Combined ServiceNow IDE release notes for upgrades from Xanadu to Zurich

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated August 11, 2026
  • 6 minutes to read
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    Summary of Combined ServiceNow IDE Release Notes for Upgrades from Xanadu to Zurich

    This consolidated release note provides ServiceNow customers with essential information about the ServiceNow Integrated Development Environment (IDE) enhancements, changes, and upgrade instructions from the Xanadu release through to Zurich. It enables developers to understand new capabilities, prepare for upgrades, and leverage the latest features for efficient application development on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

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    Key Features

    • Visual Studio Code–based IDE (Xanadu): Develop scoped applications using a familiar Visual Studio Code for the Web environment, featuring IntelliSense, type safety, dependency enforcement, code search, and source control integration.
    • Source Code Development with ServiceNow Fluent (Xanadu): Write application metadata in source code using a domain-specific language, enabling easier management, error detection at build time, and integration with source control.
    • JavaScript Modules and Third-Party Libraries (Xanadu): Organize reusable code with custom JavaScript modules and integrate third-party utilities.
    • Collaboration Across Skill Sets (Xanadu): Work concurrently with users of varying expertise through synchronization between ServiceNow IDE and embedded AI Platform interfaces.
    • Source Control Integration (Xanadu): Connect to remote Git repositories via basic authentication or OAuth 2.0 for version control within the IDE.
    • Scoped Application Conversion (Yokohama): Convert existing scoped applications to support source code development in the ServiceNow IDE.
    • TypeScript Support (Yokohama): Use TypeScript templates in JavaScript modules, compiling them to JavaScript during build.
    • Private npm Registry Support (Yokohama): Install npm packages from private registries for third-party libraries within applications.
    • Development Experience Switching (Yokohama): Seamlessly switch development environments between ServiceNow IDE, Studio, and Creator Studio to suit the task.
    • Multi-Application Repository Cloning (Zurich): Clone Git repositories containing multiple applications with required configuration files for source code development.
    • ServiceNow SDK Version Control (Zurich): Configure the use of either the bundled SDK or the latest SDK version via a system property when creating or converting applications.
    • Localization Support (Zurich): Use the ServiceNow IDE in all supported left-to-right languages, reflecting user language preferences on the instance.
    • Developer Themes (Zurich): Choose between light and dark themes for personalized developer experience.

    Upgrade and Activation Guidance

    • ServiceNow IDE is active by default on Yokohama (version 1.1.4) and Zurich (version 2.1.2) releases. Upgrading to ServiceNow IDE version 2.0 or later (Yokohama) and 3.0 or later (Zurich) is recommended to access the latest features.
    • Installation and upgrade requests are managed through the ServiceNow Store.
    • Before upgrading to Zurich, review and complete pre- and post-upgrade tasks to ensure a smooth transition.

    Additional Requirements

    • The ServiceNow IDE uses the public npm registry as the default package source. If access is blocked, customers must configure access to an alternate private npm registry within the IDE’s Package Manager settings to enable downloading and building applications.

    Changes, Removals, and Deprecations

    No updates, removals, or deprecations affecting ServiceNow IDE features were reported between Xanadu and Zurich releases.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Develop and manage scoped applications with enhanced source code control and collaboration capabilities.
    • Leverage modern development tools and languages (TypeScript, npm packages) to improve productivity and code quality.
    • Customize the development experience with environment switching, theming, and localization.
    • Maintain control over application SDK versions for stability and feature alignment.
    • Ensure compliance with network constraints by configuring private registries as needed.

    Consolidated page of all release notes for ServiceNow IDE from Xanadu to Zurich.

    How to use this page

    To help you prepare for your upgrade, we have combined the cross-family ServiceNow IDE release notes onto one page. Read this summary of the new features, changes, and updated information for your product from Xanadu to Zurich.

    Tip:
    If there were no updates for a release notes section in a certain family release, we included a short note for your reference. For example, if a product did not have any updates in Tokyo, the row says "No updates for this release."

    Important information for upgrading ServiceNow IDE to Zurich

    Before you upgrade to Zurich, review these pre- and post-upgrade tasks and complete the tasks as needed.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    ServiceNow IDE version 1.1.4 is active by default on instances on the Yokohama release. Update to ServiceNow IDE version 2.0 or later to use the latest features. For information about updating ServiceNow IDE, see Updating apps.

    Zurich

    ServiceNow IDE version 2.1.2 is active by default on instances on the Zurich release. Update to ServiceNow IDE version 3.0 or later to use the latest features. For information about updating ServiceNow IDE, see Install or update the ServiceNow IDE.

