---
sourceDocument: Australia Build or modify applications
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/application-development

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Build or modify applications

ft:clusterId :

    - cadev

bundleId :

    - cadev

workflow :

    - Development, Data, and Analytics


---

# Use cases

# Build Agent use cases {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated August 20, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 5 minutes to read
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## Summary of Build Agent use cases

Build Agent in ServiceNow Australia release offers versatile support across various development scenarios including application creation, analysis, modernization, documentation, governance, and developer learning.
It enables automation and assistance throughout the app development lifecycle, improving productivity, quality, and strategic transformation.
Show full answer Show less  

## Key Features

* **Documentation creation:** Automates the generation of customized knowledge articles and readme files for source code repositories, facilitating easier onboarding and user education.
* **Learning assistance:** Provides explanations on development practices, APIs, and the ServiceNow AI Platform, summarizing documentation and offering examples to enhance developer understanding.
* **Brainstorming sessions:** Captures structured requirements and refines ideas during early development discussions, supporting iterative feedback and documentation.
* **Playbook authoring:** Generates and configures Playbook Designer artifacts conversationally, including runtime permissions, launcher configurations, and activity definitions (available since Australia Patch 6).
* **App gap analysis:** Summarizes apps to identify security, test coverage, and automation gaps, proposing targeted improvements.
* **Security posture review:** Audits ACLs, roles, and data filters in apps, identifies vulnerabilities, and generates fixes to enhance compliance and security.
* **Test coverage bootstrapping:** Analyzes metadata to find untested areas, generates Automated Test Framework (ATF) tests, runs them, and triages failures for quality assurance.
* **Architecture diagrams:** Creates Mermaid.js diagrams illustrating platform data relationships and integrations.
* **Common workflow patterns:** Scaffolds end-to-end business processes including tables, flows, notifications, and reporting based on described scenarios.
* **Migration acceleration:** Converts source system data models and logic from SQL, text, or CSV into ServiceNow equivalents.
* **App modernization:** Updates legacy customizations to modern ServiceNow patterns like flows and React UI.
* **Data-model scaffolding:** Generates tables and relationships from CSV files, screenshots, or descriptions.
* **Cross-scope workflows:** Develops apps that interact with global tables such as Incident, enabling automation across scopes.
* **Build from user stories:** Uses acceptance criteria from user stories to drive development of tables, logic, and tests (requires Agile Development 2.0 plugin).
* **SQL to table:** Translates SQL CREATE TABLE definitions into ServiceNow tables with matching schema.
* **Post-build summaries:** Produces release notes and summary documents after development completion.
* **Instance governance setup:** Creates instance scan checks to enforce organizational standards on naming, security, and code quality.

## Use cases by development goal

Build Agent supports customers at different stages of development and goals:

* **Explore (zero risk, read-only):** Explain concepts, document apps, generate diagrams, run and triage tests, and audit security posture.
* **Enhance (modifications, reviewable before promotion):** Add fields, scripts, UI policies, notifications, jobs, flows, build APIs, generate and run ATF tests, and add governance checks.
* **Build (new development on non-production):** Prototype apps from descriptions, create catalog items and fulfillment flows, build full apps including security and UI, develop Service Portals or workspaces, create AI agents, and build from detailed designs with automated test coverage.

By leveraging Build Agent, ServiceNow customers can accelerate development, improve app quality, ensure security compliance, and streamline documentation and governance activities throughout the application lifecycle.  
Use Build Agent for a wide range of development scenarios beyond application creation, including app analysis, modernization, documentation, governance, and learning assistance.

## Documentation creation {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__section_gr3_nlg_vgc}

Use Build Agent to create customized knowledge articles, so users can access information and learn the application more easily.

Build Agent can automate the creation of readme files for source code repositories. Generated readme files provide clear, structured documentation that outlines installation procedures, usage
guidelines, and example snippets, which reduces onboarding time for new developers.

## Learning assistance {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__section_djz_smg_vgc}

Use Build Agent as a resource for learning ServiceNow application development practices. You can ask about many topics, including development techniques, available APIs, and the overall functionality of the ServiceNow AI Platform.

Build Agent supports continuous learning by summarizing relevant documentation, highlighting key points, and providing concrete examples that illustrate complex concepts. These examples help
developers apply general guidelines in their work.

For guidance on structuring a complete development lifecycle with Build Agent, including source control, testing, and release management, see the [SDLC on ServiceNow guide](https://servicenow.github.io/sdk/guides/sdlc-guide) in the ServiceNow SDK documentation.

## Brainstorming sessions {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__section_jkn_wmg_vgc}

Use Build Agent to refine application development ideas and capture structured requirements for later build steps during brainstorming sessions. Requirements are captured during these sessions,
supporting a structured process for developing application features. Ideas are documented so your team can revisit previous discussions and integrate feedback during the development lifecycle.

## Additional use cases {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__section_additional-scenarios}

Use the following scenarios to identify specific ways to apply Build Agent in your development workflow.

