Configure the GOV.UK Design System Service Portal Widgets
Summarize
Summary of Configure the GOV.UK Design System Service Portal Widgets
The GOV.UK Design System (GDS) Service Portal uses configurable widgets to define the content, behavior, and layout of portal pages. These widgets form the building blocks for creating a tailored portal experience by allowing administrators to add, customize, and manage the information presented to users. Base system widgets are provided as read-only for update consistency, but admins can clone them to create custom widgets that fit their specific requirements.
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Widget Categories and Their Uses
- Service Catalog Widgets: Enable users to browse, search, request, and track services directly from the portal. These widgets facilitate a streamlined service catalog experience to help users find and request services efficiently.
- Knowledge Management Widgets: Allow users to search, browse, and read knowledge articles to find answers independently, reducing reliance on support. These widgets support features like article rating and commenting.
- Service Portal Configuration Page Widgets: Used internally by administrators to configure portals, pages, themes, and widgets. They power tools such as Portal Map and Branding Editor to manage portal structure and design.
- Search Widgets: Provide powerful search capabilities across the portal, including predictive search, filtering, and context-aware suggestions, enhancing user navigation and discovery.
- Example Widgets: Demonstrate common portal features and scripting techniques. They serve as templates for admins to learn from, clone, and extend to meet specific needs.
Practical Configuration and Customization
Admins can add widgets to portal pages using the Service Portal Designer by dragging widgets from a filterable list. Each widget added creates an individual instance that can be configured independently, including its options, location, properties, and CSS styling. While base widgets remain read-only to preserve updates, cloned widgets can be customized but will not receive future base widget updates.
Key Outcomes for ServiceNow Customers
- Efficiently build and manage a service catalog integrated into the portal for seamless user service requests and tracking.
- Deliver a comprehensive knowledge management experience, empowering users to self-serve and reduce support load.
- Gain powerful search capabilities that enhance user experience by quickly connecting them to relevant portal information.
- Leverage configuration widgets to effectively manage portal structure, themes, and widget settings.
- Use example widgets as a practical foundation to develop custom portal features with scripting and styling.
Configurable portal widgets provide you with the ability to configure the behavior, content, and layout of the GOV.UK Design System Service Portal by configuring widget settings and instance options. Use the base system widgets included with the GDS Service Portal to get started configuring portal pages.
The GDS Service Portal uses widgets for configuration. Widgets are what define the content of your portal pages. You can use the base system widgets provided with the GOV.UK Developer Toolkit in their default state, or you can clone, modify, or develop custom widgets to better fit your needs.
When you create or update a page in the Service Portal Designer, you can add widgets to that page by searching in the widget filter and dragging a widget onto the page. You can then configure widget behavior, visual appearance, and content to update the information presented on the widgets. Each time you add a widget to a page, an instance of that widget is created that can be modified individually for use on that page. For each instance of a base system widget that you add to a page, you can configure the instance options available for that widget.
For a list of base system widgets that enable you to configure various pages within the GOV.UK Design System Service Portal, see Widget Library. You can also access all widget records from the platform at .
There are four main categories of widgets available for use with the GDS Service Portal.
Service Catalog widgets
Service Catalog widgets let you browse, request, and track services directly from the GDS Service Portal. They provide the building blocks for a complete Service Catalog experience, allowing users to find what they need and submit requests in one central place.
- Browse available services and catalog items.
- Search the catalog from the portal homepage.
- View services by category and submit requests.
- Track requests and approvals.
These widgets display service information in a streamlined, task‑focused way. For example, some widgets help users search or browse the catalog, while others let users view request details or check the status of services they have already requested. As an admin, you can use the Service Catalog widgets to build a catalog for your portal.
Knowledge Management widgets
Knowledge Management widgets enable users to search, browse, and read knowledge articles directly in the GDS Service Portal, so they can find answers to their questions and learn how to use services without contacting support. These widgets provide the core components for building a knowledge experience that can help them find answers quickly and consistently. For more information on creating and maintaining the articles that are shown on the Knowledge Management widgets, see Knowledge Management.
- Search the knowledge base for information and solutions.
- Browse knowledge bases and categories.
- View knowledge articles and related content.
- See popular, featured, or top‑rated articles.
- Interact with articles by rating or commenting, when available.
These widgets organize knowledge content in a clear, navigational way. Some widgets help users discover articles through search and filters, while others display article details and related information on the article page. As an admin, you can use Knowledge Management widgets to build a knowledge base for your portal. For more information on maintaining a knowledge base within a portal, see Configure Knowledge Base.
Service Portal configuration page widgets
- Navigating Service Portal configuration pages.
- Viewing portals and pages in a structured, tree‑based layout.
- Editing portal themes and previewing design changes.
- Configuring pages and widgets using visual editors.
Service Portal configuration page widgets run behind the scenes and are internal to the configuration experience. For example, they power tools like the Portal Map, Page Map, Branding Editor, and Widget Editor, helping you understand and manage how your portal is structured and displayed.
As an admin, navigate to to use these widgets.
Search widgets
Service Portal search widgets let you find information quickly across the GDS Service Portal. Use these widgets to search for knowledge articles, catalog items, records, and other content without navigating through multiple pages.
- Search for answers, services, and records from a single search bar.
- See relevant results as they type with predictive search.
- Filter and refine search results to find what they need.
- Get suggested or context‑aware results while submitting requests.
Service Portal search widgets work in different locations, such as the portal homepage, search results page, or within record producers. Some widgets display a search bar, while others show detailed results with filters and facets for easier discovery. As an admin, you can configure search in Service Portal using any of the search widgets by navigating to and adding widgets to a page. For a list of Search Widgets available by default in the GDS Service Portal, see Widget Library.
Example widgets
Service Portal example widgets help show what you can do in theGDS Service Portal. These widgets demonstrate how common portal features work and what information you can access directly from a portal page, serving as example code for how scripts are used in a widget.
- Search for answers, services, and records from a single search bar.
- See relevant results as they type with predictive search.
- Filter and refine search results to find what they need.
- Get suggested or context‑aware results while submitting requests.
These widgets appear as ready‑to‑use components in the GDS Service Portal configuration. Some focus on everyday tasks, such as approving requests or changing a password, while others show interactive or informational elements you might see on a portal page.
As an admin, you can use the example widgets to see how to use HTML, CSS, or client and server scripts in the GDS Service Portal, and clone and extend each widget to suit your needs. For a list of example Widgets available by default in the GDS Service Portal, see Widget Library.
For more information on using configurable widgets in portals, see Using portal widgets.