Combined Build Agent release notes for upgrades from Zurich to Australia

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated August 12, 2026
  • 18 minutes to read

    • Consolidated page of all release notes for Build Agent from Zurich to Australia.

    How to use this page

    To help you prepare for your upgrade, we have combined the cross-family Build Agent release notes onto one page. Read this summary of the new features, changes, and updated information for your product from Zurich to Australia.

    Tip:
    If there were no updates for a release notes section in a certain family release, we included a short note for your reference. For example, if a product did not have any updates in Tokyo, the row says "No updates for this release."

    Important information for upgrading Build Agent to Australia

    Before you upgrade to Australia, review these pre- and post-upgrade tasks and complete the tasks as needed.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Australia

    		 No updates for this release.

    New features

    Between your current release family and Australia, new features were introduced for Build Agent.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich
    Zurich Patch 12
    Automatic test maintenance
    Test Agent in Build Agent automatically updates or removes Automated Test Framework tests that are outdated as your application changes, keeping the test suite aligned with the current state of your code. UI tests don't run automatically during updates, because they can take additional time and interrupt the development flow. To automatically keep tests synced, you must enable the new Sync ATF tests with app setting in Build Agent.
    UI testing
    Generate comprehensive UI tests for applications you build with Build Agent. UI testing extends the existing functional test capability to cover browser-level interactions, such as multi-step page navigation flows. To run UI tests automatically on update, you must enable the Run UI ATF tests setting in Test Agent.
    Note:
    You can also prompt Build Agent to generate UI tests.
    Get prompted to test
    After each development action, Build Agent can prompt you to generate ATF tests for what you just built. Accept or decline the prompt at each step to keep test coverage in sync with your development work.
    Note:
    You must enable getting prompted to test in the Build Agent settings.
    SDK test execution
    Execute ATF tests from the ServiceNow SDK. Test execution and troubleshooting were previously available only in ServiceNow Studio and the ServiceNow IDE.
    Updated model support
    The following new models are supported for Build Agent:
    • Gemini 3.5 is now the default model for Google
    • GPT 5.5 is now the default model for Azure OpenAI
    • Opus 4.8
    Change model version in chat
    Change the AI model versions in Build Agent without navigating out to the table on the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    Define custom skills and rules
    Create custom skills and rules to control how Build Agent behaves during a session.
    • Custom rules are injected into the system prompt on every run, so Build Agent behaves consistently at the scope you choose.
    • Custom skills provide internal guidelines for specific tasks. You can apply skills and rules at the instance level, application level, or user level.
    Background script execution
    Run server-side scripts as part of app-building flows in Build Agent using the new run script and rollback script tools. Before a script runs, an approval prompt shows the generated script, its stated intent, and the target application scope so you can review the operation before approving.
    Conversation handoff to Build Agent
    Build applications by receiving context from ServiceNow Otto (formerly Now Assist) conversations and continuing work in Build Agent without repeating yourself. The full conversation transcript is attached to the session so you can reference details beyond the summary. Conversation handoff is available only in ServiceNow Studio.
    Use Build Agent in a sandbox
    Use Build Agent in Developer Sandboxes to isolate development and provide admin access to developers in a protected environment.
    View MCP tools per server
    View the list of tools available on each connected MCP server in the Build Agent settings panel.
    Knowledge base access metadata support
    Work with the knowledge base access metadata type in Build Agent.
    Zurich Patch 11
    Web search tool
    Access public web content from Build Agent using two new search tools. Use the web search tool to find information on the public web, and use the web fetch tool to retrieve content from a URL that you supply.
    Consolidated update sets
