Exploring app generation

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated May 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Exploring app generation

    App generation in ServiceNow Studio allows you to create applications by describing your business processes through a natural language conversation with Now Assist. Introduced in the Australia release, this feature accelerates the initial development of basic applications, which you can then customize to fit your organizational needs. While app generation will be deprecated and hidden on new instances in the future, it remains supported, with Build Agent offering the latest experience for similar functionality.

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    How It Works

    Using the app generation skill available with Now Assist for Creator, you engage in a guided conversation to specify your business objectives, users, workflows, and experiences. Now Assist generates an initial app structure including tables, roles, ACLs, record producers, flows, and workspaces. You can preview, refine through ongoing conversation, and verify the generated components in ServiceNow Studio before customizing further.

    App generation supports multiple AI model providers such as Now LLM Service, Now LLM Long Term Stable models (LTS), Azure OpenAI, Google Gemini, and Anthropic Claude on AWS. Configuration controls in AI Control Tower and skill-level preferences in the Now Assist Admin console allow you to manage which AI options are available.

    Roles and Permissions

    • nowassistpaneluser: Required to use Now Assist.
    • admin or sngappcreator.appcreator: Required to create applications using app generation.
    • delegated developer: Required to edit existing applications created with app generation and must be assigned to the app.
    • Additional roles such as flowdesigner are needed to add flows, and enabling specific Now Assist skills is required to add workspaces or flows.

    Workflow Steps

    • Conversation: Chat with Now Assist to describe your application needs clearly and in detail.
    • Refinement: Review and refine the generated app requirements and preview the app structure.
    • App Generation: Now Assist creates the application components based on the conversation.
    • Verification: Verify and modify the app in ServiceNow Studio to tailor its functionality with automation, scripting, and business rules.

    Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Rapid application creation: Quickly build apps using natural language descriptions, reducing initial development time.
    • Iterative refinement: Fine-tune app requirements interactively with Now Assist to ensure accuracy before generation.
    • Streamlined editing: Use Now Assist to efficiently edit and enhance existing applications.

    Best Practices

    To achieve optimal results, provide clear, detailed, and specific descriptions of your application requirements during conversations with Now Assist. This approach helps generate a more accurate initial app structure that aligns with your business processes.

    App generation enables you to create applications in ServiceNow Studio by describing your business process in a conversation with Now Assist.

    Starting with the Australia release, app generation is being prepared for future deprecation. It will be hidden and no longer activated on new instances but will continue to be supported. Build Agent provides the latest experience for this functionality. For more information, see Build Agent.

    How does app generation work?

    With the app generation skill available with Now Assist for Creator, you can create applications in ServiceNow Studio using natural language. Describe your business process and engage in a conversation with Now Assist to develop an application for your organization. The application can include a workspace and flows. App generation accelerates the initial development of a basic app that you can then customize.

    You can use Now LLM Service, Now LLM Long Term Stable models (LTS), Azure OpenAI, Google Gemini or Anthropic Claude on AWS as the AI model provider for all Now Assist skills and AI agents. Use the Configuration Controls in AI Control Tower to define which options are available, then set the skill-level preferences in the Now Assist Admin console. For more information, see Large language models on the ServiceNow AI Platform®.

    Before you begin, confirm that you have the required roles:

    • To use Now Assist, you must have the now_assist_panel_user role.
    • To create an application with the Now Assist for Creator app generation skill, you must have the admin role or the sn_g_app_creator.app_creator role.
    • To edit (not create) an application with app generation, you must have the delegated developer role and be assigned to the application.
    • To add a workspace to an application created using app generation, enable the Now Assist for Creator experience generation skill. For more information, see Create an AI-generated experience.
    • To add a flow to an application created using app generation, enable the Now Assist for Creator flow generation skill and confirm that you have a flow_designer role. For more information, see Flow generation.
    Figure 1. App generation workflow
    Infographic that shows the four phases to using app generation, with a fifth on verifying the app in ServiceNow Studio.
    Conversation
    Chat with Now Assist to specify the business processes you want in the application. Include details about objectives, users, workflows, and experiences so that Now Assist can generate an accurate initial structure.
    Refinement (generate app requirements and preview)
    Now Assist provides a summary of the application requirements based on the conversation. Preview the application to verify that it is accurate. To make changes, continue the conversation and provide additional details. Now Assist updates the preview tab and provides updated summaries until you choose to proceed with generating the application.
    App generation
    Now Assist creates the application and associated components, such as tables, roles, access control lists (ACLs), record producers, flows, and workspaces.
    Verification

    In ServiceNow Studio, verify everything that is generated. Modify the app to meet your organization's needs. For example, extend app functionality by adding automation, script includes, business rules, and other features.

    On the ServiceNow Studio home page and on the application details tab, apps created with app generation display the AI indicator.

    ServiceNow Studio homepage with an app recently created with app generation highlighted.

    What are the benefits of app generation?

    Benefit Feature Users
    Create applications quickly by describing what you need using natural language. General guidelines for using app generation Developer
    Refine application details through conversation with Now Assist. Generate apps with Now Assist for ServiceNow Studio Developer
    Edit existing applications faster using Now Assist. Review and edit applications built using app generation Developer