Example: Automate badge request management using AI Desktop Actions

Automate various tasks related to badge requests through desktop actions using AI Desktop Actions and AI agents.

Your HR representatives manage repetitive badge-related tasks. For example, issuing new badges, distributing temporary badges, replacing lost badges, and disabling badges during offboarding. To streamline and automate this work, you can create a desktop action for each task and assign these actions to an AI Agent in AI Agent Studio.

When new requests come in, HR representatives can trigger the AI agent from the Now Assist panel. The AI Agent automatically selects and runs the appropriate desktop action. This automation reduces manual effort and enables them to focus on higher-value work.

Create badge desktop action in AI Desktop Actions

Automate various badge-related tasks through desktop actions in AI Desktop Actions.

Before you begin

To access the AI Desktop Actions functionality, perform the following steps:

• Enable AI Desktop Actions on your ServiceNow instance. For more information, see Configure AI Desktop Actions.
• Download the AI Desktop Actions installer to automate repetitive tasks across applications and systems. For more information, see Download AI Desktop Actions installer.

Confirm that the following system requirements are met:

• Windows 11 operating system is used.
• A .NET 9.0 runtime v9.0.10 and .NET 9 Desktop Runtime v9.0.10 is installed.
• No extended monitors are connected.
• Theme must match between the systems used for recording and execution.
• For record with AI, the ServiceNow AI Lens skill must be active on your instance. Contact your ServiceNow administrator if you're unsure whether this condition is met.

Familiarize yourself with the Design workspace and Action recorder. For more information, see AI Desktop Actions Design workspace and Action recorder in AI Desktop Actions.

Role required: sn_desktop_core.desktop_action_user

About this task

Record with AI generates more accurate anchor positions automatically, reducing the time you spend on manual anchor adjustments.

When you record with AI, after you finish recording, AI analyzes the recording, validates anchor positions, and corrects inaccuracies before you save or activate the desktop action. AI also generates a screen context for each captured screen and description for the desktop action. Screen context is a description of what the screen does and what it contains, which helps reviewers and AI agents understand the screen's intent.

Note:

If your automation requires manual inputs, such as entering an OTP or CAPTCHA, you must provide instructions to the AI Agent to wait for the user input during execution. Otherwise, the automation can't proceed.

The sn_desktop_core.record_with_ai property is enabled by default, making Record with AI the default recording option. Turn off this property to set the manual recorder as the default recording option.

Procedure

1. From your Windows system, launch the AI Desktop Actions application.
2. On the login page, in the Add ServiceNow URL field, enter the ServiceNow instance URL.
   For example, https://<instance name>.service-now.com.
   
3. Select Proceed.
4. Log in to your ServiceNow account by entering your user name and password.
   Your must have the sn_aia.admin role.

   

5. Optional: On the onboarding journey modal, complete the onboarding and select Get started.
   

   If you launch the AI Desktop Actions for the first time, the onboarding journey widget appears. You can select Don't show me again to hide the widget the next time you launch AI Desktop Actions or Skip intro to skip the onboarding.

6. On the AI Desktop Actions home page, select Create desktop action.
   
7. In the Create Desktop Action dialog, do one of the following.
   • If you want to record with AI, keep the Record with AI (recommended) check box selected.
     

     Important:

     If the Record with AI (recommended) check box is unavailable, the ServiceNow AI Lens is inactive on your instance. Contact your ServiceNow administrator to enable it. You can still create desktop actions using auto-capture mode.
   • If you want to use manual recorder, clear the Record with AI (recommended) check box.

     

8. In the Name field, enter Create new badge.
9. In the Description field, enter Desktop action for issuing a badge to a new employee.
   This field only appears when you clear the Record with AI (recommended) check box.
10. Select Continue.
11. In the modal, review the tips and select Open recorder to begin.
    

    The AI Desktop Actions window is minimized and the Action recorder panel is launched. You can freely drag and reposition the Action recorder panel anywhere on your desktop screen.

    
12. Open the Employee Badge Management application on your desktop.
13. From the Action recorder panel, select Start recording.
    Important:

    Before you start recording, review the tips for accurate capturing of anchors and steps. For more information, see Tips for accurate recording.

    You will see a "Recording started" message on the Action recorder panel. You can select any of the following options when needed from the More options menu:

    • Pause: Skip recording steps
    • Restart: Restart recording the steps

      You will lose the recorded screens and steps.

    • Discard: Discard the recording if it doesn't meet your needs
14. On the Employee Badge Management application, perform the following steps for creating a badge.

    The recorder feature records the steps that you perform for creating a badge.

    1. Select CREATE BADGE on the New Badge tile.
    2. In the New Badge Creation page, search for the employee using the employee ID.
    3. After the employee record is found, select CREATE BADGE for creating badge.

       You see the success message that the new badge is created.

15. After you’re done with all the steps, select End recording on the Action recorder panel.
    You see a "Draft workflow saved" message on the Action recorder panel.

    For Record with AI option, AI processes the recording in three stages:

    1. Analyzing your recording with AI
    2. Inserting anchors
    3. Generating screen contexts

    You must not close the application during processing.

    The recorded steps are displayed as screenshots in the Design workspace with anchors and steps automatically assigned.

