When new releases drop, I always find myself asking: what’s actually going to change a developer’s day-to-day? For this blog specifically, I’ll be highlighting the changes in ServiceNow Studio, the tool that I now live in when I do ServiceNow development, especially now with some of the upgrades that make building, collaborating, and experimenting with AI a lot smoother.
Some of these features were also live demoed during our TechNow Zurich webinar, which you can watch at this timestamped link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Oc-YFwZ3_A&t=411s
1. AI Files Inside Your Apps
Zurich makes AI a native part of Studio. You can add AI files directly into your apps, so no more bolting on external workflows to get generative AI involved.
The ServiceNow Studio Navigator panel taxonomy has tons of different metadata file types as it stands but it’s nice to know that the critical AI file types are here now too:
- Agentic Workflows: Define the business problem you want an AI agent to solve. These workflows live in the sn_aia_usecase table and are edited through AI Agent Studio. This is where you specify the problem, connect it to an AI agent, and generate resolution plans.
- AI Agents: Configured in AI Agent Studio and stored in sn_aia_agent. These LLM-powered entities can handle everything from auto-responses to orchestrating multi-step solutions. Supported models include Now LLM, Gemini, Claude, Cursor, and Perplexity, with flexibility to switch.
- Skills: Built through the Now Assist Skill Kit. You define inputs, prompts, LLM provider, and deployment context. Stored in sn_nowassist_skill_config. Think of these as targeted AI tools you configure yourself.
Docs
ServiceNow Studio File Navigator taxonomy
Why it matters
AI updates and AI skills aren’t tied to the twice-a-year release cycle, or even the twice-a-release store update cycle, they update continuously. That means as new models and capabilities arrive, you can discover them right away without leaving Studio.
2. Source Control, Finally Inside Studio
Previously, source control integration wasn’t available in ServiceNow Studio. Zurich brings it into the unified interface:
- From the App details page, go to Source Control → Link to source control.
- Supported operations: Pushing, pulling, branching, forking, tagging.
- Requirements:
- Dedicated Git repo with access token (GitHub/GitLab).
- Instance network access to the repo.
- Admin role to perform linking.
- Config options: HTTPS or SSH, branch selection, optional MID server (if repo is behind firewall), and commit comments.
Walkthrough:
If you're looking for a complete walkthrough on how to get started with Source Control (both in general and in ServiceNow Studio):
Docs
Why it matters
This was personally the one thing that was holding me back from fully committing to a complete ServiceNow Studio workflow. I use Git repositories a lot for my work. Being able to spin up quick “bug fix” branches without leaving the platform is awesome to me.
3. A Smarter App Details Page
The App details page has been fully revamped in Zurich.
- Shows featured files and recently updated files.
- Allows filtering and viewing all files.
- Provides a cleaner, more focused experience on important app details
Docs
Why it matters
This feels like Studio catching up with what devs actually need: one page, one glance, all the essentials.
4. Focus the Navigator on the File You’re Actually In
Zurich adds a small but useful feature: Show in File Navigator.
When I’m 50 tabs deep into multiple projects and am rapidly jumping around to different Studio tabs, this is often me:
But now:
- Right-click your tab, select Show in File Navigator.
- This loads the Navigator in the context of that metadata item, showing the app and where the file fits
- Works across multi-scope dev, and your open canvas file stays visible.
Docs
Why it matters
This is one of those features you’ll use once and immediately wonder how you lived without it.
5. Dark Theme Everywhere
Dark mode now covers ServiceNow Studio, Playbook Designer, and Mobile App Builder.
Here is the same screenshot from earlier but in dark mode:
- Toggle it in user preferences.
- Provides a consistent experience across dev tools.
Docs
Why it matters
Home sweet home
Sometimes, platform updates feel like minor conveniences. The updates that the ServiceNow Studio team puts out feels like a direct response to how developers actually work:
- Source control is part of Studio, not an external detour.
- App details and navigator tweaks reduce cognitive overhead.
- AI isn’t bolted on, it’s baked in.
Anyways, happy developing!
