Agentic Desktop glossary
Learn about the terms and concepts that are unique to Agentic Desktop.
A
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
Action recorder
Recording feature in the Design workspace that auto-captures user interactions
with desktop applications to create automated workflows. The recorder captures clicks,
keystrokes, data entry, and visual and contextual information as screens and
steps.
AI agent
Set of large language model (LLM) instructions and tools in AI Agent Studio that
can process natural language inputs, generate execution plans, and run desktop actions
autonomously or semi-autonomously.
AI Agent Studio
ServiceNow platform interface for creating, managing, testing, and activating AI agents. Desktop actions are published to AI Agent Studio as tools that AI agents can use during execution.
Anchor
Reference point on a captured screen that helps the automation identify and
interact with nearby UI elements. During execution, the system uses computer vision to
locate the anchor and then identifies UI elements at a relative distance from it. Anchors
improve the stability and accuracy of steps when the target element location may shift or
when the UI layout varies across sessions.
Auto-capture
Method of creating desktop actions by recording user interactions with desktop
applications using the Action recorder. The recorder captures clicks, keystrokes, and
data entry along with visual and contextual information.
C
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
Confidence threshold
Accuracy level required for matching a captured image before the system performs a
step. A value of 1 defines a 100% match while 0.5 defines a 50% match. The default
value is 0.95 (95% match).
D
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
Design workspace
Interactive no-code environment within Agentic Desktop for creating, configuring,
managing, and testing desktop actions. The workspace provides a visual canvas where you
can design multi-screen automation workflows that capture business processes across
different applications. Accessible to users with the AI Agent Admin (sn_aia.admin)
role.
Desktop action application
Record that stores the association between a desktop action and the desktop
application it interacts with. Stored in the Desktop action application
[sn_desktop_core_action_application] table.
Desktop action
Reusable automation that defines how AI agents interact with desktop applications.
Desktop actions consist of screens, anchors, and steps. There are two types: UI block
and non-UI block.
Desktop-in-Desktop (DiD) mode
Virtual environment within the Execution workspace where automations run in
isolation from the main desktop session. You can monitor the execution of desktop
actions and how they interact with desktop applications while continuing to work on
other tasks.
Desktop session
Isolated Windows session within the Execution workspace where desktop actions run. The desktop session launches automatically when you test a desktop action or trigger an automation from the Now Assist panel.
E
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
Execution status
Current state of an automation in the Execution workspace. Statuses include
Ready, Initiated, Running, Success, Failed, and Canceled.
Execution workspace
Isolated desktop session where desktop actions run during testing or AI agent execution. This workspace launches automatically when you test a desktop action from the Design workspace or trigger an automation from the Now Assist panel. You do not open the Execution workspace directly.
M
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
Manual capture
Method of creating desktop actions by taking screen captures, inserting anchors,
and defining steps individually rather than recording interactions automatically.
N
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
Non-UI block
Type of desktop action that uses pre-built connectors to interact with applications and system components in the background without UI interaction. Supported applications include Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, PDF, PowerShell, SQL, SSH, and System Actions. Non-UI block actions can't be created by users.
Now Assist panel
ServiceNow interface from which users trigger AI agent automations. When you provide instructions through the Now Assist panel, the AI agent selects and runs the appropriate desktop actions in the Execution workspace. Accessible to users with the Now Assist panel user (now_assist_panel_user) role.
P
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
Parameter record
Record created by an AI Agent Admin that stores a reference name for credentials such as usernames or passwords. AI agents access these records during desktop action execution to retrieve sensitive values securely. Currently
supported only for SSH connector, non-UI block desktop actions.
Parameter Value record
Child record under a Parameter record that stores the actual credential value, such as a username or password, for a specific user. Only one Parameter Value record can be created per user for each Parameter record.
S
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
Screen
Captured image of an application window within a desktop action. Screens
represent the application states that the automation moves through during execution.
Each screen contains one or more anchors and associated steps.
Smart sizing
Display feature in the Execution workspace that automatically adapts the desktop session to the display. Includes two options:
- Fit to window: Scales the session to fit within the Execution workspace.
- Original resolution: Displays the session at its native resolution with scroll bars if necessary.
Step
Individual interaction within a desktop action, such as clicking a button, entering text, or extracting data. Steps are positioned relative to an anchor.
- Input step types include Set Text, Click, Mouse Click, and Send Keys.
- Output step types include Get Text, Get Table, and OCR Read Text.
Step in / Step out
Manual control options in the Execution workspace. Step in transfers control to
the user for manual input such as entering an OTP or CAPTCHA. Step out returns control
to the AI agent to continue the automation.
T
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
Tool
Desktop action that has been activated and added to an AI agent in AI Agent Studio. Tools provide AI agents with the capabilities to complete specific tasks during execution. An AI agent selects a tool based on its name and description.
U
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
UI block
Type of desktop action that simulates human interactions with UI elements on
thick client applications, legacy systems, or SaaS applications without APIs.
Interactions include clicking buttons, entering text, and selecting from menus. UI block
actions are created and managed in the Design workspace.