ServiceNow Otto access roles

Zurich Enterprise Architecture (formerly Application Portfolio Management)

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Zurich Enterprise Architecture (formerly Application Portfolio Management)

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ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) access roles

Release version: Zurich

Updated June 9, 2026

8 minutes to read

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Summary of ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) access roles

ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) provides AI-powered skills that enhance EA capabilities such as summarizing Architectural Decision Records (ADRs), generating business application insights, diagram comparison, conversational registration, and more. Access to these skills is governed by specific EA Workspace roles combined with platform-level or feature-specific roles. Proper role assignment ensures users can configure and utilize the EA skills effectively within ServiceNow.

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Role Requirements and Access Control

Each Otto for EA skill requires specific roles for configuration and usage. The primary roles involved include:

admin: Required for configuring most skills and overall ServiceNow Otto for EA setup.
snapm.apmuser: Provides usage access to the majority of EA skills.
snapm.apmread: Required alongside snapm.apmuser for certain features like diagram comparison.
nowassistexploreradmin and nowassistexploreruser: Roles involved with AI Data Explorer and Query Generation skills, often required for dashboard insights and analytics.

Some conversational experience skills for registering business applications or digital integrations are open to any authenticated user without EA Workspace roles.

Key Skills and Their Role Dependencies

Configure Otto for EA skills: Requires admin or nowassistexploreradmin for AI Data Explorer features.
ADR summarization and content refinement: Configured by admin and used by snapm.apmuser.
Business application insights: Used by snapm.apmuser with optional admin configuration.
Enterprise Modeling and Visualization diagram comparison: Requires both snapm.apmuser and snapm.apmread roles simultaneously for usage.
Refine text in form fields: Available to users with snapm.apmuser role.
Dashboard widget insights: Requires an EA Workspace role plus nowassistexploreruser. Skills must be activated and AI Search configured.
Generate enterprise architecture diagrams from images: Requires snapm.apmuser role and admin activation.
Enterprise Architecture Explorer Query Agent: Enables natural language querying of EA portfolio data; requires snapm.apmuser and related roles.
Conversational experience via Virtual Agent: Allows any authenticated user to register business applications or digital integrations without EA-specific roles, provided Virtual Agent is configured.

Configuration and Management

All Otto for EA skills are configured through the ServiceNow Otto Admin console by users with the admin or nowassistexploreradmin roles. Configuration options include:

Activating or deactivating skills.
Setting role-based access controls per skill.
Defining custom parameters for AI-driven insights.
Configuring conversational experience skills and AI Search for enhanced data exploration and dashboard interaction.

Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

To leverage ServiceNow Otto for EA effectively, customers must:

Assign appropriate roles to users based on the skills they need to use or configure.
Ensure the Otto Admin console is used to activate and customize skills per organizational requirements.
Configure Virtual Agent and conversational experience to enable broad registration capabilities without complex role assignments.
Understand that some skills require multiple roles simultaneously, such as diagram comparison requiring both read and user roles.
Maintain role hygiene to control access securely while enabling productive use of AI-driven EA capabilities.

By following these role assignments and configuration guidelines, ServiceNow customers can optimize their Enterprise Architecture management using automated insights, natural language interactions, and AI-enhanced diagramming and analysis tools.

The following roles help you to configure and use each ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) skill.

Access to ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) skills is controlled by a combination of the EA Workspace role assigned to the user and, in some cases, additional platform-level or feature-specific roles. The table summarizes each skill, the role required to use it, and whether additional roles are needed.

Table 1. ServiceNow Otto for Enterprise Architecture (EA) skills and required roles
Skill	Configure role	Use role
Configure ServiceNow Otto® for EA (all skills)	admin	Not applicable
Configure AI Data Explorer and Query Generation skills	now_assist_explorer_admin or higher (AI Data Explorer); admin (Query Generation)	Not applicable
Generate a summary for ADRs (ADR doc summarization)	admin	sn_apm.apm_user
Elaborate or shorten content in ADRs	admin	sn_apm.apm_user
Generate insights into business applications	admin	sn_apm.apm_user
Compare Enterprise Modeling and Visualization diagrams	admin	sn_apm.apm_read and sn_apm.apm_user
Elaborate or shorten content in form fields (Refine text)	admin	sn_apm.apm_user
Generate insights for EA Workspace dashboard widgets (AI Data Explorer)	now_assist_explorer_admin or higher	sn_apm.apm_user or sn_apm.apm_read; now_assist_explorer_user
Register a business application using conversational experience	admin	None (any authenticated user)
Register a digital integration using conversational experience	admin	None (any authenticated user)
Generate an enterprise architecture diagram from an uploaded image; review AI-generated shapes in split-screen mode; accept or discard low-confidence shape replacements; accept all shapes and publish the diagram to draft	admin	sn_apm.apm_user
Ask natural language questions about the EA portfolio using the Enterprise Architecture Explorer Query Agent	admin	sn_apm.apm_user

Configuration

All ServiceNow Otto® for EA skills are configured from the ServiceNow Otto® Admin console. Configuration requires the admin role or, for AI Data Explorer skills, the now_assist_explorer_admin role.


