Components installed with AI Desktop Actions

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated November 13, 2025
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    Summary of Components installed with AI Desktop Actions

    Activating thesndesktopagentsplugin in ServiceNow installs several key components essential for AI Desktop Actions functionality. These include user roles, tables, plugins, and system properties that enable the creation, management, execution, and integration of desktop actions within AI Agent Studio and related environments.

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    Roles

    Multiple roles are installed to control access and capabilities related to AI Desktop Actions:

    • AI Agent Admin [snaia.admin]: Allows creation, management, testing, and deployment of desktop actions as tools within AI Agent Studio.
    • ServiceNow Otto panel user [nowassistpaneluser]: Permits triggering and executing desktop actions from the ServiceNow Otto panel using Execution workspace.
    • Desktop action user [sndesktopcore.desktopactionuser]: Enables creation of desktop actions via the Record with AI feature.
    • Web Agent Runtime [snnaa.webagentruntime]: Grants the Web Automation Agent’s service account runtime read/write access to required data. This role must be assigned only to the agent's service account and not to end users.

    Tables

    The plugin installs several tables that store desktop actions data and execution details:

    • Desktop action [sndesktopcoreaction]: Contains input/output parameters and screen count details for on-screen desktop actions.
    • Desktop action application [sndesktopcoreactionapplication]: Links desktop actions to their associated desktop applications.
    • Desktop action execution [sndesktopcoreactionexecution]: Records execution data such as requests, responses, and execution plans.
    • Desktop action parameter [sndesktopcoreactionparameter] and parameter value [sndesktopcoreactionparametervalue]: Store parameters and their values hierarchically.

    Plugins

    • AI Desktop Actions [com.sndesktopagents]: Configures the desktop action tool enabling discovery and invocation of desktop actions via AI agents.
    • AI Desktop Actions Core [com.sndesktopcore]: Contains tables and custom functionality specific to the AI Desktop Actions application within a scoped app.
    • ServiceNow Otto AI web agents [snnaa]: Provides system properties, default AI agent workflows, and adaptive web automation capabilities.

    System Properties

    Several system properties are installed to configure behavior and limits for AI Desktop Actions and web agents:

    • sndesktopcore.recordwithai: Sets Record with AI as the default recording method (default: true).
    • sndesktopcore.maxactionevents: Defines the maximum number of events processed in a single desktop action execution (default: 200).
    • snnaa.allowedwebsites: Lists websites AI agents are permitted to interact with during adaptive desktop actions.
    • snnaa.keeptabopen: Controls whether browser tabs remain open after completing a goal (default: true).
    • snnaa.webagent.compactionenabled: Enables step summarization to manage execution history size (default: true).
    • snnaa.webagent.compactionhistorylimit: Sets the threshold for when summarization triggers based on unsummarized steps (default: 15).
    • snnaa.webagent.summarizationbatchsize: Determines how many steps are combined into each summary (default: 10).

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    These components collectively empower ServiceNow customers to build, manage, and execute desktop automation actions effectively within their AI-driven workflows. Proper role assignments ensure secure and appropriate access, while the tables and plugins provide the necessary backend infrastructure. System properties offer flexibility to tailor recording, execution limits, and adaptive automation behavior to organizational needs.

    Several types of components are installed with activation of the sn_desktop_agents plugin, including user roles and tables.

    Roles used

    Role title [name] Description Contains roles
    AI Agent Admin

    [sn_aia.admin]

    		 Enables you to create, manage, and test desktop actions in AI Desktop Actions and deploy them as tools in AI Agent Studio.
    • agent_role_config_admin
    • sn_skill_builder.admin
    • connection_admin
    • flow_designer
    • sn_aia.viewer
    • sn_mcp_client.admin
    • sn_ace.ace_user
    ServiceNow Otto panel user

    [now_assist_panel_user]

    		 Enables you to trigger desktop actions from ServiceNow Otto panel and execute desktop actions in the desktop environment using Execution workspace. sn_nowassist_admin.user
    Desktop action user

    [sn_desktop_core.desktop_action_user]

    		 Enables you to create desktop actions using the Record with AI feature in AI Desktop Actions.
    • sn_aia.admin
    • sn_nowassist_admin.user
    Web Agent Runtime

    [sn_naa.web_agent_runtime]

    		 Grants the Web Automation Agent's service account read and write access to data required during execution.

    Assign this role only to the service account the agent runs as (not to end users). Without this role, the agent can't read or write any data at runtime.

    		 None

    Tables installed

    Table Description
    Desktop action

    [sn_desktop_core_action]

    		 Stores details, such as input and output parameters and number of screens for on-screen desktop actions.
    Desktop action application

    [sn_desktop_core_action_application]

    		 Stores the desktop application associated with the desktop action.
    Desktop action execution

    [sn_desktop_core_action_execution]

    		 Stores the execution details of a desktop action, such as request, response, tool execution, and execution plan.
    Desktop action parameter

    [sn_desktop_core_action_parameter]

    		 Stores the desktop action parameter records as parent records.
    Desktop action parameter value

    [sn_desktop_core_action_parameter_value]

    		 Stores the desktop action parameter value records as child records.

    Plugins installed

    Plugin Description
    AI Desktop Actions

    [com.sn_desktop_agents]

    		 Contains configuration of desktop action tool used by AI Agent Studio to discover available desktop actions while creating AI agents and invoke desktop actions via AI agents during execution.
    AI Desktop Actions Core

    [com.sn_desktop_core]

    		 Packages tables, custom functionality specific to AI Desktop Actions application, and AI Desktop Actions download interface within a scoped application.
    ServiceNow Otto AI web agents

    [sn_naa]

    		 Contains system property, default AI agent and agentic workflow named Web Automation Agent and Web Automation respectively, and functionality to perform adaptive automation on web.

    System properties installed

    Property Description
    sn_desktop_core.record_with_ai Makes Record with AI the default recording option. Turn off this property to set the manual recorder as the default recording option.
    • Type: true | false
    • Default: true
    sn_desktop_core.max_action_events Modifies the limit of maximum number of events processed during a single Desktop action execution in AI Desktop Actions.
    • Type: Integer
    • Default: 200
    sn_naa.allowed_websites Stores a list of websites that AI agents configured with adaptive desktop actions are permitted to open and perform tasks.

    Type: String
    sn_naa.keep_tab_open

    Keeps the browser tabs that open during goal execution open after the goal completes.

    Whenever you update the value, select the ServiceNow Web Automation extension icon, and save the instance provided in the extension.

    • Type: true | false
    • Default: true
    sn_naa.web_agent.compaction_enabled Enables summarization of steps that exceed the history limit, rather than discarding them. When turned off, only the most recent configured number of steps are retained.
    • Type: true | false
    • Default: true
    sn_naa.web_agent.compaction_history_limit Sets the maximum number of unsummarized steps allowed before the oldest batch is summarized. When unsummarized steps exceed this value, compaction is triggered.
    • Type: Integer
    • Default: 15
    sn_naa.web_agent.summarization_batch_size Sets the number of steps combined into a single summary. Larger batches reduce how often summarization runs, but produce less granular summaries.
    • Type: Integer
    • Default: 10