--- 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 designed to define application metadata files (sysmetadata) such as tables, roles, ACLs, business rules, and Automated Test Framework tests. It enables developers to define metadata through code instead of using forms or builder tools. Applications built or converted with the ServiceNow IDE or SDK support Fluent development and leverage two-way synchronization, allowing metadata changes to be synced between source code and the ServiceNow AI Platform user interfaces. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Declarative TypeScript-based DSL:** Simplifies metadata definition by using concise code files with the `.now.ts` extension. * **Extensive APIs:** Fluent provides APIs for many metadata types, with a Record API for types without dedicated APIs. Some metadata types remain as XML files if unsupported. * **Two-way synchronization:** Changes in metadata are synchronized between the source code and the instance metadata, ensuring consistency. * **Modular scripting:** Supports importing server-side and client-side JavaScript modules for complex logic in business rules and client scripts. * **Code directives:** Special comment directives allow controlling diagnostics and synchronization behavior for specific lines, objects, or entire files. ## Practical Usage Developers create application metadata by writing objects using Fluent APIs in `.now.ts` files, importing necessary modules from `@servicenow/sdk/core`. For example, tables, client scripts, and business rules can be defined in a few lines of code, with client and server scripts referenced from external JavaScript modules. After building the application, the Fluent source generates the corresponding metadata files on the instance, ready for deployment and use. ## Why It Matters ServiceNow Fluent streamlines application development by enabling metadata definition in code, improving developer productivity and enabling version control workflows. The two-way sync feature ensures that code and instance metadata remain aligned, reducing manual effort and errors. ## Next Steps * Use the ServiceNow IDE or SDK to start developing with Fluent. * Refer to the ServiceNow Fluent API reference and SDK examples on GitHub for the latest supported APIs and usage patterns. * Leverage code directives to manage synchronization and diagnostics according to development needs. 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.")