data, drag an Output Data tool and connect it to the Input Data tool.
Configure the Output Data tool to write to a CSV file:
Press Run (Ctrl+R) to execute the workflow. Verify the results in the Results Window at the bottom.

Advanced topics

Creating SQL stored procedures

You can create procedures to encapsulate custom logic and then only pass handful parameters rather than long SQL to execute your API call.

Steps to create Custom Stored Procedure in ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders anywhere inside Procedure Body. Read more about placeholders here

Go to Custom Objects Tab and Click on Add button and Select Add Procedure:
Enter the desired Procedure name and click on OK:
Select the created Stored Procedure and write the your desired stored procedure and Save it and it will create the custom stored procedure in the ZappySys Driver. Here is an example stored procedure for ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders anywhere inside Procedure Body. Read more about placeholders here
```
CREATE PROCEDURE [usp_get_orders]
    @fromdate = '<<yyyy-MM-dd,FUN_TODAY>>'
 AS
    SELECT * FROM Orders where OrderDate >= '<@fromdate>';
```
That's it now go to Preview Tab and Execute your Stored Procedure using Exec Command. In this example it will extract the orders from the date 1996-01-01:
```
Exec usp_get_orders '1996-01-01';
```

Conclusion

And there you have it — a complete guide on how to get attachments by parent row search in Alteryx without writing complex code. All of this was powered by ServiceNow ODBC Driver, which handled the REST API pagination and authentication for us automatically.

Download the trial now or ping us via chat if you have any questions or are looking for a specific feature (you can also reach out to us by submitting a ticket):

Download Chat

More actions supported by ServiceNow Connector

Got another use case in mind? We've documented the exact setups for a variety of essential ServiceNow operations directly in Alteryx, so you can skip the trial and error. Find your next step-by-step guide below: