Add an application experience

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Add an application experience

    Using App Engine Studio (AES) in ServiceNow's Zurich release, you can add various types of application experiences to your app. Experiences define how users interact with your application and include catalog items, record producers, workspaces, portals, and mobile experiences. Application templates often add these experiences automatically, but AES lets you customize or create them to fit your needs.

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    Types of Experiences

    • Standard catalog item: A form that users fill out to create requests, linked with workflows, approvals, and tasks. Ideal for scenarios requiring full request lifecycle management, such as submitting a time-off request for manager approval.
    • Record producer: A simplified catalog item creating task-based records directly in custom tables, without a request lifecycle. Useful for creating records like incidents or changes with streamlined forms.
    • Workspace: A focused suite of tools for agents and managers to resolve customer issues, such as an equipment fulfillment dashboard. Smaller in scope than portals but tailored for case management.
    • Portal: A self-service site where users can find information, submit requests, and perform business tasks. Suitable for creating entry points for employees to access catalogs and knowledge bases.
    • Mobile experience: Enables application access via the ServiceNow native mobile app, supporting scenarios like approving requests on mobile devices.

    Choosing Between Record Producers and Catalog Items

    Record producers offer extensibility by allowing users to create task-based records in any table with simplified forms, improving the end-user experience without generating requests. Standard catalog items are best when a full request process with workflows and approvals is required.

    Practical Guidance for ServiceNow Customers

    • Use standard catalog items when you need to generate requests with associated workflows and approvals.
    • Choose record producers for simplified forms that create task records without request overhead.
    • Build workspaces to empower agents and case workers with dedicated tools to resolve issues efficiently.
    • Create portals to offer users centralized access to information and request submission capabilities.
    • Implement mobile experiences to extend app accessibility to mobile users via the Now Mobile app.
    • Edit and tailor experiences within AES to align interfaces with your specific business workflows and user roles.

    Use App Engine Studio (AES) to add an experience to your app. Experiences are the interface, or wrapper, for how users interact with your app.

    Application templates automatically add experiences to your application.

    Table 1. Types of experiences
    Experience Definition Example Reference
    Standard catalog item A standard catalog item displays a form that users can fill in to create requests, such as a form to request an item or service. Standard catalog items make use of the Request table and produce a request record. In addition, generated request items are linked with a workflow, a catalog task, and any related approvals. Using standard catalog items, users can add multiple items to a cart and generate a request for each requested item. Use a catalog item when you want the service catalog form to generate a request, complete with a workflow, approvals, tasks, etc. Create a catalog item form, such as a form to request time-off. After submitting the form, a request is created for a manager to approve or reject.
    Record producer A record producer is a simplified type of catalog item that displays a form for users to fill out. The completed and submitted form inserts a new data record in a selected custom target table that you set up. This type of catalog item enables users to create task-based records, such as an incident record (without any of the more complex functionality that comes with using a standard catalog item, such as creating requests). Use a record producer when you want the service catalog form to create a simplified type of record that isn't a request (for example, a task record such as an incident, change, or enhancement, etc.). Create a service catalog form that generates a task record, such as an incident, instead of a request.
    Workspace A workspace is a suite of tools that provides agents, case managers, help desk professionals, and managers with tools to help answer customer questions and resolve customer problems. Create an equipment fulfillment dashboard where employees can request laptops and other items. Workspaces are similar to portals but smaller in scope.
    Portal A portal is a site where users inside of your organization can find information, submit requests, and complete business tasks. Create a self-service portal, or entry point for employees to make requests and browse a knowledgebase, which you can then populate with additional workspaces and catalogs.
    Mobile A mobile experience enables users to access your application from a ServiceNow native mobile app. You must then populate the app with data. Create a time-off request application for mobile for managers to approve or reject requests in the Now Mobile app on their mobile device.