question How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admission? in Community Central forum

How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admission?

BarrettW3156489 — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 17:34:45 GMT

Our company plans to develop and distribute a service now app on the ServiceNow public store geared towards the Customer Service Management (CSM/FSM) product. We’ve submitted our application to join the Build Technology Partner program (as of last Friday), which is in review, but we’re realizing now apparently CSM is only supported in a Vendor Instance and receiving a Vendor Instance is tied to admission into the Partner Program upon review completion. First off, is that understanding correct? And if it is, does anyone know alternative means of procuring a Vendor Instance, or an alternative way to get simulated incident/ticket data like would be in CSM, in a PDI, so that development is not blocked on this?

Also, does anyone know how long it typically takes the partner operations team to review and approve applications?

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

Simon Hendery — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 20:57:36 GMT

Hi @BarrettW3156489

1. You're correct: the only way to get access to a partner demo instance/vendor instance is by joining the partner program.

2. In the meantime, yes, you can install CSM on a PDI (via Admin > Application Manager) and there's a checkbox for 'Load demo data' that you'll want to tick.

3. It's a couple of years since we joined the program, so don't take this as Gospel, but back then I think the sign-up process took weeks rather than days.

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

BarrettW3156489 — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 22:18:30 GMT

Weve already been admitted into the Build Partner Program. I think it may be a requirement for access to the NowSupport portal, in addition to everything in the partner portal. I didn’t seem to get that access out of the box when joining the program, and it sounds like it’s where the Vendor Instances are managed

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

BarrettW3156489 — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 02:09:04 GMT

Thanks Simon! Now we've finished joining the program but are still having trouble procuring the Vendor Instances since apparently no one has access to NowSupport support.servicenow.com where the instances are managed from? Despite being the global administrator for partnerportal.service-now.com I still am not able to access. Any tips?

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

Bhuvan — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 03:27:07 GMT

@BarrettW3156489

You can check with your ServiceNow Account Representative if processing can be fast tracked to get vendor instance. In the mean time, you can activate CSM plugins in PDI and start with your development activities.

Go to System Definition -> Plugins and activate Customer Service Management plugin

You can activate additional CSM plugins based on your requirements

You can activate CSM demo data by activating below plugin

If this helped to answer your query, please mark it helpful & accept the solution.

Thanks,

Bhuvan

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

Simon Hendery — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 03:45:19 GMT

Hi @Bhuvan - not quite correct: prospective partners don't have account reps; they're not customers. If they were, they'd have a sub-prod instance.

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

Simon Hendery — Fri, 26 Sep 2025 21:53:32 GMT

Hi @BarrettW3156489

You're right, the instances are managed through support.servicenow.com. So if you can't access that subsite, either:

1. If you can, log into the partner portal and raise a ticket from the support section.

2. If that's not possible, reach out to whoever from ServiceNow you've been dealing with through the registration process and ask them for help.

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

StephenR0086629 — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 22:15:43 GMT

From my experience with ServiceNow, getting a vendor instance tied to CSM usually requires going through your ServiceNow account rep or partner manager. They’ll determine eligibility and provision access. For testing or demos, the Developer Instance program is the easiest option, but it doesn’t include full CSM capabilities. Aligning with your account team ensures you get the right environment without running into licensing issues.

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

BarrettW3156489 — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 18:14:14 GMT

Excellent. And is there a way to move the app which we've developed up until now on the PDI, into the newly provisioned Vendor Instance?

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

Simon Hendery — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 20:30:45 GMT

Hey @BarrettW3156489

I hope you're already backing up your PDI work using source control and Update Sets? If not please, please, please make that a top priority.

Firstly, it will enable the migration to the vendor instance.

Secondly, PDIs are notoriously unstable and are unsupported. There are endless stories of people losing their instances out of the blue, which means irretrievably losing all their data. Because there's no support for PDIs, there's no chance of getting your work back if you lose it.

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

BarrettW3156489 — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 21:05:01 GMT

Hi! Yes we are backing up using source control. Do you have a link to the process for migrating from the PDI to the Vendor Instance?

Re: How can we get a Vendor Instance with CSM, or add CSM to a PDI, prior to Partner Program Admissi

Simon Hendery — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 21:29:54 GMT

Good to know! I'm pretty sure the migration would be no different to what's outlined here:

https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB1523057