Building pro-code applications

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Building pro-code applications

    This content explains how ServiceNow customers can create and manage custom applications from scratch using classic pro-code tools and integrated development environments (IDEs). It details the various tools available for different developer roles and technical backgrounds, enabling efficient app development, scripting, and automation on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

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    App Development Tools and Environments

    • ServiceNow Studio: A unified development environment for building apps and app files with integrated tools, metadata editing, and packaging for deployment. Suitable for citizen and platform developers seeking streamlined app creation.
    • ServiceNow IDE: A Visual Studio Code for the Web implementation on the ServiceNow AI Platform, enabling source code development of scoped applications, JavaScript modules, and third-party library usage. Ideal for source code developers.
    • ServiceNow SDK: Allows local development of scoped applications in Visual Studio Code Desktop with upload capabilities to ServiceNow instances, supporting JavaScript modules and third-party libraries.
    • ServiceNow Extensions for Visual Studio Code: Enables offline editing of applications and integration with ServiceNow instances.

    Choosing the Right App Builder

    ServiceNow provides a table to help customers select the appropriate app builder based on role and technical expertise:

    • Creator Studio: No-code app building for process owners and line of business owners to create request-fulfillment apps.
    • App Engine Studio: Low-code app building for citizen developers, offering a broader range of app creation without coding.
    • ServiceNow Studio: Unified environment for citizen and platform developers to build and deliver apps with integrated low-code tools.
    • ServiceNow IDE and SDK: Source code development tools for developers comfortable with coding and using ServiceNow Fluent language and JavaScript.

    Scripting and Automation

    • Scripting Action Designer: Automate repeatable tasks within flows by creating sequences of related steps, allowing reuse across flows with minimal setup.
    • Client-side scripting: Enables JavaScript execution in the browser triggered by client events such as form loading or field value changes.
    • Server-side scripting: Executes scripts on the server/database to modify platform behavior or run business rules when records are accessed or changed.
    • Now Assist for Code: AI-driven code generation to help developers write scripts quickly using text or code prompts.
    • Now Code Editor: A rich-text editor supporting CSS, HTML, JavaScript, XML, and JSON for modifying UI configurations, scripts, and styles in Next Experience UI Builder components.

    Core Platform Features Supporting App Development

    • Groups and Roles: Simplify user administration and control feature access respectively, ensuring proper permissions and security.
    • Notifications: Manage system emails, notifications, and inbound email responses.
    • Plugins: Add specific functionalities to ServiceNow instances through modular software components.
    • UI policies: Dynamically control form behavior and custom process flows for tasks.
    • User Records: Define user identity and associated information for platform access and personalization.

    Related Applications and Features

    • JavaScript APIs: Extend app functionality or build new applications by leveraging ServiceNow’s scripting interfaces.
    • UI Builder: Create web user interfaces for configurable workspaces, portals, and custom web experiences using Next Experience Components.

    By selecting the appropriate tools and leveraging these scripting and platform features, ServiceNow customers can efficiently build, customize, and deploy pro-code applications tailored to their organizational needs.

    Create and manage custom applications from scratch using classic pro-code tools.

    ServiceNow Studio
    Use ServiceNow Studio to build apps and app files with integrated tools, access and edit metadata in scoped and global apps, and package app changes for deployment, all in one powerful development tool.
    ServiceNow IDE
    ServiceNow IDE is an implementation of Visual Studio Code for the Web on the ServiceNow AI Platform. With the ServiceNow IDE, you can create and develop scoped applications in source code, create JavaScript modules, and use third-party libraries.
    ServiceNow SDK
    ServiceNow SDK enables developers to create scoped applications in source code locally in Visual Studio Code Desktop and upload changes to a ServiceNow instance. You can also use the ServiceNow SDK to create JavaScript modules and use third-party libraries.
    ServiceNow Extensions for Visual Studio Code

    The ServiceNow extensions for VS Code editor enables you to edit applications offline and within ServiceNow instances.

    Which app builder should I use?

    Use the following table to choose the app building experience that matches your role and technical background.

    Table 1. App builders
    Tool Users Features
    Creator Studio: Build an app without code. Process owners, line of business owners Build request-fulfillment apps without writing code.

    For example, create an application to request office supplies: a user fills out a form, and an approver accepts or denies the request. For more information, see Exploring Creator Studio.
    App Engine Studio: Build a range of apps using low-code tools. Citizen developers Build a broader range of apps than Creator Studio without writing code.

    For more information, see Exploring App Engine Studio.
    ServiceNow Studio: Build and deliver apps in a unified environment. Citizen developers, Platform developers Build apps in a unified development environment.

    ServiceNow Studio provides streamlined navigation, integrated low-code tools, and built-in tracking and packaging so you can develop and ship apps faster.

    For more information, see Exploring ServiceNow Studio.
    ServiceNow IDE and ServiceNow SDK: Build apps in source code. Source code developers Develop applications in source code with ServiceNow Fluent, create JavaScript modules, and use third-party libraries. ServiceNow Fluent is a domain-specific programming language for creating application metadata in code. Use Build Agent in ServiceNow IDE to create and update apps in source code with a conversational interaction.

    The ServiceNow IDE runs Visual Studio Code for the Web on the ServiceNow AI Platform. The ServiceNow SDK runs Visual Studio Code Desktop locally. For more information, see Building applications in source code.

    Scripting

    Action Designer
    Use Workflow Studio to automate a repeatable task within a flow as a sequence of related steps. Enable flow authors to add actions to multiple flows with minimal configuration.
    Client-side scripting
    Client scripts enable the system to run JavaScript on the client (web browser) when client-based events occur, such as when a form loads, after form submission, or when a field changes value.
    Now Assist for Code
    Now Assist for code generation allows developers to write scripts quickly with AI-generated code suggestions based on text or code prompts.
    Now Code Editor
    Now Code Editor provides a rich-text editor interface that supports Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), JavaScript, Extensible Markup Language (XML), and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). Use Now Code Editor to modify UI configuration, data resource configuration, styles, events, client-side and server-side scripts in Next Experience UI Builder components.
    Server-side scripting
    Server scripts run on the server or database. They can change the appearance or behavior of the ServiceNow AI Platform or run as business rules when records and tables are accessed or modified.

    Core functionality

    Groups

    Simplify user administration by assigning roles to groups. Any business rules, assignment rules, system roles, or attributes that refer to the group apply to all group members automatically.

    Notifications
    Use ServiceNow Notifications to manage system email, create system notifications, and configure how your system responds to inbound email.
    Roles
    Roles control access to features and capabilities in applications and modules. The admin role provides access to all features and capabilities.
    ServiceNow plugins
    Plugins are software components that provide specific features and functionalities within a ServiceNow instance.
    UI policies
    UI policies dynamically change the behavior of information on a form and control custom process flows for tasks.
    Users
    User records establish a relationship between an individual and your ServiceNow instance. User records consist of a user name, a password, and information relating to the individual, such as contact information, location, and job title.

    Related applications and features

    JavaScript APIs
    Use JavaScript APIs in scripts that you write to change the functionality of applications, or when you create new applications.
    UI Builder
    Use UI Builder to build web user interfaces for CSM Configurable Workspace, App Engine Studio generated workspaces and portals, or custom web experiences using Next Experience Components and custom web components.