Combined ServiceNow Studio release notes for upgrades from Yokohama to Zurich

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated August 11, 2026
  • 7 minutes to read
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    Summary of Combined ServiceNow Studio Release Notes for Upgrades from Yokohama to Zurich

    This consolidated release notes document outlines the key updates, new features, and important upgrade information for ServiceNow Studio from the Yokohama release through to Zurich. It is designed to help ServiceNow customers prepare for and understand the enhancements available as they upgrade their ServiceNow Studio environment.

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    ServiceNow Studio is now available by default on the ServiceNow AI Platform without requiring a separate download from the ServiceNow Store in both Yokohama and Zurich releases.

    Key Features

    • Development Experience Enhancements (Yokohama)
      • Switch seamlessly between Creator Studio, ServiceNow Studio, and ServiceNow IDE to use the best tool for your app development tasks.
      • Generate app summaries using Now Assist to help prevent duplicate app creation by accurately describing app contents.
      • Modify app settings and access related links directly from the app details page with a full Core UI view.
      • Expanded app creation capabilities to users with Guided Application Creator roles, beyond just admins.
      • Improved File Navigator performance for large apps by loading files on demand and using server-side search calls.
      • New full-page, guided app file creation experience with security checks, tailored by permission levels.
      • View the origination environment of each app on the app details page to facilitate environment switching during development.
    • New Features in Zurich
      • Add AI files such as agentic workflows, AI Agents, and skills directly to your apps in ServiceNow Studio.
      • Link applications to Git source control repositories from the enhanced App details page.
      • Focus the Navigator panel on specific app files or open tabs for improved efficiency.
      • Personalize your user interface with a new dark theme option accessible via user preferences.
      • Begin app creation using Now Assist or Creator Studio, and explore ideas in the App Gallery.
      • Elevate your role to securityadmin within ServiceNow Studio to manage roles and ACLs without leaving the tool.
      • New granular admin roles empower developers to perform administrative tasks without full admin privileges.
      • Choose whether to open files in their native builder or the classic UI16 editor for file types that support both.
      • Bookmark frequently used lists for quick access within ServiceNow Studio.
      • AppSee integration supported directly within ServiceNow Studio for enhanced app visibility.
      • Create app files directly from the Navigator panel for streamlined file management.

    Changes

    • In Yokohama, the app settings icon was enhanced to open a comprehensive Core UI view instead of a limited modal, improving settings management.
    • Application creation success pages now offer clearer post-creation options such as viewing app details and creating files.
    • No notable changes were introduced in Zurich related to existing features.

    Activation and Requirements

    ServiceNow Studio is active by default as a feature of the ServiceNow AI Platform in both Yokohama and Zurich releases. There are no additional activation steps or browser requirements introduced in these releases.

    Localization and Accessibility

    Right-to-Left (RTL) language support was introduced in Yokohama (version 27.2.4) for ServiceNow Studio. No further localization or accessibility updates were noted in Zurich.

    Practical Impact for ServiceNow Customers

    • You can now access ServiceNow Studio directly on your platform without downloads, simplifying setup.
    • Enhanced app creation and editing experiences enable faster development with guided workflows and AI assistance.
    • Improved performance and navigation tools help manage large applications efficiently.
    • Security and role management are more flexible with the ability to elevate roles and use granular admin permissions directly in Studio.
    • Source control integration and UI personalization options support modern development best practices and user preferences.

    Review these features and changes carefully to optimize your upgrade planning and to leverage the full capabilities of ServiceNow Studio from Yokohama through Zurich.

    Consolidated page of all release notes for ServiceNow Studio from Yokohama to Zurich.

    How to use this page

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

    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 ServiceNow Studio to Zurich

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

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    ServiceNow Studio no longer has to be downloaded from the ServiceNow Store. It’s available on the ServiceNow AI Platform by default.

    Zurich

    ServiceNow Studio no longer has to be downloaded from the ServiceNow Store. It’s available on the ServiceNow AI Platform by default.

    New features

    Between your current release family and Zurich, new features were introduced for ServiceNow Studio.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama
    Change your development experience in ServiceNow Studio
    Use the best tool for your app development by switching between Creator Studio, ServiceNow Studio, and ServiceNow IDE.
    Summarize the contents of an app in ServiceNow Studio
    Help prevent duplicate app creation by summarizing the contents of an app using Now Assist app summary generation in ServiceNow Studio and using the summary if accurate as the app description.
    Modify an app's settings in ServiceNow Studio
    Change settings or see related links for an app from the app details page. Refresh your app to load updated details.
    Create an application in ServiceNow Studio
    In the November 2024 release, only admins could create apps in ServiceNow Studio. Now, users with Guided Application Creator (GAC) roles can also create applications.
    File Navigator performance has been improved for large applications
    As of version 27.2.4, smaller apps load all files on open, while larger apps (exceeding a configurable limit) load a subset initially, with additional files available on demand. Search for files in larger apps will perform server-side calls to decrease load times. Contact your ServiceNow support team to change the app size limits.
    Create an app file in ServiceNow Studio
    As of version 27.2.4, use the new full-page, guided file creation experience to create any type of file for which you have permission.
    Viewing app origination information in ServiceNow Studio
    As of version 27.2.4, the app details page for each app shows which development environment your app was created in. Use this information to switch between environments as needed in the course of app development and deployment.

