ServiceNow SDK release notes

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 6 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of ServiceNow SDK Release Notes

    The ServiceNow® software development kit (SDK) allows developers to create scoped applications using source code locally in Visual Studio Code. The Zurich release (version 4.3) introduces enhancements for building full-stack applications, including UI development with React and support for various ServiceNow Fluent APIs.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Flow API: Automate business processes with reusable components.
    • Service Catalog API: Define catalog items and aspects of service catalogs.
    • Email Notification API: Automate email notifications.
    • Service Level Agreement API: Set timeframes for tasks achieving specified conditions.
    • Dashboard API: Create and share visual data dashboards.
    • Workspace API: Define configurable workspace experiences.
    • Third-party Module Access: Control trusted third-party modules with the trustedModules parameter.

    Key Outcomes

    Upgrading to the ServiceNow SDK Zurich release enhances your development capabilities, enabling seamless integration with ServiceNow instances starting from the Washington DC release. Users must re-authenticate on Windows systems due to the deprecation of Keytar. With new APIs, your applications can leverage advanced features for automation, notifications, and data management, resulting in improved efficiency and streamlined workflows.

    The ServiceNow® software development kit (SDK) enables developers to create scoped applications in source code locally in Visual Studio Code Desktop and upload changes to a ServiceNow instance. ServiceNow SDK was enhanced and updated in the 4.0 release.

    ServiceNow SDK highlights for the Zurich release

    • Develop a user interface (UI) with React to build a full-stack application in source code.
    • Define flows, service catalogs, UI pages and more in source code with ServiceNow Fluent APIs.

    See ServiceNow SDK for more information.

    Important information for upgrading ServiceNow SDK to Zurich

    To upgrade to the latest version of the ServiceNow SDK globally or within an application, see Upgrade the ServiceNow SDK.

    ServiceNow SDK version 4.0 supports integration with ServiceNow instances beginning with the Washington DC release.

    On Windows systems, after upgrading to ServiceNow SDK version 4.3 or later, existing stored credentials aren’t supported due to the deprecation of Keytar. Users on Windows systems must add their user credentials again using the now-sdk auth --add command to authenticate with instances. For more information, see Authenticating to a ServiceNow instance with the ServiceNow SDK.
    Note:
    For more information about minor releases of the ServiceNow SDK, see the ServiceNow SDK repository on GitHub.

    New in the Zurich release

    Version 4.3
    Flow API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the Flow API to create flows and subflows [sys_hub_flow] that automate business processes with reusable multiple-step components.
    Service Catalog API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the Service Catalog API to define catalog items [sc_cat_item] and related aspects of service catalogs.
    Email Notification API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the Email Notification API to define notifications [sysevent_email_action] that send automated emails.
    Service Level Agreement API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the Service Level Agreement API to define service level agreements (SLAs) [contract_sla] that set the amount of time for a task to reach a specified condition.
    Dashboard API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the Dashboard API to define dashboards [par_dashboard] for organizing and sharing data visually.
    Workspace API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the Workspace API to define configurable workspace experiences for organizing and sharing data visually.
    Allow access to ServiceNow APIs for third-party modules
    Configure which third-party library modules to identify as trusted and have access to ServiceNow APIs with the trustedModules parameter in an application's now.config.json file.
    Version 4.2
    Import Sets API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the Import Sets API to define transform maps [sys_transform_map] that specify how to transform and map data from the import set staging table to target tables.
    UI Policy API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the UI Policy API to define user interface policies [sys_ui_policy] that dynamically change the behavior of information on a form and control custom process flows for tasks.
    Attach user images to records from source code
    Attach user images to records associated with metadata defined in source code with the Now.attach construct.
    Use utility functions for additional type validation
    Use utility types that help validate values for properties that support the Duration (Duration()), Time (Time()), Field List (FieldList()), and Template Value (TemplateValue()) field types in ServiceNow Fluent APIs. Utility types provide validation at build time for tables both within and outside of an application.
    Generated ServiceNow Fluent code organized in taxonomy-based directories
    Configure a custom directory structure for metadata transformed into ServiceNow Fluent code with the taxonomy parameter in an application's now.config.json file. By default, generated ServiceNow Fluent files are organized in a taxonomy-based directory structure within the fluent/generated directory.
    Version 4.1
    Specify which files to build as JavaScript modules
    Configure which files to include or exclude when building JavaScript modules with the serverModulesIncludePatterns and serverModulesExcludePatterns parameters in an application's now.config.json file.
    Version 4.0
    Develop a user interface with React
    Develop a user interface with the React library and the UI Page API to build a full-stack application in source code.
    Script Action API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the Script Action API to define script actions [sysevent_script_action] that run when an event occurs.
    Script Include API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the Script Include API to define script includes [sys_script_include] that store JavaScript functions and classes for use by server-side scripts.
    Service Portal API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the Service Portal API to create custom widgets [sp_widget] for portal pages.
    UI Action API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the UI Action API to configure custom user interface actions [sys_ui_action], such as buttons, links, and context menu items on forms and lists.
    UI Page API - ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the UI Page API to configure custom user interface pages [sys_ui_page] that display forms, dialogs, lists, and other UI components.
    Download application metadata from an instance
    Download application metadata (XML) from a ServiceNow instance to compare it with the metadata in your local application using the now-sdk download command.
    Clean or package an application
    Remove the build artifacts that were output with the previous build using the now-sdk clean command. You can also package the build artifacts that were output with the previous build into an installable ZIP file using the now-sdk pack command.

