Command reference

snow-cli uses a noun-verb command style:

snow-cli <noun> <verb> [options]

Examples:

snow-cli profile add dev --instance https://dev.service-now.com --auth-method basic --username admin
snow-cli auth login
snow-cli table list incident --query 'active=true' --limit 20

Use the pages in this section for command-specific guidance. The built-in help remains the authoritative source for exact usage:

snow-cli --help
snow-cli <noun> --help
snow-cli <noun> <verb> --help

Global flags

Every command supports these top-level flags:

--profile <name>: use a specific saved profile
--instance <url>: temporarily override the instance URL from the active profile
--output <json|csv|jsonl|toon|text|auto>: choose the stdout format; when omitted, SNOW_CLI_OUTPUT and then the configured profile output default are consulted before falling back to JSON
--timeout-secs <seconds>: override the HTTP timeout for the current command
--read-only: block commands and HTTP methods that can mutate ServiceNow
-v, -vv, -vvv: increase log verbosity on stderr

Choose an output format

Use --output auto when you want a token-efficient, lossless representation:

snow-cli --output auto table list incident --limit 5

For each payload, auto selects the smallest of compact JSON, JSON Lines, and TOON. It keeps JSON when formats tie. Use an explicit format when a downstream consumer requires one.

To make a format the default for later commands, persist it with profile output:

snow-cli profile output auto

The precedence is explicit --output, then SNOW_CLI_OUTPUT, then the persisted default, then JSON. See profile for changing or resetting that default.

Command pages

Command	What it is for
`profile`	Create, edit, inspect, and switch connection profiles
`auth`	Log in, log out, inspect auth status, and print tokens
`table`	CRUD operations, schema inspection, and aggregate stats for ServiceNow tables
`data`	Export, validate, and import data artifacts
`scope`	List scopes, inspect scopes, export inventory, and move files between scopes
`attachment`	List, download, and upload attachments
`import-set`	Load records into staging tables
`api`	Send raw REST requests to arbitrary endpoints
`graphql`	Submit a document to the optional Now GraphQL endpoint
`script`	Run background scripts
`snu`	Drive the SN-Utils browser helper tab
`codesearch`	Search code and metadata on an instance
`completions`	Generate shell completion scripts

Common patterns

Use a saved profile

snow-cli --profile prod table list incident --limit 10

Pipe JSON into commands that accept stdin

echo '{"short_description":"Created from stdin"}' | snow-cli table create incident
echo '{"user_id":"import-user","email":"import-user@example.com"}' | snow-cli import-set load imp_user

Ask the CLI for help at the exact level you need

snow-cli auth --help
snow-cli auth login --help
snow-cli scope move-file --help

Handle slow or hibernating instances

snow-cli --timeout-secs 60 table list incident --limit 5

The default timeout is 90 seconds. Increase it when an instance is slow, hibernating, or under load.

Pass credentials via environment variable (CI/headless)

Instead of storing credentials in the OS keychain, you can provide them through environment variables for one-off or CI usage:

SNOW_CLI_PASSWORD='<password>' snow-cli table list incident --limit 5
SNOW_CLI_API_TOKEN='<token>' snow-cli table list incident --limit 5

The keychain is tried first; env vars are used as fallback.