    Zurich
    Add AI files to your apps in ServiceNow Studio
    You can add agentic workflows, AI Agents, and skills to your apps in ServiceNow Studio.
    Link an app to source control
    Use source control operations on the App details page to link an application to a Git repository.
    App details page
    View and manage app files and metadata on the enhanced App details page. You can also link your app to source control from the App details page and create new files for your application.
    Focus the Navigator panel on an app file
    Improve efficiency as you work in ServiceNow Studio by focusing the Navigator panel on any file or application open in an integrated tab.
    Personalize your UI with dark theme
    Dark theme is now supported in ServiceNow Studio. Access user preferences to switch between dark and light mode on your instance.
    Create an application
    As of version 28.2.1, you can use Now Assist or Creator Studio to begin creating your applications. You can also view the App Gallery for more inspiration.
    Elevate your role
    As of version 28.2.1, you can elevate your role to security_admin without having to leave ServiceNow Studio. Users with the security_admin role can make changes to other roles and to access control lists (ACLs).
    Personas and roles
    As of version 28.2.1, several new granular admin roles enable developers to complete administrative configuration tasks without requiring the full admin role in ServiceNow Studio.
    Opening files in your preferred editor
    As of version 28.2.1, for file types that open in a builder, decide whether you want to edit the file in the builder or in the classic UI16 view.
    Bookmark lists
    As of version 28.2.1, access your favorite lists by bookmarking them.
    AppSee support in ServiceNow Studio
    As of version 28.2.1, AppSee is supported in ServiceNow Studio.
    Create an app file
    As of version 28.2.1, you can create files directly from an app open in the Navigator panel.

    Changes

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some changes were made to existing ServiceNow Studio features.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama
    Modify an app's settings in ServiceNow Studio
    The App settings icon in ServiceNow Studio used to open a small modal where only a few settings could be updated and the app could be deleted. In this release, the icon opens a Core UI view of all the app settings and related links for the app.
    Create an application in ServiceNow Studio
    As of version 27.2.4, the available options at the success page for creating an application changed from Go to app dashboard to View App Details and Create File.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Removed

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some ServiceNow Studio features or functionality were removed.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Deprecations

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some ServiceNow Studio features or functionality were deprecated.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Activation information

    Review information on how to activate ServiceNow Studio.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    ServiceNow Studio is a ServiceNow AI Platform feature that is active by default.

    Zurich

    ServiceNow Studio is a ServiceNow AI Platform feature that is active by default.

    Additional requirements

    If any additional requirements were introduced or changed for ServiceNow Studio we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Browser requirements

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

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Accessibility information

    Review details on accessibility information for ServiceNow Studio, such as specific requirements or compliance levels.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Localization information

    If there are specific localization considerations for ServiceNow Studio we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    As of version 27.2.4, there is Right-to-Left language support for ServiceNow Studio.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Highlight information

    If there are specific highlight considerations for ServiceNow Studio we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama
    • Work in the best development environment for your task by using the experience switcher to switch between developing in Creator Studio, ServiceNow Studio, and ServiceNow IDE.
    • As of version 27.2.4, the ServiceNow Studio File Navigator performance has been improved for large applications.
    • As of version 27.2.4, you can easily identify apps created in Creator Studio or ServiceNow IDE by looking at the App Details page in ServiceNow Studio.
    • As of version 27.2.4, the file creation experience is now a full-page, guided process with built-in security checks. Admins see all application files, while delegated developers only see file types they have permission to create within the specified scope.
    • As of version 27.2.4, users with Write permission for an application description can use Now Assist for app summary generation to generate an app summary. The Summarize button is disabled for users without access to edit the app description, preventing failures after clicking.

    See Building applications with ServiceNow Studio for more information.

    Zurich
    • As of version 28.2.1, simplify the app creation process by using Creator Studio, Now Assist for app generation, or by gaining inspiration from the App Gallery.
    • As of version 28.2.1, elevate your access to security_admin from within ServiceNow Studio to make changes to roles and ACLs.
    • As of version 28.2.1, several new granular admin roles enable developers to complete administrative configuration tasks without requiring the full admin role in ServiceNow Studio.
    • As of version 28.2.1, for file types that open in a builder, decide whether you want to edit the file in the builder or in the classic UI16 view.
    • As of version 28.2.1, access your favorite lists in ServiceNow Studio by bookmarking them.

    See ServiceNow Studio for more information.