Capability	admin	now_assist_explorer_admin	sn_apm.apm_user	sn_apm.apm_read	now_assist_explorer_user	Notes
Activate and configure all ServiceNow Otto® for EA skills from the ServiceNow Otto® Admin console (ADR summarization, business application insights, diagram change analysis, refine text, conversational experience)
Configure skill availability conditions (always available or custom conditions)
Configure role-based access to individual skills
Define and configure custom parameters for the business application insights prompt; make a copy of the business application insights skill
Activate and configure conversational experience skills for registering business applications and digital integrations through Virtual Agent
Configure Query Generation skills (Analytics query generation and Analytics hidden insights generation)
Activate and configure AI Data Explorer skills (Analytics exploration, Exploration summarization, Refine text in exploration, Data visualization generation)
Configure AI Search for dashboard insight generation

ADR doc summarization and actions

ADR skills are powered by the ADR Doc Summarization and Actions skill. The skill must be activated by an admin before use.


Capability	admin	now_assist_explorer_admin	sn_apm.apm_user	sn_apm.apm_read	now_assist_explorer_user	Notes
Generate a ServiceNow Otto® summary of an ADR document from the Artifact content tab
Elaborate selected text in an ADR document
Shorten selected text in an ADR document
Summarize selected text in an ADR document
Use the Refine button to further elaborate or shorten generated content
Insert generated content into the ADR record; copy generated summary text
Use the ADR summarization skill						sn_apm.apm_read is in the default skill access list. Admins can modify role access from the ServiceNow Otto® Admin console.

Business application insights

The business application insights skill generates context-aware summaries and actionable insights for business applications. Insights automatically include contextual data from the page where they are generated.


Capability	admin	now_assist_explorer_admin	sn_apm.apm_user	sn_apm.apm_read	now_assist_explorer_user	Notes
Generate insights from the business application details page
Generate context-aware insights from the Business Portfolio page (capability context, cross-capability impact, indicator scores, fiscal period)
Generate context-aware insights from the Application Rationalization bubble chart (axis metrics, quadrant position, bubble size metric, planned disposition, fiscal period)
Generate context-aware insights from the Application Rationalization list view (indicator scores, actual scores, fiscal period, connected demands)
View insights in a side panel wherever business application details are shown
Refresh generated insights after updating business application data
Provide thumbs up or thumbs down feedback on generated insights

Compare Enterprise Modeling and Visualization diagrams

The diagram change analysis skill generates an AI summary of changes between two diagram versions. The summary includes an executive overview and a breakdown of added, modified, and removed shapes and relationships.


Capability	admin	now_assist_explorer_admin	sn_apm.apm_user	sn_apm.apm_read	now_assist_explorer_user	Notes
Select two diagram versions to compare from the Compare versions pop-up window						Both sn_apm.apm_user and sn_apm.apm_read are required. Neither role alone is sufficient to use this skill.
View the AI-generated executive summary of changes between two diagram versions						Both sn_apm.apm_user and sn_apm.apm_read are required.
View a breakdown of shapes, entities, and relationships that have been added, modified, or deleted						Both sn_apm.apm_user and sn_apm.apm_read are required.
View visual canvas highlights (new shapes and lines in green, modified in yellow)						Both sn_apm.apm_user and sn_apm.apm_read are required.
Change the diagram versions and regenerate the comparison summary						Both sn_apm.apm_user and sn_apm.apm_read are required.
Refresh the summary after changing the primary diagram version						Both sn_apm.apm_user and sn_apm.apm_read are required.
Copy the generated change summary; provide helpful or not helpful feedback						Both sn_apm.apm_user and sn_apm.apm_read are required.

Elaborate or shorten content in form fields (Refine text)

The Refine text skill is available in the Description and Reasoning fields on forms for business applications, business capabilities, business processes, value stream stages, and information objects.


Capability	admin	now_assist_explorer_admin	sn_apm.apm_user	sn_apm.apm_read	now_assist_explorer_user	Notes
Elaborate or shorten text in the Description field of a business application
Elaborate or shorten text in the Description field of a business capability, business process, value stream stage, or information object
Generate reasoning content for the Reasoning field (Planned Disposition section) of a business application by entering prompts in the text box
Elaborate or shorten existing text in the Reasoning field

Generate insights for EA Workspace dashboard widgets

The dashboard insights feature uses the AI Data Explorer and Query Generation skills to provide a conversational interface for querying and analyzing EA Workspace dashboard data. Both an EA Workspace role and the now_assist_explorer_user role are required.


