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original_url: "https://jace.pro/blog/what-is-an-acl/"
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What is an ACL- # What is an ACL

October 22, 2025 [servicenow ](/tags/servicenow/)[acl ](/tags/acl/)[draft](/tags/draft/)

  Enable AI AnimationAccess Controls (or also known as Access Control Lists - ACLs) are a way to define who can see what within a system.

In ServiceNow, ACLs have always been part of the platform.

Access controls apply the most finely grained rule and then if none apply, it gets more vague rules until it finds one that applies. If none apply, access is denied.

You can have ACLs on many different things:

Table level *most common* - controls access to the entire table
- Field level *most common* - controls access to specific fields within a table

ServiceNow Access Control Lists (ACLs) are a set of rules that define which users and groups have access to specific records, fields, and other objects within ServiceNow. ACLs allow organizations to grant or restrict access to different roles within ServiceNow, ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive information. They are used to control which users can see, view, modify, or delete items in the system.

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[View this page on GitHub](https://github.com/jacebenson/jace.pro/tree/main/./src/posts/drafts/2022-12-25-what-is-acl-google-search-trend.md).

[What is an ACL](https://jace.pro/blog/what-is-an-acl/) [Jace Benson](https://jace.pro) ![Jace Benson](https://jace.pro/icon-512x512.png)

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*This content is from Jace Benson's ServiceNow and tech blog at jace.pro*
*Original post: https://jace.pro/blog/what-is-an-acl/*