    Changed in this release

    Version 4.3
    Get type checking and validation of client-side TypeScript files
    Full-stack TypeScript applications support type checking and validation of .ts and .tsx files in the src/client directory when building applications.
    Version 4.2
    Manage dependencies with additional parameters on the dependencies command
    Control which dependencies and TypeScript definitions to download with additional parameters on the now-sdk dependencies command.
    Use additional column types with ServiceNow Fluent
    Use the following additional types of table columns with ServiceNow Fluent APIs: Password2Column, GuidColumn, JsonColumn, NameValuePairsColumn, UrlColumn, EmailColumn, HTMLColumn, FloatColumn, MultiLineTextColumn, DurationColumn, TimeColumn, FieldListColumn, SlushBucketColumn, TemplateValueColumn, and ApprovalRulesColumn.
    Version 4.1
    Download TypeScript definitions for script includes used in JavaScript modules
    Download TypeScript definitions for script includes imported in JavaScript modules from an instance using the now-sdk dependencies command.
    Apply a template to an existing application
    Add template files and directories for development in ServiceNow Fluent using the --template parameter with the now-sdk init command in an existing application.
    Version 4.0
    Automated Test Framework API supports additional test steps
    Use the following test steps with the ServiceNow Fluent Automated Test Framework API.
    • atf.form.addAttachmentsToForm
    • atf.form_SP.addAttachmentsToForm
    • atf.server.addAttachmentsToExistingRecord
    • atf.server.runServerSideScript
    • atf.server.setOutputVariables
    Build command doesn't package build artifacts
    Use the now-sdk pack or now-sdk install commands to package build artifacts. The now-sdk build command compiles the source files but doesn't package the build artifacts.

    Removed in this release

    Deprecations

    • The $id property is deprecated in the List API and Role API.
    • Property names that use snake case are deprecated in all ServiceNow Fluent APIs. Use the equivalent property name in camel case instead.

    Activation information

    The ServiceNow SDK is available as a Node Package Manager (npm) package from the public npm registry and installed locally. For information about installing the ServiceNow SDK, see Install the ServiceNow SDK in an application.

    Additional requirements

    You must have Node.js and Node Package Manager (npm) installed to install the ServiceNow SDK. For more information, see Install the ServiceNow SDK in an application.

    Related ServiceNow applications and features

    ServiceNow IDE
    The ServiceNow IDE uses the ServiceNow SDK as its application packaging service to build applications, and the ServiceNow SDK provides the ServiceNow Fluent APIs for developing applications in source code in the ServiceNow IDE. Scoped applications created or converted with the ServiceNow SDK or ServiceNow IDE can be developed with either application.