    Track changes generated by Build Agent and manual edits in update sets for checkpointing and rollback. Update sets can be merged into a single update set before deployment. All changes to your application are captured in the same scope, making it easier to review what was modified and merge updates to other environments.
    Expanded metadata support
    Work with more metadata types in Build Agent, which now supports connection and credential alias, data lookup, playbooks, rest message/HTTP method, and user criteria.
    Zurich Patch 10
    MCP server support in ServiceNow Studio
    Connect Build Agent to external MCP servers in ServiceNow Studio. Previously, MCP server connectivity was only available in the ServiceNow IDE.
    Additional MCP server integrations
    Integrate Build Agent with newly supported MCP servers.
    Access update sets from Build Agent
    View update sets created by Build Agent from within the chat panel in ServiceNow Studio. Each checkpoint includes a button that opens the relevant update set in a new tab.
    UI validation tool in ServiceNow Studio
    Validate user interface output during app creation with the UI validation tool in Build Agent, available in ServiceNow Studio.
    Search retrieval tool support
    Use the Search retrieval tool to enable agents to fetch and present relevant information from configured data sources in response to user queries. Agents can retrieve knowledge articles, catalog items, and other indexed content directly within the agentic workflow, reducing the need for users to navigate to separate search interfaces.
    Support for more file types
    Upload more types of files to Build Agent to describe what you want to build, including images, documents, and text and code files.
    Expanded metadata support
    Work with more metadata types in Build Agent, which now supports assignment rules, forms, and data policies.
    Zurich Patch 9
    MCP Client integration
    Connect Build Agent to external MCP servers to bring tools and data sources directly into your build workflow. External resources participate alongside Build Agent on the ServiceNow AI Platform, which reduces the need to switch between tools and transfer data manually.
    Create workflows, agents, and skills
    Turn business requirements into fully configured agents, skills, and agentic workflows for your custom applications. Build Agent inspects the existing tables, roles, business rules, and metadata in your app to create tailored in-app agents and tools.
    Test Agent for Build Agent
    Use Test Agent to execute Automated Test Framework (ATF) tests right from the Build Agent chat panel for test artifacts created in the same session. When tests fail, the generated tests and test results are saved in the standard ATF record tables and can be scheduled for continued regression testing for the app. If Test Agent modifies tests during troubleshooting, those changes are automatically saved to the test records.
    UI validation tool
    Validate user interface output during Build Agent app creation in the ServiceNow IDE using the integrated UI validation. UI validation runs Playwright-based UI checks on Cloud Runner and surfaces failures with diagnostic context directly in the Build Agent panel.
    Semantic search for instance artifact discovery
    Use semantic search in Build Agent to locate relevant instance artifacts, including tables, scripts, and business rules during build and edit tasks. Find files, applications, and knowledge on your instance based on meaning instead of exact keywords.
    Additional model support
    Choose the provider and model that fits your organizational needs in Build Agent, which now supports Anthropic Claude on AWS Sonnet 4.6 and Azure OpenAI GPT 5.4.
    Expanded metadata support
    Work with more metadata types in Build Agent, which now supports flows, Service Catalog configurations, inbound email actions, dictionary overrides, choice lists, condition builder query conditions, and enhanced Service Portal capabilities.
    Contextual launch for Build Agent
    Include context from ServiceNow Studio tabs and component preview screens when you open Build Agent. Context helps reduce the need to manually search for and specify context in the chat panel.
    Zurich Patch 8
    Additional metadata support
    Work with more metadata types in Build Agent, which now supports email.
    Zurich Early Availability
    Build Agent in ServiceNow Studio
    Access Build Agent in ServiceNow Studio to build apps conversationally in a consolidated development environment.
    Improved LLM support
    Use AWS Claude Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.5 in Build Agent for contextual conversations.
    New metadata support
    Work with more metadata types, as Build Agent now supports the following:
    • Email integration
    • List controls
    • Service Catalog items
    • UI components
    • UI policies
    • UI views
    • Workspaces

