--- sourceDocument: Zurich Build or modify applications sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/application-development Release : - zurich ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Zurich Build or modify applications ft:clusterId : - cadev bundleId : - cadev workflow : - Development, Data, and Analytics --- # ServiceNow Fluent # ServiceNow Fluent {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Zurich Updated March 12, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of ServiceNow Fluent ServiceNow Fluent is a declarative domain-specific language (DSL) based on TypeScript that enables developers to define application metadata files (\[sysmetadata\]) in source code rather than through forms or UI builder tools. It supports various metadata types including tables, roles, ACLs, business rules, and Automated Test Framework tests. ServiceNow Fluent integrates with the ServiceNow IDE and ServiceNow SDK, enabling a streamlined development experience with two-way synchronization between metadata and source code. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Declarative TypeScript-based DSL:** Define metadata succinctly in code files with the `.now.ts` extension using Fluent APIs. * **Two-way Synchronization:** Changes to metadata in the ServiceNow AI Platform sync to source code and vice versa, ensuring consistency across environments. * **Comprehensive Metadata APIs:** Includes APIs for tables, client scripts, business rules, and more, with a fallback Record API for unsupported types. * **Integration with JavaScript Modules:** Server-side scripts such as business rules can import and use JavaScript modules for modular and maintainable code. * **Selective Sync Control:** Use code comment directives to suppress warnings or disable synchronization for specific objects or entire files, providing flexibility in managing metadata changes. * **Support Limitations:** Some metadata types like Metadata Snapshots and UX Assets are not representable in Fluent and remain as XML files. ## Practical Application ServiceNow customers can leverage Fluent to define application metadata programmatically, enabling faster development cycles and better version control. For example, you can define a custom table with columns, client-side scripts triggered on record load, and business rules reacting to record updates---all in source code. This approach facilitates collaboration, code reuse, and automation within the ServiceNow development lifecycle. ## Next Steps * Use the ServiceNow IDE or ServiceNow SDK to create or convert applications supporting Fluent development. * Refer to the ServiceNow Fluent API reference and SDK examples repository for up-to-date API usage and sample code. * Apply synchronization directives as needed to manage metadata syncing behavior during development. Define application metadata in source code using the ServiceNow Fluent domain-specific programming language. ## Overview of ServiceNow Fluent {#servicenow-fluent__section_jnb_vvg_z1c} ServiceNow Fluent is a declarative, domain-specific language (DSL) based on TypeScript for defining the metadata files \[sys_metadata\] that make up applications and includes APIs for the different types of metadata, such as tables, roles, ACLs, business rules, and Automated Test Framework tests. Developers define this metadata in a few lines of code instead of through a form or builder tool user interface. Applications created or converted with the ServiceNow IDE or ServiceNow SDK support development in ServiceNow Fluent. ServiceNow Fluent supports two-way synchronization, which allows changes to metadata to be synced from other ServiceNow AI Platform user interfaces into source code and changes to source code to be synced back to metadata across the instance. To get started using the ServiceNow IDE or ServiceNow SDK, see the [ServiceNow IDE](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/8WMgyT0bQjff8nfODp3K5g "Create and develop scoped applications in source code in an integrated development environment (IDE) on the ServiceNow AI Platform to improve collaboration across development teams and accelerate application development.") or [ServiceNow SDK](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/b0lLvsV5taXDiSCVttB2rw "Create and develop scoped applications in source code locally in Visual Studio Code Desktop and upload changes to an instance using the ServiceNow software development kit (SDK).") documentation. ## ServiceNow Fluent APIs {#servicenow-fluent__section_nyj_y13_zbc} ServiceNow Fluent includes APIs for many types of metadata. You can use the Record API to define application metadata that doesn't have a dedicated API. For the latest list of supported APIs and