Perform AES configuration tasks

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  • Updated April 28, 2026
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    Summary of Perform AES configuration tasks

    This guide outlines the essential configuration tasks required to set up and manage App Engine Studio (AES) in your ServiceNow instances. It is designed to help administrators and developers efficiently prepare their environments, enable user access, and activate necessary tools to maximize the value of AES for application development and collaboration.

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    Key Configuration Tasks

    • Install App Engine Studio: Install the AES application (com.snc.app-engine-studio) on development instances with admin rights. This installation includes related Store applications and plugins.
    • Set Up Instance Credentials: Create Connections and Credentials aliases for each instance, ensuring the alias type is Credential to enable secure integrations.
    • Activate Playbooks: Enable Playbooks and the Process Automation Designer plugin (com.glide.pad.license) to allow process editing within AES.
    • Activate Integration Hub Spokes: Enhance Workflow Studio and AES by activating integration spokes such as Gmail, Google Sheets, Jira, Microsoft 365 Excel, Microsoft Teams, Slack, Twilio, X (formerly Twitter), and Zoom.
    • Review Access Settings: Adjust permissions for Workflow Studio and Catalog Builder to empower developers with appropriate editing and catalog management capabilities.
    • Set Up Instance Scan Cadence: Schedule regular Health Center scans in development instances to detect potential issues arising from AES application development.
    • Manage User Groups:
      • Add users to the AES Admin group in production to manage app and deployment requests, and configure a contact email for notifications.
      • Add developers to the AES Users group in development instances to enable application building.
      • Add users to the AES User Limited group to permit collaboration on existing AES applications.
    • Set Up Custom Collaboration Descriptors: Define custom collaborator roles globally to tailor development collaboration within AES.
    • Manage Template Access: In non-production instances, assign the apptemplateadmin role to users responsible for activating, deactivating, and sharing app templates.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Ensures a secure and well-structured AES environment aligned with organizational roles and responsibilities.
    • Enables seamless process automation and integration capabilities through Playbooks and Integration Hub spokes.
    • Facilitates controlled and collaborative application development with tailored user access and collaboration settings.
    • Supports proactive maintenance and quality assurance via scheduled instance scans.
    • Streamlines template management for efficient reuse and governance of application components.

    As you work through the App Engine Studio (AES) guided setup, you must perform different configuration tasks.

    Setting up environments, tools, and user access

    The following table lists the tasks required for configuring App Engine Studio, including links to detailed instructions for completing the tasks.

    Table 1. App Engine Studio configuration tasks
    Task Description
    Install App Engine Studio in your development instances.

    You can install the App Engine Studio application (com.snc.app-engine-studio) if you have the admin role.

    The application installs related ServiceNow® Store applications and plugins if they are not already installed.

    For detailed instructions, see Installing App Engine Studio.
    Set up instance credentials.

    For each instance that you're using, create a Connections and Credentials alias. Verify that the alias type is Credential, not Connection and Credential.

    For detailed instructions, see Set up instance credentials.
    Activate Playbooks.

    You can edit processes in App Engine Studio, but you must activate Playbooks for App Engine Studio and enable the Process Automation Designer for App Engine [com.glide.pad.license] plugin to get started. For more information, see Activate Playbooks.
    Set up Integration Hub spokes.

    Activate spokes to enhance your Workflow Studio and App Engine Studio experience with integration-specific content.

    The following spokes are available for use with App Engine Studio.
    Review access settings for Workflow Studio in your development instance. Enable your developers to use the editing capabilities that best suit them.

    For detailed instructions, see Review Flow Designer access settings.
    Review access settings for Catalog Builder. Enable your developers to add items to the appropriate catalogs and categories.​

    For detailed instructions, see Review Catalog Builder access settings.
    Set up an instance scan cadence. Schedule regular scans of your instance so that you can identify possible issues that arise from application development in App Engine Studio.

    For detailed instructions, see Set up an instance scan cadence in Health Center.
    In your production instance, add users to the App Engine Studio admin group.

    Add members to the group so they can review app- and deployment-related requests. Also, define a contact email address for the group.

    For detailed instructions, see Add users to the App Engine Admin group.
    In your development instance, add developers to the App Engine Studio users group.

    Enable developers in your organization to build applications in App Engine Studio.

    For detailed instructions, see Grant user access to AES.
    In your development instance, add users to the App Engine Studio User Limited group.

    Enable developers in your organization to collaborate on applications that someone else created in App Engine Studio.

    For detailed instructions, see Grant user access to AES.
    Set up collaboration descriptors.

    Set up custom collaboration descriptors in the global scope for use in App Engine Studio.

    For detailed instructions, see Set up custom collaboration descriptors.
    In your non-production instance, specify an app template admin.

    Grant the app_template_admin role to users who will manage template activation, deactivation, and sharing in App Engine Studio.

    For detailed instructions, see Manage template access.
    Learn more about AES configuration Additional ServiceNow resources
    ServiceNow provides several additional resources on configuring and administering App Engine Studio.

    App Engine Studio release notes

    ServiceNow Community site

    App Engine Studio video on adding security