    Australia
    Australia Patch 5
    Automatic test maintenance
    Test Agent in Build Agent automatically updates or removes Automated Test Framework tests that are outdated as your application changes, keeping the test suite aligned with the current state of your code. UI tests don't run automatically during updates, because they can take additional time and interrupt the development flow. To automatically keep tests synced, you must enable the new Sync ATF tests with app setting in Build Agent.
    UI testing
    Generate comprehensive UI tests for applications you build with Build Agent. UI testing extends the existing functional test capability to cover browser-level interactions, such as multi-step page navigation flows. To run UI tests automatically on update, you must enable the Run UI ATF tests setting in Test Agent.
    Note:
    You can also prompt Build Agent to generate UI tests.
    Get prompted to test
    After each development action, Build Agent can prompt you to generate ATF tests for what you just built. Accept or decline the prompt at each step to keep test coverage in sync with your development work.
    Note:
    You must enable getting prompted to test in the Build Agent settings.
    SDK test execution
    Execute ATF tests from the ServiceNow SDK. Test execution and troubleshooting were previously available only in ServiceNow Studio and the ServiceNow IDE.
    Updated model support
    The following new models are supported for Build Agent:
    • Gemini 3.5 is now the default model for Google
    • GPT 5.5 is now the default model for Azure OpenAI
    • Opus 4.8
    Change model version in chat
    Change the AI model versions in Build Agent without navigating out to the table on the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    Define custom skills and rules
    Create custom skills and rules to control how Build Agent behaves during a session.
    • Custom rules are injected into the system prompt on every run, so Build Agent behaves consistently at the scope you choose.
    • Custom skills provide internal guidelines for specific tasks. You can apply skills and rules at the instance level, application level, or user level.
    Background script execution
    Run server-side scripts as part of app-building flows in Build Agent using the new run script and rollback script tools. Before a script runs, an approval prompt shows the generated script, its stated intent, and the target application scope so you can review the operation before approving.
    Conversation handoff to Build Agent
    Build applications by receiving context from ServiceNow Otto (formerly Now Assist) conversations and continuing work in Build Agent without repeating yourself. The full conversation transcript is attached to the session so you can reference details beyond the summary. Conversation handoff is available only in ServiceNow Studio.
    Use Build Agent in a sandbox
    Use Build Agent in Developer Sandboxes to isolate development and provide admin access to developers in a protected environment.
    View MCP tools per server
    View the list of tools available on each connected MCP server in the Build Agent settings panel.
    Knowledge base access metadata support
    Work with the knowledge base access metadata type in Build Agent.
    Australia Patch 4
    Web search tool
    Access public web content from Build Agent using two new search tools. Use the web search tool to find information on the public web, and use the web fetch tool to retrieve content from a URL that you supply.
    Consolidated update sets
    Track changes generated by Build Agent and manual edits in update sets for checkpointing and rollback. Update sets can be merged into a single update set before deployment. All changes to your application are captured in the same scope, making it easier to review what was modified and merge updates to other environments.
    Expanded metadata support
    Work with more metadata types in Build Agent, which now supports connection and credential alias, data lookup, playbooks, rest message/HTTP method, and user criteria.
    Australia Patch 3
    MCP server support in ServiceNow Studio
    Connect Build Agent to external MCP servers in ServiceNow Studio. Previously, MCP server connectivity was only available in the ServiceNow IDE.
    Additional MCP server integrations
    Integrate Build Agent with newly supported MCP servers.
    Access update sets from Build Agent
    View update sets created by Build Agent from within the chat panel in ServiceNow Studio. Each checkpoint includes a button that opens the relevant update set in a new tab.
    UI validation tool in ServiceNow Studio
    Validate user interface output during app creation with the UI validation tool in Build Agent, available in ServiceNow Studio.
    Search retrieval tool support
    Use the Search retrieval tool to enable agents to fetch and present relevant information from configured data sources in response to user queries. Agents can retrieve knowledge articles, catalog items, and other indexed content directly within the agentic workflow, reducing the need for users to navigate to separate search interfaces.
    Support for more file types
    Upload more types of files to Build Agent to describe what you want to build, including images, documents, and text and code files.
    Expanded metadata support
    Work with more metadata types in Build Agent, which now supports assignment rules, forms, and data policies.
    Australia Patch 2
    MCP Client integration
    Connect Build Agent to external MCP servers to bring tools and data sources directly into your build workflow. External resources participate alongside Build Agent on the ServiceNow AI Platform, which reduces the need to switch between tools and transfer data manually.
    Create workflows, agents, and skills
    Turn business requirements into fully configured agents, skills, and agentic workflows for your custom applications. Build Agent inspects the existing tables, roles, business rules, and metadata in your app to create tailored in-app agents and tools.
    Test Agent for Build Agent
    Use Test Agent to execute Automated Test Framework (ATF) tests right from the Build Agent chat panel for test artifacts created in the same session. When tests fail, the generated tests and test results are saved in the standard ATF record tables and can be scheduled for continued regression testing for the app. If Test Agent modifies tests during troubleshooting, those changes are automatically saved to the test records.
    UI validation tool
    Validate user interface output during Build Agent app creation in the ServiceNow IDE using the integrated UI validation. UI validation runs Playwright-based UI checks on Cloud Runner and surfaces failures with diagnostic context directly in the Build Agent panel.
    Semantic search for instance artifact discovery
    Use semantic search in Build Agent to locate relevant instance artifacts, including tables, scripts, and business rules during build and edit tasks. Find files, applications, and knowledge on your instance based on meaning instead of exact keywords.
    Additional model support
    Choose the provider and model that fits your organizational needs in Build Agent, which now supports Anthropic Claude on AWS Sonnet 4.6 and Azure OpenAI GPT 5.4.
    Expanded metadata support
    Work with more metadata types in Build Agent, which now supports flows, Service Catalog configurations, inbound email actions, dictionary overrides, choice lists, condition builder query conditions, and enhanced Service Portal capabilities.
    Contextual launch for Build Agent
    Include context from ServiceNow Studio tabs and component preview screens when you open Build Agent. Context helps reduce the need to manually search for and specify context in the chat panel.
    Australia Patch 1
    ServiceNow product tiers
    The ServiceNow AI Platform now brings you a new AI experience with three licensing tiers available:
    • Foundation: AI basics to deliver insights
    • Advanced: AI to boost productivity across relevant use cases
    • Prime: Act autonomously with all AI assets, and create your own

