Tools for building user interfaces in applications

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Tools for building user interfaces in applications

    ServiceNow provides a variety of tools on the AI Platform to help you build and customize user interfaces (UIs) for applications efficiently. These tools cater to different development needs, from visual drag-and-drop builders to integrated development environments and no-code customization options, enabling you to create tailored, role-based, and scalable UI experiences.

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    Key Features

    • UI Builder: A visual drag-and-drop page builder for creating workspaces and custom web experiences using Next Experience components. It supports assembling pages, layouts, data binding, and event wiring within the browser, enhanced by Now Assist integration for easier configuration.
    • ServiceNow Studio and ServiceNow IDE: Studio provides a centralized IDE for building and managing applications and UI elements. The IDE allows advanced customization with JavaScript and ServiceNow Fluent, targeting pro developers.
    • ServiceNow Otto for Creator: Enables generation of UI components and layouts through natural language prompts, simplifying UI creation.
    • Configurable Workspace: Offers focused, role-based UI experiences (such as Agent Workspace) that you can customize in UI Builder, including pages, tabs, panels, and adding both standard and custom components.
    • Theme Builder: Allows creation and management of UI themes, including styles for colors, typography, and imagery, which can be published across web and mobile platforms.
    • Next Experience Components and UI Framework: Provides prebuilt reusable web components configurable in UI Builder, with options to build custom components using the ServiceNow CLI and UI Framework for specialized use cases.
    • Service Portal Designer: A tool for designing service portal pages with drag-and-drop widgets, branding management, and access control.
    • Employee Center: A scalable, unified, AI-driven alternative to Service Portal offering no-code customization for branding and layout, enhancing user experience.
    • Table Builder, Form Builder, and Form Designer: Graphical tools for configuring forms and views on Core UI forms. Table Builder offers a newer visual experience to design multiple views and elements, while Form Designer remains available for form customization.

    What You Can Expect

    These UI building tools enable ServiceNow customers to rapidly develop and customize application interfaces tailored to specific roles and use cases. Whether you prefer low-code/no-code options like UI Builder, Otto for Creator, and Employee Center, or require advanced customization via ServiceNow Studio and the IDE, the platform supports a broad range of development styles. The inclusion of theme management and reusable components ensures consistent branding and efficient UI design across web and mobile experiences. Together, these tools enhance the user experience, streamline UI development, and provide flexibility to adapt interfaces as business needs evolve.

    Learn about the tools available on the ServiceNow AI Platform for building user interfaces in applications.

    UI Builder

    UI Builder is a visual, drag‑and‑drop page builder for workspaces and custom web experiences using Next Experience components. Assemble pages, variants, layouts, bind data, and wire events inside the browser. A Now Assist integration is available to help with component configuration and data binding.

    For more information, see UI Builder.

    ServiceNow Studio and ServiceNow IDE

    ServiceNow Studio is a centralized, integrated development environment (IDE) that enables you to build applications, including creating, editing, and managing their user interfaces. Platform developers can create and edit UI elements in ServiceNow Studio, while pro developers can do more advanced customization using JavaScript and ServiceNow Fluent in the ServiceNow IDE.

    For more information, see ServiceNow Studio and ServiceNow IDE.

    ServiceNow Otto for Creator

    Use ServiceNow Otto for Creator to generate UI components and layouts using natural language prompts.

    For more information, see ServiceNow Otto for Creator.

    Configurable Workspace

    Configurable Workspace provides focused, role‑based UIs (for example, Agent Workspace and Service Operations Workspace). You open, modify, and customize these experiences in UI Builder, including record pages, tabs, side panels, and landing pages. Add standard or custom components to workspace record views and modals.

    For more information, see Configurable Workspace UI.

    Theme Builder

    Create and manage themes for the Next Experience UI. Style colors, typography, and imagery. Publish themes across web and mobile experiences.

    For more information, see Working with themes in Next Experience.

    Next Experience components and UI Framework

    Prebuilt, reusable web components for user interfaces that you configure in UI Builder. For use cases not covered by the base system components, you can build custom components with the ServiceNow CLI and the Next Experience UI Framework.

    For more information, see Exploring Next Experience UI.

    Service Portal Designer

    Use Service Portal Designer to layout pages and drag widgets, manage branding, and set access rules for a service portal.

    For more information, see Create and edit a page using the Service Portal Designer.

    Employee Center

    Employee Center is a more scalable, unified, and AI-driven experience compared to Service Portal. Employee Center offers no-code customization for branding and layout.

    For more information, see Employee Center.

    Table Builder, Form Builder, and Form Designer

    Graphical tools for configuring form views, sections, annotations, related lists, and formatters on Core UI forms. Table Builder (Forms tab) is the newer, visual experience for designing multiple views and elements; Form Designer remains available.

    For more information, see Table Builder and Accessing Form Builder.