Playbook authoring
:   Use Build Agent to author Playbook Designer artifacts through a conversation. As of Australia Patch 6, you can have Build Agent do the following for playbooks that it generates:

    * Generate runtime permissions at the playbook and stage levels
    * Define on-demand launcher configurations
    * Create optional activities scoped globally or to a specific stage
    * Configure Set Playbook Outputs activity definitions for nested playbooks
    * Set Agentic activity fields on form-based and record-based activities

    {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__ul_wqc_hmk_hkc}For details on using playbooks with Build Agent, see [Supported metadata in Build Agent](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/L093IWK7z5gescoGCm7vmA "Metadata and app file types that Build Agent can create and manage."). For more information on using playbooks, see [Exploring Playbook](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=process-automation-designer&version=australia&pubname=australia-build-workflows&ft:locale=en-US).

App gap analysis
:   Summarize an existing app, identify gaps in coverage, and propose targeted enhancements. For example, Build Agent identifies tables without ACLs, business rules with no test coverage, and manual steps that could be automated with flows.

Security posture review
:   Open an existing app and audit its ACLs, roles, and data filters. Build Agent identifies gaps such as tables with no ACLs, overly permissive rules, and missing role hierarchy, then generates fixes.

Test coverage bootstrapping
:   Analyze an app's metadata, identify what has zero test coverage, generate Automated Test Framework (ATF) tests for the gaps, run them, and triage failures.

Architecture diagrams
:   Generate Mermaid.js diagrams by querying and collating data from the platform.

Common workflow patterns
:   Describe a common business process, such as intake and approval, escalation routing, or SLA monitoring with dashboards. Build Agent then scaffolds the full workflow, including tables, flows, catalog items, notifications, and reporting.

Migration acceleration
:   Provide your source system's table definitions, business logic, or data model pasted as SQL, text, CSV, or screenshots. Build Agent then recreates the equivalent tables, fields, relationships, and automation on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

App modernization
:   Analyze legacy customizations such as classic workflows, Jelly UI, and script-heavy logic, then rebuild them using modern patterns: flows instead of workflows, React UI pages instead of Jelly, and structured security
    instead of script-based checks.

Data-model scaffolding
:   Paste a CSV file, drop a spreadsheet screenshot into the chat, or describe your data model in plain text. Build Agent generates the matching ServiceNow tables, columns, and relationships. For Excel or PDF input, convert to CSV or paste a screenshot first.

Cross-scope workflows
:   Build custom apps that write to global tables such as Incident. For example, auto-generate incidents when assets become overdue.

Build from user stories
:   Point Build Agent at a user story from the rm_story \[rm_story\] table or paste one from another tool. The acceptance criteria drive development, creating the tables, logic, and tests that satisfy
    each criterion.  
    Note:  
    Querying the rm_story \[rm_story\] table directly requires the Agile Development 2.0 plugin.

SQL to table
:   Paste a SQL `CREATE TABLE` definition into the chat and Build Agent translates it into a ServiceNow table with matching column types and relationships.

Post-build summaries
:   Generate release notes and summary documents after the build foundation is complete.

Instance governance setup
:   Create instance scan checks that enforce your organization's standards, including naming conventions, security requirements, and code quality. Checks run as part of your existing instance scan infrastructure.

## Use cases by development goal {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__section_use-case-matrix}

Use the following table to identify Build Agent use cases based on your development stage and goal.
{#additional-build-agent-use-cases__table_use-case-matrix__entry__4}

| Use case | Immediate productivity | Process and quality improvement | Strategic transformation |
|-|-|-|-|
| Explore (zero risk, read-only) | * Explain any concept, API, or metadata type in plain language * Look up how a specific business rule, flow, or ACL works {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__ul_explore_productivity} | * Document an existing app end-to-end: architecture, security model, and data flows * Generate Mermaid diagrams of table relationships and integration points {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__ul_explore_quality} | * Run existing Automated Test Framework (ATF) tests and triage failures to assess application health before a release * Audit security posture: review ACLs, identify missing role controls, and surface compliance gaps {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__ul_explore_strategic} |
| Enhance (modifications, reviewable before promotion) | * Add a field, client script, or UI policy to a form * Add a catalog variable or update a record producer {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__ul_enhance_productivity} | * Add email notifications, scheduled jobs, and flows to automate a manual process * Build a scripted REST API for an external integration {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__ul_enhance_quality} | * Generate ATF test suites for untested apps, then run and triage them to establish a quality baseline * Add instance scan checks to enforce governance standards across the platform {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__ul_enhance_strategic} |
| Build (new development on non-production) | * Prototype an app from a one-line description * Create a catalog item with variables and a fulfillment flow {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__ul_build_productivity} | * Build a full app with tables, roles, ACLs, business rules, flows, catalog items, and a UI page * Build a Service Portal or workspace for self-service {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__ul_build_quality} | * Build AI agents and ServiceNow Otto skills to bring intelligent automation into your processes * Build from design mockups or a detailed PRD, complete with automated test coverage from day one {#additional-build-agent-use-cases__ul_build_strategic} |
[Table 1. Build Agent use cases by development stage and goal]

{#additional-build-agent-use-cases__table_use-case-matrix}