Error: Unable to Connect to API: UnknownHostException

Issue

Connection tests fail with the following error:

Unable to connect to API java.net.UnknownHostException: <instance_id>.service-now.com

Environment

Connector: ServiceNow

Resolution

To resolve this issue:

1. In Fivetran, go to your ServiceNow connection page.
2. Go to the Settings tab.
3. Click Edit connection.
4. In the Instance ID field, enter the full instance URL, including the https:// protocol. For example: https://fivetran.servicenowservices.com
5. Click Save & Test.

Cause

This issue occurs when you enter only an instance identifier, such as fivetran, in the Instance ID field for a ServiceNow instance that uses a custom domain.

The Instance ID field supports two formats:

• For instances that use the standard service-now.com domain, enter the instance identifier. For example, fivetran corresponds to https://fivetran.service-now.com.
• For instances that use a custom domain, enter the full instance URL. For example, https://fivetran.servicenowservices.com.

When you only enter an instance identifier, we assume that the instance uses the standard service-now.com domain and constructs the endpoint accordingly. If your instance uses a custom domain, the generated hostname doesn't match the actual instance URL, causing DNS resolution to fail.