Your Pre-Challenge Guide: #BuildWithBuildAgent starts November 12

[Earl Duque]

The Build with Build Agent Challenge is entering its fourth year, starting on November 12th, and it's your chance to put ServiceNow's most innovative AI development tool to the test!

Use this video to understand how the challenge works, and be sure to come back here on the 12th to get started!

So, What is Build Agent?

Think of Build Agent as your AI co-pilot for app creation in ServiceNow. It writes code, organizes files, fixes errors, and builds both the logic and UI from natural language prompts—it's fast, smart, and built right into the platform.

In this video, Earl covers everything you need to know, including:

• The Challenge: A breakdown of the #BuildWithBuildAgent Challenge, including how to participate, rewards (exclusive swag, community badge, and App Gallery features!), and the submission deadline of November 24th, 2025.
• Getting Started: How to request a free Personal Developer Instance (PDI) from developer.servicenow.com that's preloaded with Build Agent, or how to use a licensed company instance.
• Quick App Build Demo (04:54): A simple demonstration of creating a "Boba Inventory Tracking App" using a single natural language prompt directly from the PDI homepage.
• AI Troubleshooting Demo (07:13): See how to use Build Agent to debug and fix a form error simply by copying and pasting the error message into the chat.
• Robust Prompting (08:38): Learn how to initiate a new app build from within the ServiceNow IDE using a detailed, robust prompt to specify tables, roles, security, and user experiences for a more exact build.
• Building a Themed UI (10:01): Watch Build Agent create a full, themed UI page using a React framework based on a natural language request (e.g., "warm pastel palette, minimal gradients").
• Prompt Limits & Resetting Usage (11:02): Details on the 10-25 prompt-per-month limit and the process for wiping and requesting a new PDI to reset your usage.

Resources & Next Steps:

• Join the Challenge: Coming Soon!
• More challenge info: https://www.servicenow.com/community/the-community-week-blog/buildwith-is-back-here-s-your-first-loo...
• Request a PDI: https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do
• Need help? Check out the Now Assist forum or the #BuildWith channel on SNdevs Slack.
• Email: buildwith@servicenow.com
• Robust Prompt Template:  Build Agent on PDIs Blog 

0:00 Intro: The Build with Build Agent Challenge is Back!
0:24 What is ServiceNow Build Agent?
0:54 How to Join the Challenge (Steps 1, 2, 3)
2:14 Challenge Rewards, Swag, & Submission Deadline (Nov 24, 2025)
2:45 Resources, FAQs, Prompt Limits, and Support
4:03 DEMO: Setting up Your PDI (Personal Developer Instance)
4:44 DEMO: Simple App Creation with a Single Prompt
7:13 DEMO: Vibe Coding - Fixing Errors with Build Agent
8:38 DEMO: Robust Prompting via the ServiceNow IDE
9:31 DEMO: Creating a Custom, Themed UI
11:02 How to Reset Your PDI Prompt Usage
11:29 Wrap-up and Outro

[knightmarshal]

In case you have issues accessing Build Agent not showing in your instance, just go to the manage instance and reset and wipe instance. I realised, build agent was not installed when the instance was built. See attached.

[soumyadeep10]

Hello all,
I'm super excited to let you all know that I've successfully completed the #BuildWithBuildAgent Challenge. Thanks @Earl Duque for the details on the challenge.

I am truly mesmerized to see how powerful the Build Agent is. The video for my custom app (link below) is the proof of how amazing the Build Agent feature in ServiceNow IDE is & how it's surely a game changer. A simple prompt of few lines and woah! A custom app created in minutes. This is nothing short of amazing.

I've created a custom application called 'Rural Artisan Marketplace' here with the goal to help artisans from rural areas to have a platform where they can register and directly show their products and get orders from buyers all around the world getting the price they deserve. The system will check product quality, manage returns, and connect artisans with NGOs for training. It will also link to delivery services and payment systems, so everything runs smoothly.  #servicenow #buildwithbuildagent

The prompt I used:
'Create a platform where artisans can join, show their products, and get orders. The system will check product quality, manage returns, and connect artisans with NGOs for training. It will also link to delivery services and payment systems so everything runs smoothly. Create a centralized platform through ServiceNow where artisans can join, show their products, and get orders. The system will check product quality, manage returns, and connect artisans with NGOs for training. It will also link to delivery services and payment systems, so everything runs smoothly. Use Service Catalog to list products and allow bulk orders, various ServiceNow Tables to store artisan profiles, product details, and quality checks, Customer Service Management (CSM) for buyer support and dispute resolution, Performance Analytics to track sales, returns, and training progress.'

