Plugins are a great way to add enhanced functionality and new Now Platform features to your ServiceNow instance. Depending on your needs, there are two ways to activate a plugin in Now Support:
- Use the Plugin Store to find and activate commonly-requested plugins. We recently updated the Plugin Store with a refreshed look and feel, more filtering options, and more details about available plugins.
- Use the Service Catalog, where you can activate any published plugin offered by ServiceNow, as long as it is compatible with your instance release.
What's new?
We've made several enhancements the Service Catalog to make requesting and activating plugins faster and more intuitive. They include:
- Allowing you to select your desired plugin by Plugin Name or Plugin ID via a typeahead form (previous versions asked for your desired plugin in a free text form, causing delays in the plugin activation process as the requests had to be reviewed for accuracy, instance compatibility, entitlement, etc.).
- Validating if you have an active entitlement for the selected plugin.
- Alerting you if you already have the selected plugin or if you have an active request out for the plugin.
- Only showing you plugins that are compatible with the release your instance is running on.
Additionally, plugin requests are processed via an automated workflow to reduce the time it takes to activate them. It's all part of our commitment to creating a better self-service experience powered by end-to-end automation.
How to activate plugins with the Service Catalog
To get to the catalog item:
- Log in to Now Support (HI)
- Click Service Catalog on the left navigation
- Select Instance Management in the Catalog Menu
- Click the Activate Plugin tile
- Choose the instance
- Select the specific plugin from the dropdown or search by Plugin Name or Plugin ID
- Select the date and time from the calendar control when the you would like to the plugin to be activated on your instance
- Enter the justification or any special requirement (optional)
- Click on Submit
- A new change request is created for the plugin activation, and the request is displayed automatically.
- Add people to the Watch list as necessary and click Save
- If you wish to Cancel or Reschedule the plugin installation, click on the respective button on the change form
Overview of the Now Support Service Catalog
Activating plugins isn't the only reason to use the Service Catalog. You can also shop for other key tasks and activities to perform on your instance. Simply make your choice, and our automated workflow will take care of the rest. Use the Now Support Service Catalog to rename your instance, perform a zBoot, and more.
Additional Resources
- Refer to Requesting a Plugin via Service Catalog on Now Support (HI) for step-by-step instructions.
- Learn more about the ServiceNow Service Catalog
- Learn more about self-service capabilities offered via the Service Catalog on Now Support and Now Support Mobile here.
- Request a Plugin
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