Getting Started guide for developers

The ServiceNow AI Platform is a unified development environment for building intelligent, enterprise-grade applications. Use it to automate workflows, connect data across systems, and deliver experiences to your users — without managing underlying infrastructure.

Get started

The platform includes built-in AI capabilities, a low-code development environment, and enterprise security and governance so that you can move from idea to production quickly. Whether you're extending existing ServiceNow products or building new solutions, the platform gives you the tools to scale and iterate as your needs change.

This guide walks you through the core steps of developing applications on the ServiceNow AI Platform. Use it to set up your development environment, build and deploy apps, implement AI and automation capabilities, and apply security and governance practices.

The guide is written for developers at all experience levels. If you're new to the platform, follow each section in order so that you build foundational knowledge before moving to advanced topics. If you're an experienced developer, use the guide as a reference to find specific tasks quickly.

• Plan your app before you start building
  Planning your application before development ensures scalability, governance, and alignment with organizational goals. Effective planning reduces duplication, helps prevent technical debt, and ensures compliance with ServiceNow best practices. It also helps define clear objectives, timelines, and resource requirements.
• Overview of building apps in ServiceNow
  The ServiceNow AI Platform enables you to create global and custom applications. You can work in classic lists and forms, or you can build apps using App Engine products.
• User interface and experiences
  Learn about user interfaces and tools for building them as you create applications on the ServiceNow AI Platform.
• Use AI to build apps faster
  Learn about the suite of AI tools available on the ServiceNow AI Platform and how you can use them to build applications more efficiently.
• Adding AI to your apps
  Learn about how you can add AI assets, such as skills, AI agents, and agentic workflows, to your custom apps using Now Assist for App Engine.
• Build your first application
  Build, configure, and deploy custom apps from a single development environment, ServiceNow Studio. ServiceNow Studio gives admins and developers integrated tools to create app files, edit scoped and global app metadata, and package changes for deployment.
• Deployment
  Deploying custom applications from development to non-production and production instances is one of the most critical processes in ServiceNow platform management. Knowing the ServiceNow application deployment life cycle, including migration methods, security considerations, and organizational best practices ensures stability, security, and traceability.