Can I replace the OOTB Approval experience with a custom page?

[stevebrownell]

I'm an experienced developer, but new to ServiceNow.  I have the following scenario...

I have a custom application that at its core is home to several service catalog items.  I have a flow that (after using relevant data) creates approvals that an appropriate set of users will need to complete.  I'm having no issues with that.

Obviously, approvals are at the heart of ServiceNow and the experience is long standing.  A user may end up with the need to complete several approvals, some of which are for the service catalog items that belong to my custom application.  I would like for the system to recognize that a specific approval is for one of my service catalog items and direct them to a page in my custom application to complete the approval.  There is quite a bit of information that the user should have on their screen that I would like to have control on it's presentation, as well as the ability to execute additional custom actions besides the approve/reject choices for the resolution of the approval.

How might I do this?

[Kieran Anson]

Hi,

I see this is under the creator studio space, but which user interface will this be for? A configurable workspace or service portal?

For workspace, you'd need to introduce a variant to override the default behaviour. For service portal, there's a few different approaches that have organically come about. Particularly if you're using employee center and to-dos

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @stevebrownell 

I'm not a developer, but from a process perspective, this is a significant customization that will increase technical debt. I understand it might make things easier for users, but consider this: if you have 10 different approvals for 10 different apps, 10 separate tabs will open, leading to confusion and more clicks.

Also, based on experience, if users click the "Update" UI action, the page reloads, and due to browser cache, it's uncertain which page might load. Keep these points in mind. Additionally, making such changes will disrupt the OOTB (Out-of-the-Box) behavior and logic, which could cause issues during upgrades.

[Shubham_Jain · Accepted solution]

@stevebrownell 

Recommended Approach Based on Process and Design

Instead of fully redirecting approvals, consider these hybrid solutions:

1. Enhance the OOTB Approval UI Instead of Redirecting

- Use Form Sections, UI Policies, and Client Scripts to show the additional data inline in the standard approval UI.

- Use Approval Summaries in the Flow Designer to structure additional information better.

2. Use Service Portal Enhancements (If Needed)

- Instead of forcing redirection, add a custom widget to the Service Portal approval page that dynamically displays extra details only when needed.

- Modify the Service Portal widget for approvals (widget-approvals) to add your custom actions, rather than replacing the entire flow.

3. If Custom UI is Absolutely Necessary, Implement It as an Optional Action

- Instead of auto-redirecting, provide a - View Detailed Approval Page -  button in the standard approval UI that opens your custom page only if the user needs more details.

- This keeps the core approval process standard while still offering the custom experience when needed.

Final Decision: Should You Do Full Custom UI Redirection?

- NO, unless the approval process is significantly different from standard approvals.

- YES, if:

- The approval requires heavy customization beyond what UI Policies, Client Scripts, or Approval Summaries can provide.

-  The UI must contain interactive elements (like decision matrices, dynamic data retrieval, or multi-step approval workflows).

 - Users are trained separately to handle approvals differently for this custom application.

Best Practice: Start with minimal enhancements (UI Policies, Approval Summaries) and only go for a full custom UI if absolutely necessary. This keeps your system scalable, upgrade-friendly, and easier to maintain.

[stevebrownell]

@Shubham_Jain 

Thank you for your response to what is a rather vague question.  I appreciate your comments about what would influence you to choose one direction over another and how to pursue an incremental approach to the problem.  Truly, good advice. Thanks.

I will definitely pursue enhancing the OOTB with as much view-only data as I can to help the user make the primary decision to approve or reject the associated item.  Then I would only send the user anywhere else based on a UI action from a widget.

I'm still a little confused by the multiple "studios" available in the application, and the various UI/navigation concepts like Portals, Workspaces and Experiences.

Thanks again,

Steve Brownell