    Figure 1. Screen1

    

    Figure 2. Screen2

    

    Figure 3. Screen3

    

    Figure 4. Screen4

    

    Figure 5. Screen5

    

16. Configure the following properties for the captured steps.

    Screen > Step	Property	Value
    Screen1 > SetText1	Value	admin
    Screen1 > SetText2	Value	Enter your password
    Screen1 > Click1	Delay after	5
    Screen2 > Click2	Delay after	5
    Screen3 > Click2	Delay after	10

    For more information, see Screen, anchor, and step properties in AI Desktop Actions.

17. Optional: Modify the auto-generated names for all added screens, anchors, and steps.

    You can modify the auto-generated names following these naming guidelines.

    • Name fields must not be empty.
    • Name fields must contain only alphanumeric characters. Spaces and special characters are not permitted.
    • Each name must be unique at its respective parent level.
      • Each screen must have a unique name at the desktop-action level.
      • Each anchor must have a unique name at the screen level.
      • Each step must have a unique name at the anchor level.
18. Select the Details tab.
19. In the Applications list, add Badge Management Application.
20. Select Save.
21. Test and activate the desktop action.
    For more information, see Test and activate a desktop action in AI Desktop Actions.
22. Similarly, create and activate the following desktop actions.
    • Badge application login
    • Badge application logout
    • Reissue badge
    • Deactivate badge
    • Issue a temporary badge
    • Read Request details

Create AI agents and add tools for badge management

Create an AI agent in AI Agent Studio and add desktop action tools for automating badge-related requests.

Before you begin

Role required: sn_aia.admin

Procedure

1. Navigate to All > AI Agent Studio > Create and manage > AI agents.
2. From the Add drop-down, select Chat.
3. On the New AI Agent page, in the Define the specialty step, define your AI agent and provide the specialties that this agent contains so that the LLM can analyze the wording you use to understand the purpose of the AI agent.

   

   Note:

   The more details that you provide, the more accurately your AI agent can perform.
   1. Describe your AI Agent by giving it a unique name and description.

      Table 1. Give it a unique name and description

      Field	Description
      AI agent name	Badge Management Agent
      AI agent Description	This AI agent takes Requests details and launches the Employee Badge Management application and perform various tasks—create badges, deactivate badges, replace lost badges, and Reissue the badges. The agent executes the appropriate desktop actions automatically. This reduces manual effort, ensures process consistency, and speeds up the overall employee lifecycle experience.

   2. Define the role and necessary steps so that the AI agent can carry out its tasks.
      Note:

      The AI agent uses this information as guidance to tailor its responses and actions.

      Table 2. Define the role and required steps

      Field	Description
      AI agent role	Automates the intake of badge-related requests and performs accurate, end-to-end execution of badge actions—such as issuance, replacement, temporary provisioning, and deactivation—across the HR and security systems.
      List of steps	Note: If your automation requires manual inputs, such as entering an OTP or CAPTCHA, you must provide instructions to the AI Agent to wait for the user input during execution. Otherwise, the automation can't proceed. Read the comma-separated Request numbers from the input by invoking the Read Request details desktop action. Launch and log in to the Employee Badge Management application by invoking the Badge application login desktop action. Based on the details of each Request, perform one of the following actions that is applicable. Create a badge Create a badge in Employee Badge Management application by invoking Create new badge desktop action. If badge creation failed, create an incident with the issue details. Otherwise, continue with other steps. Deactivate a badge Deactivate a badge in Employee Badge Management application by invoking Deactivate badge desktop action. If badge deactivation failed, create an incident with the issue details. Otherwise, continue with other steps. Reissue Badge Reissue a badge in Employee Badge Management application by invoking Reissue badge desktop action. If badge deactivation failed, create an incident with the issue details. Otherwise, continue with other steps. Issue a temporary badge Issue a temporary badge in Employee Badge Management application by invoking Issue temporary badge desktop action. If badge reissue failed, create an incident with the issue details. Otherwise, continue with other steps. Log out of the Employee Badge Management application by invoking the Badge application logout desktop action.

   3. Select Save and continue.
      You’re directed to the Add tools and information page.
4. On the Add tools and information page, add Desktop actions tools for AI agents to automate your desktop tasks.
   1. In the Add tool drop-down list, select Desktop action.
   2. In the Select a desktop action drop-down list, select Create new badge desktop action.
      This desktop action enables AI agents to create a badge in the Employee Badge Management application.
   3. Provide a name and tool description for this desktop action configuration.
      Tool description of the desktop action helps with what it’s going to do to assist your AI agent.

      Note:

      This description is sent to the large language model (LLM).
   4. In the Execution mode field, select Autonomous.
   5. Select Add.
      The desktop action is added in the Desktop actions list on the Add tools and information page.
   6. Similarly, add the following desktop actions related to the badge management to this AI agent.
      • Badge application login
      • Badge application logout
      • Reissue badge
      • Deactivate badge
      • Issue a temporary badge
      • Read Request details
5. Select Save and continue.
6. Complete the remaining steps that are necessary.
   For more information, see Create an AI agent.
7. Select Save and test to complete the configuration steps or review a previous step by selecting Back.

   Selecting Save and test leads you to the AI agent testing page, where you can test the AI agent that you created. For more information, see Manually test the execution of an AI agent.

   To test the AI agent, you must have the sn_aia.admin role and any roles the ACLs configured for the AI agent and its tools require, if applicable.

What to do next

Enable your HR representatives to trigger AI agents from the Now Assist panel to address badge-related requests.

For more information, see Example: Use AI agents to process badge-related requests automatically.