examples, see the [ServiceNow Fluent API reference](https://servicenow.github.io/sdk/) and [ServiceNow SDK examples repository](https://github.com/ServiceNow/sdk-examples) on GitHub. Note: A limited number of metadata types, such as Metadata Snapshots \[sys_metadata_link\] and UX Assets \[sys_ux_lib_asset\], can't be represented as ServiceNow Fluent code and aren't transformed. These metadata types remain as metadata XML files in the metadata directory of your application. ## ServiceNow Fluent usage {#servicenow-fluent__section_dgj_1b3_zbc} In files with the .now.ts extension, use objects in the ServiceNow Fluent APIs to define metadata in the application. You must also include the required imports for the APIs from @servicenow/sdk/core. For objects with server-side scripts, such as the BusinessRule object, you can import and use code from JavaScript modules. The following example includes the definitions of a table, client script, and business rule in the application. The client script uses a script from the client-script.js file. The business rule uses a function from the script.js JavaScript module. import '@servicenow/sdk/global' import { BusinessRule, ClientScript, DateColumn, StringColumn, Table } from '@servicenow/sdk/core' import { showStateUpdate } from '../server/script.js' //creates todo table, with three columns (deadline, status and task) export const x_snc_example_to_do = Table({ name: 'x_snc_example_to_do', schema: { deadline: DateColumn({ label: 'Deadline' }), state: StringColumn({ label: 'State', choices: { ready: { label: 'Ready' }, completed: { label: 'Completed' }, inProgress: { label: 'In Progress' }, }, }), task: StringColumn({ label: 'Task', maxLength: 120 }), }, }) //creates a client script that pops up 'Table loaded successfully!!' message everytime todo record is loaded ClientScript({ $id: Now.ID['cs0'], name: 'my_client_script', table: 'x_snc_example_to_do', active: true, appliesExtended: false, global: true, uiType: 'all', description: 'Custom client script generated by Now SDK', isolateScript: false, type: 'onLoad', script: Now.include('../client/client-script.js'), }) //creates a business rule that pops up state change message whenever a todo record is updated BusinessRule({ $id: Now.ID['br0'], action: ['update'], table: 'x_snc_example_to_do', script: showStateUpdate, name: 'LogStateChange', order: 100, when: 'after', active: true, }) The client script referenced from the ClientScript object: function onLoad() { g_form.addInfoMessage("Table loaded successfully!!") } The JavaScript module referenced from the BusinessRule object: import { gs } from '@servicenow/glide' export function showStateUpdate(current, previous) { const currentState = current.getValue('state') const previousState = previous.getValue('state') gs.addInfoMessage(`state updated from "${previousState}" to "${currentState}"`) } After building the application, this source code generates the following application metadata files on the instance. Figure 1. Application metadata generated from ServiceNow Fluent code Tip: You can use the following directives in a code comment to help manage your code: * `@fluent-ignore`: Suppresses ServiceNow Fluent diagnostic warnings and errors in the following line of code. * `@fluent-disable-sync`: Turns off syncing changes to a ServiceNow Fluent object. Use before a call expression (for example, `Record({ ... })`) to turn off syncing for that object and its child objects. Only use this directive if you want to ignore changes made outside of the source code to the object and never update it when syncing. * `@fluent-disable-sync-for-file`: Turns off syncing changes to a ServiceNow Fluent file (.now.ts). Use in the first line of the file to turn off syncing for all code in the file. Only use this directive if you want to ignore changes made outside of the source code to the file and never update it when syncing. {#servicenow-fluent__ul_dzm_xxw_ldc} **Related tasks** * [Define application metadata in code with ServiceNow Fluent in the ServiceNow IDE](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/32eYyAFCicjY~h6XEAQ6Cw "Define application metadata in code with ServiceNow Fluent in the ServiceNow IDE.") * [Define application metadata in code with ServiceNow Fluent and the ServiceNow SDK](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/lvz4HSJvY9kaLtpfQITE8A "Define application metadata in code with ServiceNow Fluent and the ServiceNow SDK.") **Related reference** * [ServiceNow Fluent API reference](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/vxKpvvv85LvMw67YY2sybA "Use ServiceNow Fluent APIs to define the metadata that makes up scoped applications in source code with the ServiceNow IDE or ServiceNow SDK.")