What is a taxonomy in ServiceNow?
The Employee Center's unified taxonomy is a structured collection of hierarchical topics that consolidates various content types—such as requests, articles, quick links, and employee communications—across departments into a single, employee-focused system. It also enhances content discovery through navigation and topic pages.
The term "taxonomy" (in the context of ServiceNow) is sometimes used interchangeably with terms like "information architecture," "navigation," or "menu." While these terms have distinct definitions, they all refer to the way information is organized and structured within a website, app, or system. Essentially, it's a blueprint that helps users quickly and easily find what they need.
As organizations shift toward AI-driven experiences, employees are relying less on deeply browsing hierarchies. Instead, they increasingly search, ask AI, follow recommendations, use shortcuts, and navigate through task-focused experiences.
So the goal is no longer a perfect taxonomy hierarchy, it's findability + semantic relevance + task completion. This is a fundamentally different design philosophy than traditional information architecture approaches.
That said, it's still important to provide solid navigation for your users to fall back on as they adapt, especially when coming from legacy portals.
Drafting your initial portal navigation
If you are building an Employee Center taxonomy and not sure how to begin, it is recommended to reference ServiceNow's out-of-the-box (OOTB) taxonomy models as a starting point.
High-level approach for a quick solution:
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Avoid over-engineering and analysis paralysis by reviewing and using the out-of-the-box taxonomy models as a framework or starting point to fall back on.
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Identify gaps and topics that may need to be renamed, removed or added to align with your organization, content or services provided.
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Validate your navigation structure with real users before rolling it out. Traditional testing methods such as tree-testing are still relevant (learn more about including users in your taxonomy development process). Existing customers with live instances can learn additional insights from the Usage Insights Dashboard (formerly called User Experience Analytics) in the platform.
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Iterate based on insights.
Choose an Approach for Building an Information Architecture
Don't know where to start? Follow this decision tree to determine which path best suits your organization when designing your information architecture.
*Note: Open this graphic in new tab and use the zoom in to view.
Example Information Architectures (Provided OOTB)
ServiceNow provides taxonomy models for core service areas (IT, HR, Workplace Services, Legal, Health&Safety, etc). These data will be loaded in net new instances and in store updates.
Technology (IT) Services
Technology Services
├── Hardware
│ ├── Computers
│ ├── Printers
│ ├── Accessories
│ └── Phone and Mobility
│
├── Software
│ ├── Email Accounts
│ ├── Access Issues
│ ├── Software and Applications
│ └── Software Issues
│
├── Network
│ ├── VPN
│ └── Network Issues
│
├── Privacy and Security
│ └── Certificate Management
│
├── IT for IT
│ └── AI Assets
│
└── Quick Links (Example)
└── System Status
Human Resources (HR) Services
Human Resources
├── Pay and Time
│ ├── Compensation
│ └── Time Off
│
├── Benefits
│ ├── Health and Wellness
│ ├── Retirement
│ ├── Leave of Absence
│ ├── Donating and Volunteering
│ └── Education Reimbursement
│
├── Career Development
│ ├── Training and Certification
│ └── Performance
│
├── Onboarding
├── Employee Conduct
├── HR Systems
├── Return to Workplace
├── Employment Information
├── Travel and Relocation
├── Retirement and Separations
└── Policies and ProceduresWorkplace
Workplace Services
├── Furniture and Supplies
├── Food and Catering
├── Events
├── Transportation
├── Building Access
├── Site Safety
└── MaintenancePurchase and Expense
Purchases and Expenses
├── Invoices
├── Supplier Services
├── Corporate Cards
├── Purchase Requests
└── Travel and ExpensesLegal
Legal
├── Contracts
├── Privacy and Data
├── Ethics and Compliance
├── Immigration
├── Intellectual Property
├── Litigation
└── Legal Operations
Health and Safety
Health and Safety
├── Workplace Emergency
│ └── Report Emergency
│
├── Job Safety Analysis
├── Health and Safety Incidents
├── Health and Safety Observations
├── Policies and Procedures
├── Contractor Management
├── Permit to Work
│
└── Quick Links (Examples)
├── Ask a Health and Safety Question
├── Anonymously Report a Safety Concern
├── Create a JSA
├── View Safety Register Documents
├── View My JSAs
├── Report Health and Safety Incident - Basic
├── Report Health and Safety Incident - Advanced
├── Submit a Compensation Claim
├── Report Health and Safety Observation
├── Request a Permit to Work
└── Report an EmergencyCloud Services
Cloud Services
├── Service Category
│ ├── IaaS
│ ├── PaaS
│ ├── Linux
│ ├── Windows
│ └── DevOps
│
├── Service
│ ├── Database
│ ├── Object Storage
│ ├── Load Balancer
│ └── Integrations
│
├── Approval
│ └── Quick Start
│
├── Ansible
├── AWS
├── Azure
└── GoogleOR...
Broader Topic Categorization
Help Center
├── Human Resources
├── Technology Services
├── Workplace Services
├── Health and Safety
├── Legal
├── Purchases and Expenses
└── Finance
Your Team
├── Manager Hub
├── Team Members
├── Team Insights
├── Conversations
├── Hiring
└── Manager Library
Company
├── Org Chart
└── Employee Forums
News and events
Configure the Style of Your Navigation Bar Through Advanced Portal Navigation
Configuration Option 1: Standard Top Navigation
Configuration Option 2: Expanded Top Navigation
Configuration Option 3 (Dec '25 release): Simplified Left Navigation
Note: ServiceNow Advanced & Total Impact customers can take advantage of the UX: Taxonomy Design or Review Accelerator for additional support.
