Generic Outlook Email Watermark Utility for ServiceNow

Client-Side Components/UI Actions/Email Watermark Utility/GenericEmailUtility.js

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+var GenericEmailUtility = Class.create();
+GenericEmailUtility.prototype = {
+    initialize: function() {},
+
+     // Generate an Outlook (mailto) link with watermark tracking
+    get_Outlook_link: function() {
+        try {
+            const email_payload = JSON.stringify({
+                "REQUESTOR_ID": "",
+                "TITLE": "",
+                "BODY": "",
+                "REQUEST_ID": "",
+                "TABLE_ID": ""
+            });
+
+            var mailtoLink = false;
+            const raw_data = this.getParameter("sysparm_email_body") || email_payload;
+
+            if (global.JSUtil.notNil(raw_data)) {
+                var email_data = JSON.parse(raw_data);
+
+                const to = this.getEmail(email_data.REQUESTOR_ID);
+                const cc = gs.getProperty("instanceEmailAddress"); // instance default CC
+                const subject = email_data.TITLE || '';
+                const body = email_data.BODY || '';
+
+                const watermark = this.getWatermark(email_data.REQUEST_ID, email_data.TABLE_ID);
+
+                // Construct mailto link
+                mailtoLink = 'mailto:' + to + '?cc=' + cc;
+
+                if (subject)
+                    mailtoLink += '&subject=' + encodeURIComponent(subject);
+
+                if (body)
+                    mailtoLink += '&body=' + encodeURIComponent(body);
+
+                if (watermark)
+                    mailtoLink += encodeURIComponent("\n\nRef: " + watermark);
+            }
+
+            return mailtoLink;
+
+        } catch (ex) {
+            gs.error("Error in get_Outlook_link(): " + ex.message);
+            return false;
+        }
+    },
+
+     // Fetch watermark ID (creates one if missing)
+    getWatermark: function(record_id, table_name) {
+        var wm = new GlideRecord('sys_watermark');
+        wm.addQuery('source_id', record_id);
+        wm.orderByDesc('sys_created_on');
+        wm.query();
+
+        if (wm.next()) {
+            return wm.getValue('number');
+        }
+
+        wm.initialize();
+        wm.source_id = record_id;
+        wm.source_table = table_name;
+        wm.insert();
+
+        return wm.getValue('number');
+    },
+
+     // Retrieve user’s email address
+    getEmail: function(user_id) {
+        if (global.JSUtil.notNil(user_id)) {
+            var user = new GlideRecordSecure('sys_user');
+            if (user.get(user_id))
+                return user.email.toString();
+        }
+        return '';
+    },
+
+    type: 'GenericEmailUtility'
+};

Client-Side Components/UI Actions/Email Watermark Utility/README.md

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+# Outlook Email Watermark Utility for ServiceNow
+
+# Overview
+This reusable utility allows users to send emails **outside ServiceNow** (e.g., using Outlook or any default mail client) while still  maintaining the conversation within ServiceNow.  
+By embedding a unique watermark reference, any replies to the email will automatically append to the original record's activity feed.
+
+This helps teams collaborate externally without losing internal record visibility — ideal for customers or vendors who communicate via Outlook.
+
+---
+
+# Objective
+- Enable ServiceNow users to send Outlook emails directly from a record.  
+- Maintain conversation history in ServiceNow using watermark tracking.  
+- Make the solution **generic**, reusable across tables (Incident, Change, Request, etc.).  
+- Prevent dependency on outbound mail scripts or custom integrations.  
+
+# Components
+
+## 1. Script Include: GenericEmailUtility
+Handles the logic for:
+- Constructing the mailto: link.  
+- Fetching recipient and instance email addresses.  
+- Generating or retrieving the watermark ID.  
+- Returning a formatted Outlook link to the client script.
+
+## Key Methods
+1. get_Outlook_link() - Builds the full Outlook mail link with subject, body, and watermark.
+2. getWatermark(record_id, table_name) - Ensures a watermark exists for the record.
+3. getEmail(user_id) - Fetches the email address for the target user.
+
+## 2. UI Action (Client Script)
+Executes on the record form when the button/link is clicked.  
+It gathers record data, constructs a payload, calls the Script Include using GlideAjax, and opens Outlook.
+
+## Key Steps
+1. Collect field data like requestor, short description, and description.  
+2. Pass record details to the Script Include (GenericEmailUtility).  
+3. Receive a ready-to-use Outlook link.  
+4. Open the mail client with prefilled details and watermark reference.  
+
+## How It Works
+1. User clicks "Send Outlook Email" UI Action on a record.
+2. Script gathers record data and passes it to GenericEmailUtility.
+3. The utility builds a 'mailto:' link including the watermark.
+4. Outlook (or default mail client) opens with pre-filled To, CC, Subject, and Body fields.
+5. When the recipient replies, ServiceNow uses the watermark to append comments to the correct record.
+
+## Example Usage
+**User clicks “Send Outlook Email”** on a Request record:  
+Outlook opens prefilled like this:
+
+<img width="288" height="65" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/b58c5e0a-d80a-40ca-9ab5-f188a1203169" />
+
+
+<img width="710" height="496" alt="image" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/5cbc7645-4233-4826-99f7-e2948bb5ab78" />
+

Client-Side Components/UI Actions/Email Watermark Utility/Send Email UI Action.js

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+function onClick(g_form) {
+    var separator = "\n--------------------------------\n";
+    var email_body = "Record URL:\n" + g_form.getDisplayValue('number') + separator;
+    email_body += "Short Description:\n" + g_form.getValue('short_description') + separator;
+    email_body += "Description:\n" + g_form.getValue('description') + separator;
+
+    var email_data = {};
+    email_data.REQUESTOR_ID = g_form.getValue('caller_id') || g_form.getValue('opened_by') || g_form.getValue('requested_for');
+    email_data.TITLE = g_form.getValue('short_description') || 'ServiceNow Communication';
+    email_data.BODY = email_body;
+    email_data.REQUEST_ID = g_form.getUniqueValue();
+    email_data.TABLE_ID = g_form.getTableName();
+
+    var ga = new GlideAjax('GenericEmailUtility');
+    ga.addParam('sysparm_name', 'get_Outlook_link');
+    ga.addParam('sysparm_email_body', JSON.stringify(email_data));
+    ga.getXMLAnswer(function(response) {
+        var mailto_link = response;
+        if (mailto_link && mailto_link != 'false') {
+            window.open(mailto_link);
+        } else {
+            g_form.addErrorMessage('Unable to generate Outlook link.');
+        }
+    });
+}