    Depending on your license, you will have access to certain application features, generative AI skills, agentic workflows, and AI agents.

    Additional metadata support
    Work with more metadata types in Build Agent, which now supports email.
    Australia Early Availability
    Build Agent in ServiceNow Studio
    Access Build Agent in ServiceNow Studio to build apps conversationally in a consolidated development environment.
    Improved LLM support
    Use AWS Claude Opus 4.6 and Sonnet 4.5 in Build Agent for contextual conversations.
    New metadata support
    Work with more metadata types, as Build Agent now supports the following:
    • Email integration
    • List controls
    • Service Catalog items
    • UI components
    • UI policies
    • UI views
    • Workspaces

    Changes

    Between your current release family and Australia, some changes were made to existing Build Agent features.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich
    Zurich Patch 12
    ServiceNow Otto rebrand
    ServiceNow Otto is the new AI experience brand. This change is reflected in the name of ServiceNow products, including Build Agent. Your product entitlements remain unchanged. Check your entitlements to determine your access to specific features.
    Licensing change for in-app agents and skills
    Only users with Build Agent - Prime can create agents and skills.
    Zurich Patch 11
    Improved checkpoint and update set management
    Build Agent handles checkpoints and update sets differently in the following ways:
    • Checkpoint 0 no longer creates an update set.
    • Checkpoint 1 is the base update set for all subsequent changes.
    • Update sets use human-readable naming.
    Enhanced semantic metadata search tool
    An updated semantic metadata search tool improves performance replaces the previous semantic search tool.
    Zurich Patch 8
    Build Agent version parity for PDIs
    Personal development instances (PDIs) are now updated to match the latest Build Agent version, delivering a consistent experience across both personal and production-track instances. Developers testing and building on PDIs have access to the same capabilities available in production environments.
    Updated interaction limits
    To provide developers more room to iterate, the following Build Agent limits have been increased:
    • Build Agent (Trial): 100 prompts per instance per 30-day cycle
    • PDIs: 25 prompts per instance per cycle
    Note:
    Limits are per-instance, not per-user. Only submitted prompts contribute to the limit. Plan approvals are not counted.
    Zurich Early Availability
    Support for global scope
    Build apps and metadata in the global scope.

