Universal app connector

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Universal App Connector

    The Universal App Connector (UAC) in RPA Desktop Design Studio enables ServiceNow customers to create automations across Windows, Java, and web applications (specifically Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge) from a single, unified connector. This approach simplifies automation by consolidating configuration of application screens and elements without needing separate connectors for each application type. UAC is included by default in all attended, unattended, or skilled automation projects.

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    Key Features

    • Unified Connector: Configure Windows, Java, and web app screens and elements centrally, streamlining automation design and maintenance.
    • Windows Application Modes: Supports two modes for Windows apps—UI Automation (default) and Active Accessibility (for legacy apps). Users can select the mode when capturing or showing elements.
    • Element Interaction Methods: Includes standard methods like Click, GetValue, SetValue, Start (to launch apps or browsers), and WaitForAnyScreen to interact with application screens and elements effectively.
    • Screen and Element Management: Allows adding, modifying, and validating screens and elements with match rules and locators to ensure precise automation targeting.
    • Support for Hot Fixes: Post-installation verification steps ensure that any UAC hot fixes are properly applied.

    Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

    By leveraging the Universal App Connector, customers can build robust automations that interact seamlessly with multiple application types using a consistent interface. This reduces complexity, improves maintainability, and enhances automation reliability. Whether automating legacy Windows applications or modern web browsers, UAC offers flexible modes and comprehensive methods to capture and manipulate UI elements, enabling customers to design efficient workflows within RPA Desktop Design Studio.

    For Windows applications, choosing between UI Automation and Active Accessibility modes ensures compatibility with both modern and legacy software. Additionally, the provided methods allow customers to perform common UI operations such as clicking buttons, setting or retrieving values, and synchronizing automation flow by waiting for screens.

    Overall, UAC empowers ServiceNow users to accelerate automation development, reduce connector fragmentation, and maintain consistency across diverse application environments.

    Create automations for your Windows, Java, and web applications by using the Universal App Connector (UAC) of RPA Desktop Design Studio. Configure the application screens and their elements from a single, unified connector instead of using the individual connectors of these applications.

    How UAC works

    UAC is automatically added as a default connector to any attended, unattended, or skilled automation project of RPA Desktop Design Studio. UAC currently supports Windows, Java, and web applications ( Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers only).
    Important:
    It is recommended that you create automations for Windows, Java, and web applications using UAC instead of using their individual connectors. However, RPA Desktop Design Studio still supports automation projects that are designed using the individual connectors.
    Tip:
    If you've installed a hot fix for UAC connector, to verify that the hot fix is accurately downloaded to your machine, perform the post requisite steps. For more information, see Post requisites after installing a hot fix.

    UAC is added as an object to Global Objects in Project Explorer similar to how the other connectors are added. For more information on how to use a connector, see Use connector method.

    Add the screens and elements of Windows, Java, and web applications that are open in your machine while you configure UAC. Modify the screens and elements match rules during the configuration. Add the methods related to the screens and elements from the Design surface, and then build your automation.

    For more information on using a UAC, see Use the Universal App Connector.

    Modes in UAC for Windows applications

    Starting from Yokohama release, Active Accessibility is supported when adding elements in the Universal App Connector, for Windows applications.

    Select the mode, UI automation or active accessibility, while capturing the elements and showing the captured elements. The mode determines which internal library is used for automating Windows applications. UI automation mode refers to UI automation library and active accessibility refers to active accessibility library of Microsoft. Active accessibility mode is for legacy Windows applications.

    To capture the elements from the screen, under the Screen and elements pane, right-click the added screen and select Capture Element. There are two modes UIA and AA. UIA is the default mode.
    Figure 1. Modes in Capture element
    UIA and AA modes appear when you capture an element in Windows application screen.

    For more information about capturing an element in the Windows application, see Use the Universal App Connector.

    From the Screen and elements pane, right-click the added screen and select Show Elements to display all the existing elements in the target application screen in a tree view. There are two modes UI Automation and Active Accessibility. UI Automation is the default mode.
    Figure 2. Modes in Show Elements options
    UI Automation and Active Accessibility modes appear when you select Show Elements option from the Windows application screen.

    For more information about showing captured elements of the Windows application, see Additional options for application screens and elements in Universal App Connector.

    For more information about the methods for UI Automation mode and Active Accessibility mode, see Methods of UI Automation mode and Active Accessibility mode.