Reporting on data from low-code apps

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Reporting on data from low-code apps

    ServiceNow enables customers to create actionable reports and data visualizations from low-code applications to drive informed decision-making. Reporting typically involves displaying data from ServiceNow tables (e.g., Incident) and tracking performance trends via KPIs using Performance Analytics. There are two primary user interface technologies for reporting and analytics: the older Core UI and the newer Platform Analytics, each providing different capabilities for visualizing and interacting with data.

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    Key Features

    • Core UI Reporting: Allows creation of reports directly from ServiceNow tables and placement of reports and Performance Analytics widgets on responsive dashboards.
    • Platform Analytics: Provides advanced Data Visualizations that can report on data from any source and supports dashboards with filters. It is built on the Next Experience UI Framework, accessible to both developers and non-developers.
    • Terminology: “Report” and “reporting” refer to Core UI reports; “visualization” and “visualize” refer to Platform Analytics data visualizations to avoid confusion.
    • Performance Best Practices: To maintain performance, filter large datasets by date ranges or criteria, avoid grouping by fields with many distinct values, and use additional filters if experiencing long load times.
    • Exporting: Reports, visualizations, and dashboards can be scheduled for export and emailed regularly.
    • Dashboard Creation Options in Platform Analytics:
      • Create dashboards and visualizations entirely within Platform Analytics without developer skills.
      • Use UI Builder with data visualization components for maximum developer customization.
      • Embed Platform Analytics dashboards inside UI Builder pages using dashboard templates for a balance of convenience and customization.
      • Create technical dashboards for sharing and library use, populated via UI Builder.

    What Customers Can Expect

    Customers can efficiently generate meaningful reports and interactive visualizations for low-code apps using either Core UI or Platform Analytics based on their needs and skill levels. By following best practices, they ensure optimal performance and usability. The flexibility to create dashboards through multiple approaches empowers customers to tailor reporting experiences to their organizational requirements, whether with minimal technical expertise or full developer control.

    Most applications that you create have some level of reporting requirements. Reports should be actionable to drive change.

    "Reporting" generally refers to showing the data inside facts tables like Incident [incident]. You can also create key performance indicators (KPIs) to track changes in this data over time, through the Performance Analytics application.

    Currently the ServiceNow AI Platform® is in transition between two user interfaces for showing this information:
    • The older Core UI technology. This UI includes the Reporting application, which only shows data directly from tables, and PA Widgets, which show data from Performance Analytics indicators. Both reports and PA widgets can be placed on Core UI responsive dashboards. For more information, see Reporting, dashboards, and Performance Analytics in the Core UI.
    • The newer Platform Analytics technology. This UI includes Data Visualizations, which let you report on data from any source. These visualizations can be placed on Platform Analytics dashboards, along with Platform Analytics filters. For more information, see Platform Analytics experience.

      All Platform Analytics objects are rooted in the Next Experience UI Framework and are available to developers. However, a non-developer can still build their own objects through the Platform Analytics experience, without using UI Builder. For more information, see Platform Analytics experience.

    Note:
    Although "reporting" is a general term, this documentation usually uses "report" and "reporting" to refer to the Core UI Reporting application and "visualization" or "visualize" to refer to Platform Analytics data visualizations, for disambiguation.

    Follow these guidelines when building reports or data visualizations:

    • Creating reports or visualizations on large tables can negatively impact performance. Be sure to filter by a date range or other limiting criteria rather than showing all records on the table.
    • Grouping by fields that contain many possible values can negatively impact performance.
    • If loading a report or visualization gives a Long running transaction timer message, consider adding more data filters to reduce the load time.
    • If you need to export a report, data visualization, or dashboard on a regular basis, schedule the export and email.
    In Platform Analytics, you have several possibilities for showing multiple data visualizations on one page:
    • Create the data visualizations and the dashboards entirely inside the Platform Analytics experience. This approach does not require a developer role or special technical knowledge, and probably should be explored before you try a more complex solution.
    • Create data visualization components in a generic UI Builder page, along with filters and other components. This approach gives you the most freedom as a developer, but also requires the most configuration.
    • Create the data visualizations and the dashboards inside the Platform Analytics experience, but then place the dashboards inside UI Builder pages using the Dashboard page template. This approach lets you use the convenience and special features of the Platform Analytics experience to create dashboards, data visualizations, and filters in your own experiences/workspaces. This approach also gives you the freedom to customize the page configuration partially. For more information, see Creating Platform Analytics pages in your own workspace.
    • Create a technical dashboard and populate it inside UI Builder. This approach is almost the same as creating your own UI Builder page from scratch, but the dashboard is available in the dashboard library, has dashboard details, and can be shared like other dashboards. For more information, see Technical dashboards.