    New features

    Between your current release family and Zurich, new features were introduced for ServiceNow IDE.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu
    Work in an IDE based on Visual Studio Code for the Web
    Create and develop applications in a familiar integrated development environment based on Visual Studio Code for the Web. The ServiceNow IDE has many of the same features as Visual Studio Code, including type safety, IntelliSense, dependency enforcement, code search, and source control integration.
    Build scoped applications in source code
    Write source code to define the metadata that makes up applications using ServiceNow Fluent. ServiceNow Fluent is a domain-specific programming language with APIs for defining the different types of application metadata. Developing applications in source code enables you to work in familiar development environments, create and modify complex applications, manage code in source control more easily, and catch errors at build time. Language processing and validation for ServiceNow Fluent is included in the ServiceNow IDE by default.
    Create and use JavaScript modules and third-party libraries
    Organize and reuse code within scoped applications with custom JavaScript modules and third-party JavaScript utilities.
    Collaborate on applications with users of different skill sets
    Collaborate on an application with users of different skill sets at the same time from the ServiceNow IDE and other ServiceNow AI Platform builder tools and interfaces. Developers build applications to compile source files into metadata, which they can view in embedded ServiceNow AI Platform user interfaces. Developers can synchronize applications to pull in changes to application metadata from other interfaces into source code.
    Manage applications in source control
    Integrate with remote Git repositories to use source control in the ServiceNow IDE. Use basic authentication or OAuth 2.0 to connect to remote Git providers and repositories.

    Yokohama
    Convert scoped applications for use in the ServiceNow IDE
    Convert existing scoped applications to support development in source code in the ServiceNow IDE.
    Use TypeScript in JavaScript modules
    Create an application that uses the TypeScript template to use TypeScript in modules and compile them to JavaScript when building your application.
    Use npm packages from private registries as third-party libraries
    Install npm packages from a private registry to use as third-party libraries in your application.
    Switch between development experiences
    Work in the right environment for your task by using the experience switcher to switch between developing in ServiceNow IDE, ServiceNow Studio, and Creator Studio.

    Zurich
    Clone a repository that contains multiple applications
    Clone a Git repository that contains multiple applications that support development in source code. The repository must contain at least one package.json file and one now.config.json file.
    Default to using the latest version of the ServiceNow SDK in new or converted applications
    Configure whether to use the bundled version or the latest version of the ServiceNow SDK when creating or converting applications in the ServiceNow IDE with the sn_glider.default_to_bundled_sdk system property. By default, the latest version of the ServiceNow SDK is used.

    Changes

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some changes were made to existing ServiceNow IDE features.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Removed

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some ServiceNow IDE features or functionality were removed.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Deprecations

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some ServiceNow IDE features or functionality were deprecated.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Activation information

    Review information on how to activate ServiceNow IDE.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    Install ServiceNow IDE (sn_glider) by requesting it from the ServiceNow Store. Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

    Yokohama

    ServiceNow IDE is active by default starting in the Yokohama release and available for upgrade in the ServiceNow Store. Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

    Zurich

    ServiceNow IDE is active by default and available for upgrade in the ServiceNow Store. Visit the ServiceNow Store website to view all the available apps and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

    Additional requirements

    If any additional requirements were introduced or changed for ServiceNow IDE we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    ServiceNow IDE uses the public npm registry (https://registry.npmjs.org) as its default package source. If your network blocks access to this registry, you must have access to an alternate registry to download packages and build applications in the ServiceNow IDE. If access to the public npm registry is blocked on your system, you must configure a private npm registry in your Package Manager user settings in the ServiceNow IDE. For more information, see Install an npm package from a private registry.

    Browser requirements

    If any specific browser requirements were introduced or changed for ServiceNow IDE we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Accessibility information

    Review details on accessibility information for ServiceNow IDE, such as specific requirements or compliance levels.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Localization information

    If there are specific localization considerations for ServiceNow IDE we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu

    		 No updates for this release.

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    The ServiceNow IDE is localized in all supported left-to-right languages and reflects the language preference selected by users for the instance. For information about how to activate a language on an instance, see Activate a language.

    Highlight information

    If there are specific highlight considerations for ServiceNow IDE we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Xanadu
    • Develop scoped applications in an IDE based on Visual Studio Code on the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    • Write source code to define the metadata that makes up applications with ServiceNow Fluent.
    • Collaborate with users of different skill sets across an instance and view changes in embedded ServiceNow AI Platform user interfaces.
    • Manage applications in source control with common Git providers.

    See ServiceNow IDE for more information.

    Yokohama
    • Convert existing scoped applications to support development in source code.
    • Use TypeScript in JavaScript modules.
    • Install and use npm packages from private registries.

    See ServiceNow IDE for more information.

    Zurich
    • Clone a Git repository that contains multiple applications.
    • Use light and dark developer themes.
    • Use the ServiceNow IDE in any supported left-to-right language.

    See ServiceNow IDE for more information.