Use case: Summarize a client script using Now Assist

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated June 16, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Summarize a client script using Now Assist

    This feature helps developers quickly understand and edit client scripts in a ServiceNow IT operations portal built with UI Builder. It addresses the challenge of undocumented, lengthy client scripts by providing AI-generated explanations that clarify script functionality and trigger events. This enables developers to confidently make changes without risking errors or downtime.

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    Key Features

    • Instant AI-generated explanations: Select any client script in the Data and scripts panel to receive a high-level summary and detailed breakdown of its logic and trigger conditions.
    • Explain Code panel: Appears when you have the uibuilderadmin role and the Client script summarization skill is enabled, facilitating quick access to script summaries.
    • Update-aware summaries: When scripts are modified, the panel notifies you and allows regenerating the explanation for the latest version, ensuring you always understand current logic.

    Configuration and Usage

    • Ensure UI generation is installed and you have the uibuilderadmin role.
    • Navigate to All > Now Experience Framework > UI Builder and open the relevant portal experience.
    • Select the page containing the client script, open the Data and scripts panel, and choose the script to review.
    • Use the Explain Code panel to generate and review summaries before editing the script.
    • If you update the script, use the Explain Code panel again to understand changes.

    Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    This capability significantly reduces the time and effort needed to understand complex client scripts, helping ServiceNow developers avoid misinterpretation and potential bugs. It accelerates safe updates and maintenance of IT operations portals, improving development efficiency and portal reliability.

    Understand and edit client scripts.

    Scenario

    A developer at a financial services company has joined a team responsible for managing an existing IT operations portal created with UI Builder. This portal consists of multiple pages that contain client scripts written by a previous developer who is no longer with the organization. Before making any modifications, the new developer needs to understand the functionality of each client script and the specific events that trigger them.

    Problem

    The client scripts are lengthy and undocumented, making it time-consuming for the developer to read through each one to understand its purpose. Misinterpreting a script before making changes could introduce bugs or break key portal functionality. Manually reviewing and documenting each script would take hours and slow down the team’s ability to deliver updates.

    Solution

    With Client script summarization, the developer can select any client script in the Data and scripts panel and request an instant AI-generated explanation. Now Assist provides both a high-level summary and a detailed breakdown of the script’s logic and trigger conditions, enabling the developer to quickly assess the script’s purpose and decide whether changes are safe to make.

    Before you begin

    Make sure that you install UI generation and that you have the ui_builder_admin role. For more information, see Install UI generation and Grant UI Builder admin role.

    Configuration steps

    Perform the following steps to use the Client script summarization skill:
    1. Navigate to All > Now Experience Framework > UI Builder.
    2. Open the IT operations portal experience.
    3. Select the page that includes the client script for review.
    4. In the Data and scripts panel, open the relevant client script.
      The Explain Code panel appears.
      Note:
      The Explain Code panel appears only if you're assigned the ui_builder_admin role and if the Client script summarization skill is enabled.
    5. Select Explain this code.
    6. Review the concise summary and detailed explanation, including trigger conditions.
    7. If you make changes to the script, select Explain again to regenerate the summary for the updated version.
      Note:
      If you update a script after reviewing the explanation, the Explain Code panel will notify you of the code changes. Always select Explain again to understand the latest version of the script.

    Outcome

    The developer quickly comprehends the purpose and functionality of the client scripts, whereas manually reading and interpreting the code would take several hours. This knowledge enables the developer to confidently plan and implement updates without the risk of introducing unintended regressions.