User preference rowcount

What are User Preferences?

In ServiceNow instances, user preferences are a set of UI features that are stored in the sys_user_preference table and contain the ServiceNow out-of-the-box, or default, settings.

However, a user can change these settings according to their own needs. These changes can be either for the user alone, meaning that they will not affect the instance, or they can be made globally, in which case the changes will be applied to the entire UI of the instance. Some examples of user preferences include the number of rows per page and the order in which items are displayed.

Why is this an issue?

The rowcount property controls the number of items displayed per page in ServiceNow. The default value is 20, but this can be changed by users or administrators. The rowcount property also impacts many areas of the platform, including lists, homepages, forms, and reports.

Changing the value of the row count can have a significant impact on performance. A higher row count value will increase the number of database queries that are executed, which can slow down list viewing.

How do I fix it?

To revert the rowcount property to its default value in your instance, simply follow these steps:

1. In the Filter Navigator, type and enter sys_user_preference.list.

2. Search for rowcount and click on the record in which the User is empty.

3. Set the Value back to 20.