Integration with ServiceNow for Federated Search

Search ServiceNow KB content using the MangoApps global search bar

Overview

MangoApps supports federated search integrations that enable users to retrieve content from external platforms like ServiceNow directly within the MangoApps interface. Integrating ServiceNow enhances knowledge accessibility by allowing users to search and view ServiceNow Knowledge Base (KB) articles in real-time—without the need to switch applications.

Required Roles

To complete the integration successfully, different roles are required on both the MangoApps and ServiceNow platforms. Each role plays a specific part in setting up, managing, or using the federated search feature.

MangoApps Roles:

Domain Administrator: Configures federated search settings and adds data sources.
Network User: Performs searches and accesses ServiceNow content through MangoApps.

ServiceNow Roles:

Administrator: Installs necessary plugins, configures REST APIs, and generates API credentials.
Agent: Creates and manages KB articles to be searched.

Servicenow Setup

This section covers the steps required on the ServiceNow side to enable secure and authenticated access to KB articles from MangoApps.

Install the Knowledge Management API Plugin

Find and install the plugin sn_km_api (ServiceNow Knowledge Management API).

After clicking Install, a pop-up will appear to validate the most recent version of the API. Once validated, click Install again. Upon successful installation, a confirmation pop-up will appear.

Configure Scripted REST API

Go to All > Scripted REST APIs. Locate Knowledge Management REST API and click to open it.

In the Resources tab, click the cog-wheel icon (Settings).

In the "Personalized List Columns," enable:

Requires ACL Authorization
Requires Authentication

Next, while still under Resources, select Search Articles.

From here, we need to edit the authentication requirement. To do this click the "Click here" link to view details.

Under the Security tab, check:

Requires Authentication
Requires ACL Authorization

Create an OAuth Application

From the All tab, search for Application Registry.

In Application Registries, click the New button on the right side of the screen.

Select Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients.

Enter:

Name: (e.g., MangoApps Integration)
Redirect URL: Copy this from MangoApps during setup.

Submit the form and then re-open the entry.

Copy the generated Client ID and Client Secret.

Store these credentials securely. You will need them in the MangoApps configuration.

Validate Knowledge Base Content

In the Knowledge module, verify that relevant articles already exist. To do this, search for “Knowledge” to view any pre-existing KB articles. If needed, the ServiceNow developer account user can create new articles and organize them into multiple folders.

MangoApps Setup

This section explains how MangoApps administrators configure the federated search integration using the credentials and settings from ServiceNow.

Add ServiceNow as a Federated Data Source

Click Add Data Source and select ServiceNow.

Complete the Data Source Configuration

Fill in the form using the details from your ServiceNow setup.

Field

Description

Source Label

Display name for this data source (e.g., “ServiceNow KB”)

Select Data Source

Choose ServiceNow

Instance Name

Use the instance ID from your developer URL (e.g., dev12345)

Client ID and Client Secret

Created during the ServiceNow setup above.

Auth URL

https://<instance>.service-now.com/oauth_auth.do

Token URL

https://<instance>.service-now.com/oauth_token.do

Redirect URL

Copy this URL to use in ServiceNow’s app registration

Click Apply to validate the connection.

Authenticate the Connection

Toggle the ServiceNow integration ON.

Enter your ServiceNow developer credentials when prompted.

Authorize MangoApps to access your ServiceNow data by clicking Allow.

Once authorized, the connection status will show as CONNECTED.

Congratulations! You have completed the integration.

Testing Considerations

Testing ensures the integration is functioning correctly before rollout. After configuration:

Check that the data source shows as CONNECTED in MangoApps.
Search using relevant keywords or document titles and confirm that ServiceNow KB articles appear under the correct label.
Validate that links open correctly in the ServiceNow interface.

Security Considerations

It’s critical to ensure your data is securely accessed and transferred between platforms. Follow these best practices:

Store credentials securely: The Client ID and Client Secret should not be shared or exposed publicly.
Ensure that Requires Authentication and Requires ACL Authorization are enabled in ServiceNow’s API settings.
Only authorized users should have access to configure or disable the integration.

End User Experience

Once the integration is live, MangoApps users will benefit from seamless search access to ServiceNow content.

Users can perform a Global Search in MangoApps using document titles or keywords:

Matching articles from ServiceNow will appear under a labeled section (e.g., “ServiceNow KB”).
Clicking a result opens the article in ServiceNow in a new tab.

This unified experience reduces context-switching and accelerates knowledge access.

Rollout Recommendations

To maximize adoption and awareness, follow these rollout tips:

Announce the feature: Notify users via a post, message, or alert in MangoApps.
Create training material: Share a brief instructional video or step-by-step article.
Designate support contacts: Identify who to contact for integration or content issues.
Monitor and collect feedback: Use feedback to fine-tune article discoverability or search labels.

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