All tutorials / Day 1

Day 1 · Free ServiceNow tutorial

ServiceNow Platform & instance navigation

Identify your practice instance, navigate the platform, and open a list and a form.

By Nayeem · ServiceNow Architect and Certified Technical Architect

Understand the concept

An instance is a separate ServiceNow environment with its own data and configuration. Lists display multiple records; forms display one record. Development, Test and Production serve different purposes and should not be treated as interchangeable practice environments.

A practical business example

A support analyst needs to find an incident, inspect its details and return to the same filtered list without losing context.

What you will learn

• Record your instance URL, release, and signed-in user
• Open a list and a form, and save a navigation shortcut
• Explain the purposes of Development, Test, and Production

Step-by-step practice

Use a personal learning instance and suitable permissions. Record your starting configuration before changing it.

1. Use a personal learning instance and record its URL and release.
2. Open the application navigator and find Incidents. Open an existing incident from the list.
3. Identify the record number, short description and caller. Return to the list using the platform navigation.
4. Save a navigation favourite and reopen it. Confirm that you are still in the intended instance.

Common mistakes and troubleshooting

A missing module may reflect roles or installed applications. Check your signed-in user and instance before assuming records have disappeared.

Why use a separate learning instance?

Configuration and test data can affect users. A learning instance lets you practise without changing an employer’s live service.

Watch the lesson

Hands-on lab

Platform and Instance Navigation · Estimated practice: 40–60 minutes. Download the Word document and work through it alongside the video.

Keep learning

Use the ITSM interview questions with examples to practise explaining concepts. For platform reference information, consult the official ServiceNow documentation for your release.