--- sourceDocument: Australia ServiceNow AI Platform user interface sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/platform-user-interface Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia ServiceNow AI Platform user interface ft:clusterId : - platux bundleId : - platux workflow : - Platform --- # Content Management and Service Portal # Content Management and Service Portal {#ariaid-title1} * Release version: Australia * * Updated March 12, 2026 * * ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 minutes to read Service Portal is a compelling alternative to the Content Management System (CMS) with a refined user experience. It does not duplicate CMS or platform UI functionality. Users who have sophisticated experiences delivered through CMS may need to invest time into transitioning to Service Portal, especially if the CMS implementation includes complex and customized Service Catalog forms. ## Service Portal compatibility with existing CMS sites ServiceNow continues to support CMS in current and upcoming releases. If you have existing CMS sites and activate Service Portal on your instance, your CMS sites will continue to work, as CMS and Service Portal are separate applications. ## Differences between Service Portal and CMS Service Portal is an alternative to CMS based on more modern technologies. Major differences include: Underlying technology : CMS uses Jelly, which is not a widely used technology. Service Portal instead uses [AngularJS](https://docs.angularjs.org/guide/introduction), server-side JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Any scripts that use Jelly do not work in Service Portal. Building widgets in Service Portal requires knowledge of AngularJS. Visual layer : CMS uses iFrames which can be difficult to work with, limited in terms of styling, and susceptible to upgrade issues. Alternatively, Service Portal is a self-contained application that accesses data from other tables on the platform. This enables fine-tuned control over style and responsive design. Mobile first : Unlike CMS, Service Portal is optimized for a mobile environment. For this reason, the following apply to the Service Portal environment: * Any scripts used in Service Portal can only use APIs supported in a mobile environment. For example, some APIs used in your Service Catalog client scripts may not be supported. For a list of supported APIs, see [Service Portal and client scripts](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/7eHtjLxagHrlxd79AIcYdQ "You can use client scripts and catalog client scripts in the Service Portal if the UI Type is set to Mobile / Service Portal or All. Client scripts and catalog client scripts are used with the Form widget and SC Catalog Item widget, as opposed to a widget client controller."). * Service Portal forms support a maximum of two-columns. As a result, any highly customized Service Catalog forms, such as catalog items and record producers that use containers and variable sets, must be simplified to work in a two-column layout. {#c_CMSAndSP__ul_ayt_jfm_mbb} If transitioning to Service Portal, review the following resource: [Mobile client GlideForm (g form) scripting and migration](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=r_MobilePlatformMigrationImpacts&version=australia&pubname=australia-api-reference&ft:locale=en-US). To understand how core CMS components are configured in Service Portal, refer to the following table. {#c_CMSAndSP__table_oys_yth_cbb__entry__2} | CMS component | Service Portal equivalent | |-|-| | Content site | [Portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/M5XzWPpysYIiXDb1PefOCg "Create a portal for users to browse company resources, discover articles, and get help.") | | Content page | [Page](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/sE81MCmoI8o~7oGXtQpSWA "Use pages to organize content, ensure responsive mobile optimization, and design meaningful portal user experiences for your customers. A page houses containers and rows, which then contain widgets. By manipulating the layout of the page, and the widgets within it, you can construct your desired user experience.") | | Content types | Content types link a table to a content page. In Service Portal, content types are no longer required. Record data is queried and displayed using base system widgets. You can add widgets to any number of Service Portal pages. Learn more: [Using portal widgets](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ZTiLLLpxS30LzmnC96BA5w "Widgets are what define the content of your portal pages. You can use the base system widgets provided with Service Portal, clone and modify widgets, or develop custom widgets to fit your own needs."). | | Layout and dropzones | In Service Portal, pages are made up of containers, rows, and columns. Learn more: [Pages](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/sE81MCmoI8o~7oGXtQpSWA "Use pages to organize content, ensure responsive mobile optimization, and design meaningful portal user experiences for your customers. A page houses containers and rows, which then contain widgets. By manipulating the layout of the page, and the widgets within it, you can construct your desired user experience."). | | Content block | A content block is a reusable piece of content. In Service Portal, content blocks are replaced by widgets. Learn more: [Using portal widgets](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ZTiLLLpxS30LzmnC96BA5w "Widgets are what define the content of your portal pages. You can use the base system widgets provided with Service Portal, clone and modify widgets, or develop custom widgets to fit your own needs."). | | Service Catalog | Service Catalog pages are rendered using the SC Catalog Item widget in Service Portal. For this reason, Service Catalog forms such as catalog items and record producers are shared between your CMS implementation and Service Portal. If you have a highly customized Service Catalog, you may need to invest time in simplifying your Service Catalog items and client scripts so that they render as expected in Service Portal. Learn more: [Service Catalog forms in Service Portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r89U73ygFt7d_YCYoGMSiA "Service Catalog forms are rendered within Service Portal widgets in a two-column layout. Complex forms may not display as expected."). | | Theme | [Theme](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/O0W7JKo8EioH0CYtUZSTnQ "If you need more customizations than the Branding Editor can provide, you can create your own custom theme.") | | CSS | [CSS](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/GiKsk_YsucpCA9zTYShoJg "Pages are made up of containers, columns, rows, widgets, and widget instances. You can configure the CSS of each component, or use the CSS defined in theme and branding as global definitions for the portal. If you do not define CSS in theme or branding, Bootstrap defaults are used.") | [Table 1. CMS and Service Portal components] {#c_CMSAndSP__table_oys_yth_cbb} ## CMS and Service Catalog customizations Service Portal comes with base system widgets to address common use cases and to display record data. Even though there is no direct migration path from CMS to Service Portal, there may be some items, such as catalog items or knowledge articles, that render as expected in Service Portal without any effort. However, because Service Portal is supported in a mobile environment, you may need to modify any customized forms and scripts. This approach ensures that the items display well on a mobile device and present a better user experience. Before transitioning to Service Portal, you may need to: * Refactor client scripts used in your CMS/Service Catalog to use supported mobile APIs and global objects. For a list of supported APIs, see [Service Portal and client scripts](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/7eHtjLxagHrlxd79AIcYdQ "You can use client scripts and catalog client scripts in the Service Portal if the UI Type is set to Mobile / Service Portal or All. Client scripts and catalog client scripts are used with the Form widget and SC Catalog Item widget, as opposed to a widget client controller."). * Build widgets to replace UI Macros and other unsupported scripts. If using a UI Macro in a catalog item form and referencing values on the form, you can use the following workaround instead: [Replace a Service Catalog form script with a widget](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/f9kCm94AUMh3mNvwJOePHQ "You can use widgets in Service Portal to replace UI Macros. If your Service Catalog form includes a UI Macro that references other fields or variables on the form, you can create a widget to hold reusable code and embed it within the Service Catalog form. Use special syntax to access any variable fields on the form."). * Simplify any complex forms used in your Service Catalog to fit the Service Portal two-column form layout. * Consider which release supports the required functionality. You may want to upgrade your instance before transitioning to ensure that you have the required base system features. {#c_CMSAndSP__ul_t2j_njb_cbb} * **[CMS to Service Portal transition](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/YjKvEB_UQgz3NSjIIY5K0g)** Your CMS may include complex forms and customizations that do not render as expected in Service Portal. Use this guide to understand how best to modify your CMS and Service Catalog implementation for Service Portal adoption, and to understand how a conversion may affect your users.