What Is the Optional Condition Field on an IRE Identifier Entry — Behavior and Limitations<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } .kb-wrapper { font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.7; color: #000000; max-width: 100%; margin: 0; padding: 0; background: transparent; } .kb-wrapper h2 { font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: 900; color: #032D42; border-bottom: 2px solid #e8fce4; padding-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 24px; margin-bottom: 12px; } .kb-wrapper p, .kb-wrapper li { font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.7; color: #000000; } .kb-wrapper ul { margin: 8px 0 12px 24px; padding: 0; } .kb-wrapper li { margin-bottom: 4px; } .kb-wrapper code { font-family: 'Consolas', 'Monaco', monospace; font-size: 11pt; background: #e6f0f5; color: #032D42; border: 1px solid #b8cfd8; border-radius: 3px; padding: 1px 6px; } .kb-wrapper .related-links a { color: #032D42; text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'Lato', sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; } Summary The Optional Condition field on an Identifier Entry filters which existing CIs in the database are considered as match candidates for that entry. It accepts an encoded query (for example, operational_status=1) and excludes any CI that does not satisfy the query from the candidate pool. Optional Condition is sometimes expected to gate whether the Identification and Reconciliation Engine (IRE) performs an insert versus an update based on the contents of the incoming payload. It does not behave that way. Limitations Optional Condition does not inspect the incoming payload or which fields it contains.It does not control whether a CI is created versus updated.It cannot suppress inserts based on payload shape — IRE has no "update only" terminal state. Each payload resolves to either MATCH → UPDATE or NO_MATCH → INSERT.Narrowing the candidate pool can increase inserts: if the condition excludes the CI that would otherwise have matched, IRE falls through and creates a new CI.Hybrid identifier entries do not address this. They disambiguate CIs that share lookup values; they do not gate create-versus-update on payload shape.Payload-shape rules must be applied upstream of IRE (data source, transform, ETL, or source system), not in identifier entry configuration. Property Note On Regular (main table) identifier entries, the Optional Condition field is exposed only when the system property glide.identification_engine.enable_identifier_optional_condition is created in sys_properties and set. On Lookup and Hybrid entries, Optional Condition is always available. This property controls UI visibility only; it does not change any of the limitations above. CMDB Identification and Reconciliation System Properties — ServiceNow Product Documentation Related Links CMDB Identification and Reconciliation (IRE) — ServiceNow Product Documentation