Capability	admin	now_assist_explorer_admin	sn_apm.apm_user	sn_apm.apm_read	now_assist_explorer_user	Notes
Use the Explore with AI icon on any supported dashboard widget to open the AI Data Explorer						Requires an EA Workspace role (sn_apm.apm_user or sn_apm.apm_read) AND now_assist_explorer_user. AI Data Explorer and Query Generation skills must be activated and AI Search must be configured.
Ask natural language questions about data from a single dashboard widget						Requires EA Workspace role AND now_assist_explorer_user.
Perform trend analysis queries (for example, how application counts changed over time)						Requires EA Workspace role AND now_assist_explorer_user.
Perform comparative queries (for example, application counts across different technology types)						Requires EA Workspace role AND now_assist_explorer_user.
Perform specific metric queries (for example, which application family is most used)						Requires EA Workspace role AND now_assist_explorer_user.
Use Standard analysis or Extended analysis mode						Requires EA Workspace role AND now_assist_explorer_user.
Add the widget data to an exploration for ServiceNow Otto® to generate its own insights						Requires EA Workspace role AND now_assist_explorer_user.
Define a goal to improve the quality of generated insights; ask follow-up questions based on ServiceNow Otto® suggestions						Requires EA Workspace role AND now_assist_explorer_user.
Summarize generated insights; share, duplicate, or delete generated insights						Requires EA Workspace role AND now_assist_explorer_user.

Generate enterprise architecture diagram skill

The Generate enterprise architecture diagram skill uses an AI agent to create Enterprise Modeling and Visualization diagrams from an uploaded image. After the diagram is generated, you can review the result in split-screen mode, where shapes with a low confidence are highlighted for review. You can accept or replace individual low-confidence shapes, then publish the diagram or discard it entirely.


Capability	admin	now_assist_explorer_admin	sn_apm.apm_user	sn_apm.apm_read	now_assist_explorer_user	Notes
Activate and configure the Generate enterprise architecture diagram skill
Upload an image and invoke the skill to generate an enterprise architecture diagram via the ServiceNow Otto panel
Review the AI-generated diagram in split-screen mode, with the uploaded image displayed alongside the generated diagram canvas
Identify and replace low-confidence shapes highlighted on the diagram canvas; accept an individual shape replacement to remove the highlight and reduce the low-confidence count
Select Accept All to accept all shape replacements and move the diagram to draft state
Select Discard to delete the AI-generated diagram, including the artifact, version, attachment, and diagram instance						A confirmation dialog is shown before the diagram is deleted.

Enterprise Architecture Explorer Query Agent

The Enterprise Architecture Explorer query agent is an agentic ServiceNow Otto® skill that answers natural language questions about EA portfolio data. This includes business applications, capabilities, value streams, technology standards, and information objects. The agent is accessed from the ServiceNow Otto panel in Enterprise Architecture Workspace.


Capability	admin	now_assist_explorer_admin	sn_apm.apm_user	sn_apm.apm_read	now_assist_explorer_user	Notes
Ask natural language questions about EA portfolio data using the ServiceNow Otto panel in Enterprise Architecture Workspace
Query EA data across business applications, capabilities, value streams, TRM, information objects, and technical debt; query TCO on non-BA entities (capabilities, information objects, value streams, application services, and business services) by rolling up through associated business applications
Apply multiple filter conditions and compare trends in a single question
Ask follow-up questions within the same session without restating context; select suggested follow-up questions generated by the agent

Conversational experience (Virtual Agent)

The conversational experience skills let any authenticated user register business applications or digital integrations through a natural language chat interface in any application that supports Virtual Agent. No EA Workspace role is required.


Capability	admin	now_assist_explorer_admin	sn_apm.apm_user	sn_apm.apm_read	now_assist_explorer_user	Notes
Register a business application through Virtual Agent by providing details such as name, description, IT owner, business owner, category, and application type						No role required. Any authenticated user can access this skill. A Virtual Agent-enabled application such as the Employee Center must be installed. The conversational experience must be configured by an admin.
Register a digital integration through Virtual Agent by providing details such as subscriber business application, provider digital interface, IT owner, and description						No role required. Any authenticated user can access this skill. A Virtual Agent-enabled application must be installed and configured by an admin.
Use short or elaborate natural language instructions — Virtual Agent maps the provided context to the appropriate catalog item fields automatically						No role required.
Skip non-required fields during the conversational registration flow						No role required.
Review and modify the auto-populated form fields before submission						No role required.