Here is the link to my YouTube video: Rural Artisan Marketplace with Build Agent 

[P.S. - On a fun note, do checkout my YouTube shorts to rate my singing skills hahaha !!

[GlideFather]

I accidentally added my challenge entry here, but it belongs under another blog, so the right link is this:

👉 SN Utils Appreciation Tool powered by #BuildWithBuildAgent

CC: @soumyadeep10 ensure that you publish your app in the proper channel to be eligible for the swag ;))

[shreedevin]

I’m excited to share that I participated in the #BuildWithBuildAgent challenge and it was such a fun and inspiring experience! 🎉🚀
I loved exploring what’s possible with Build Agent, and I’m thrilled with what I was able to create in such a short time.

Here are the links to my posts if you'd like to check out the full journey:
🔗 Community Post: https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-blog/building-simply-thriftify-with-build-agent-my-jo...

🔗 LinkedIn Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shreedevi-narayana-9a53ab1b3_buildwithbuildagent-buildwithbuildagent-...

Thanks for cheering me on! 💛

[shreedevin]

🌟 Simply Thriftify – Built for the #BuildWithBuildAgent Challenge!

As part of the #BuildWithBuildAgent challenge, I used ServiceNow’s Build Agent to create a full-fledged thrift inventory management application called Simply Thriftify  designed to help Talize, a leading thrift store in Canada, manage inventory across multiple locations.

The entire app was built using natural language prompts  and to my surprise, it took less than six prompts, including bug fixes, to create and deploy the full solution on my Personal Developer Instance (PDI)!

🪄 Step 1: Define the App Concept

I started with a clear goal: build a smart, multi-location inventory system that helps thrift stores track donations, sold items, low-stock alerts, and inter-store transfers.

I wanted the app to include:

• 📍 Location management for multiple stores

• 🏷️ Inventory item tracking with quantity, price, condition, and category

• 🔄 Transfer request workflow between stores

• 🔔 Low-stock notifications

• 📝 Audit logging for every inventory action

• 👥 Role-based access for clerks, managers, and admins

⚙️ Step 2: Prompt Build Agent

Here’s the core prompt I used:

“Create a scoped application called ‘Simply Thriftify’ that helps thrift stores manage inventory across multiple locations.
Include tables for locations, inventory items, transfer requests, and an action log.
Add workflows for stock updates, low-stock alerts, and transfer approvals.
Include roles for clerks, managers, and admins, plus a dashboard for managers with real-time stats and charts.”

Build Agent responded by generating a fully scoped, fully functional application, including tables, business rules, access controls, sample data, and forms.

🎨 Step 3: Build a Thrift Boutique UI

I then asked Build Agent to create a warm pastel, thrift boutique style dashboard with real-time analytics.
It generated:

• A manager dashboard with live stats

• Location-based inventory summaries

• Category charts

• Quick action buttons

• A clean, responsive layout with soft gradients

🚀 Step 4: Deploy & Test

Within minutes, Simply Thriftify was live on my PDI  complete with automation, dashboards, and role-based permissions.

This challenge showed me how powerful Build Agent can be when turning ideas into production-ready apps with almost no friction.

Here are the links to my posts if you'd like to check out the full journey:
Community Post: https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-blog/building-simply-thriftify-with-build-agent-my-jo...

LinkedIn Post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shreedevi-narayana-9a53ab1b3_buildwithbuildagent-buildwithbuildagent-...

Thanks for cheering me on!

[soumyadeep10]

Hi @GlideFather , thank you for this but I'm aware of the fact that the actual post is the link you gave, I had already posted there but many thanks, if I wouldn't have then your comment would have saved me. Really appreciate it  ❤️