Context Map
A Context Map is an interactive visualization that fans out from a single element across configurable levels of related data. Each level is color-coded, and the map loads its contents live from ServiceNow — so what you see is always the current state of your records.
Use a Context Map when you want to visualize:
Everything that touches a business capability (applications, services, owners)
A data flow expanded by hops
Related records around a single source element, categorized by level
Creating a Context Map
Add the Context Map visualization to your board from the shapes library.
Drop a committed element from the Data Hub onto the Context Map shape — this sets the source element the map fans out from.
The Configure Levels dialog opens automatically.
Configuring Levels
For each level in the dialog:
Table / Element — pick the related table or specific element to include at this level.
Color — pick a color for this level (the last level has no color picker; it uses its source color).
You can add and remove levels to control how deep the map fans out. Level 1 is closest to the source; each subsequent level extends outward through related records.
Click Load to fetch the related records and populate the map.
What You See After Loading
The Context Map renders as a radial or layered layout with the source element at the center and each level extending outward, color-coded per your configuration. You can:
Select individual nodes to inspect them in the Data Panel
Traverse relationships by hovering
Add more levels by re-opening Configure Levels (pencil icon on the visualization's toolbar)
Editing & Resetting
The Context Map toolbar includes:
Edit (pencil icon) — re-opens the Configure Levels dialog
Reset — clears the current configuration so you can start over
Both buttons are hidden when the visualization is locked or when the board is opened in read-only / presenter mode.
Notifications
You'll see in-app toasts as the map loads:
"Loading Context Map" (in progress)
"Context Map loaded successfully"
"Error loading Context Map" (with error details)
See Notifications for how these toasts behave.
Limits & Gotchas
Only committed elements can be dropped on a Context Map. Dropping an uncommitted element produces an error — commit the element first via the Commit workflow.
You cannot drop multiple elements. The error "It is impossible to add multiple elements" appears if you try — a Context Map has exactly one source.
Parent tables are not supported as a drop target for a level. Drop individual tables instead.
The map loads asynchronously. Expect a brief loading state for large related sets.
Configure Levels is modal. You cannot edit the canvas while the dialog is open.
Related
Data Hub — source of the committed element you drop onto the map
Hierarchy Map — a related visualization for parent/child trees
Commit — required before an element can be dropped on the Context Map
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