    Australia
    Australia Patch 5
    ServiceNow Otto rebrand
    ServiceNow Otto is the new AI experience brand. This change is reflected in the name of ServiceNow products, including Build Agent. Your product entitlements remain unchanged. Check your entitlements to determine your access to specific features.
    Licensing change for in-app agents and skills
    Only users with Build Agent - Prime can create agents and skills.
    Australia Patch 4
    Improved checkpoint and update set management
    Build Agent handles checkpoints and update sets differently in the following ways:
    • Checkpoint 0 no longer creates an update set.
    • Checkpoint 1 is the base update set for all subsequent changes.
    • Update sets use human-readable naming.
    Enhanced semantic metadata search tool
    An updated semantic metadata search tool improves performance replaces the previous semantic search tool.
    Australia Patch 1
    Build Agent version parity for PDIs
    Personal development instances (PDIs) are now updated to match the latest Build Agent version, delivering a consistent experience across both personal and production-track instances. Developers testing and building on PDIs have access to the same capabilities available in production environments.
    Updated interaction limits
    To provide developers more room to iterate, the following Build Agent limits have been increased:
    • Build Agent (Trial): 100 prompts per instance per 30-day cycle
    • PDIs: 25 prompts per instance per cycle
    Note:
    Limits are per-instance, not per-user. Only submitted prompts contribute to the limit. Plan approvals are not counted.
    Australia Early Availability
    Support for global scope
    Build apps and metadata in the global scope.

    Removed

    Between your current release family and Australia, some Build Agent features or functionality were removed.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Australia

    		 No updates for this release.

    Deprecations

    Between your current release family and Australia, some Build Agent features or functionality were deprecated.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Australia

    		 No updates for this release.

    Activation information

    Review information on how to activate Build Agent.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich
    Build Agent is a ServiceNow AI Platform feature that is active by default.
    Note:
    Build Agent is dependent on ServiceNow Otto for Creator. For more information, see ServiceNow Otto for Creator release notes.

    Australia
    Build Agent is a ServiceNow AI Platform feature that is active by default.
    Note:
    Build Agent is dependent on ServiceNow Otto for Creator. For more information, see ServiceNow Otto for Creator release notes.

    Additional requirements

    If any additional requirements were introduced or changed for Build Agent we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Australia

    		 No updates for this release.

    Browser requirements

    If any specific browser requirements were introduced or changed for Build Agent we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Australia

    		 No updates for this release.

    Accessibility information

    Review details on accessibility information for Build Agent, such as specific requirements or compliance levels.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Australia

    		 No updates for this release.

    Localization information

    If there are specific localization considerations for Build Agent we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Australia

    		 No updates for this release.

    Highlight information

    If there are specific highlight considerations for Build Agent we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Zurich
    • Use Build Agent in ServiceNow Studio.
    • Work with additional Model Context Protocol (MCP) support.
    • Create apps and newly supported metadata in the global scope.
    • Choose from newly supported models.
    • Search external content without leaving Build Agent.

    See Build Agent for more information.

    Australia
    • Use Build Agent in ServiceNow Studio.
    • Work with additional Model Context Protocol (MCP) support.
    • Create apps and newly supported metadata in the global scope.
    • Choose from newly supported models.
    • Search external content without leaving Build Agent.

    See Build Agent for more information.