Building low-code applications

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Building low-code applications

    ServiceNow provides a variety of tools and studios to help customers create and manage custom applications using low-code and no-code environments. These tools cater to different user needs, ranging from business users seeking simple request-fulfillment apps to developers requiring advanced control and integration capabilities. The goal is to accelerate application development, improve productivity, and leverage data from external systems such as ERP.

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    Key Builders and Their Use Cases

    • Creator Studio: Best for users who want to build request-fulfillment apps quickly without coding, such as supply requests with approval workflows.
    • App Engine Studio: Designed for low-code development of broader applications, providing guided capabilities without requiring advanced programming skills.
    • ServiceNow Studio: A modern, unified environment for developers seeking more control and efficiency in building apps on the ServiceNow AI Platform. It integrates low-code tools and metadata management in a centralized interface.
    • ServiceNow IDE and SDK: For developers preferring industry-standard development environments and source code management, supporting JavaScript modules, ServiceNow Fluent language, and third-party libraries.

    Integration with ERP Systems

    • Zero Copy Connector for ERP: Enables connection to ERP systems to create ERP models and extract data like sales orders and purchase documents for use in low-code apps.
    • ERP Semantic Mining: Helps identify custom applications in ERP systems for migration to the ServiceNow AI Platform.

    Additional Related Features

    • Decision Builder: Create and manage decision tables to embed business logic through if-then rules.
    • Workflow Studio: Automate processes and repetitive tasks to improve efficiency.
    • Table Builder: Visually design tables, forms, and flows within a single interface.
    • UI Builder: Build customizable web user interfaces and portals using Next Experience Components.
    • Workspace Builder: Quickly create custom workspaces integrated with App Engine Studio.

    What Customers Can Expect

    ServiceNow’s low-code application-building tools offer a scalable development experience catering to a wide range of users—from business users to professional developers. Customers can expect faster development cycles, easier integration with existing ERP data, and enhanced productivity through streamlined tools and workflows. This enables businesses to efficiently create tailored applications that support their specific operational needs without requiring deep programming expertise.

    Create and manage custom applications in a simple, low-code environment.

    ServiceNow Studio
    Use ServiceNow Studio to build apps and app files with integrated tools, access and edit metadata in scoped and global apps, and package app changes for deployment, all in one powerful development tool.
    App Engine Studio
    Use App Engine Studio for guided, low-code development to build a custom app from scratch or with a template.
    Creator Studio
    Use Creator Studio to quickly create a request/fulfill app based on Service Catalog using helpful templates.
    Zero Copy Connector for ERP
    Use Zero Copy Connector for ERP to connect to an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system, create an ERP model, and extract data from the ERP system, such as sales orders, data records, and purchase documents. You can then use the ERP data when building low-code apps on the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    ERP Semantic Mining
    Use ERP Semantic Mining to find the custom applications in your ERP system for platform migration, such as from SAP to the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    ServiceNow CLI
    ServiceNow CLI enables you to create custom commands to manage applications from your local system's command line.

    Which builder should I use to create an app?

    Figure 1. Types of builders
    Different builders available for different skill levels

    Want to build an app easily, without code?

    Creator Studio specializes in helping you craft request-fulfillment applications without writing code. For example, an application to request office supplies by filling out a form, and someone approves or denies your request. For more information, see Exploring Creator Studio.

    Need a more general app but still want low-code options?

    App Engine Studio lets you build a broader range of apps than Creator Studio without being a programming pro. For more information, see Exploring App Engine Studio.

    Are you a developer who wants more control in a centralized user interface?

    Build apps smarter and deliver them faster with the new ServiceNow Studio. ServiceNow Studio empowers platform developers with a modern, unified environment for building on the ServiceNow AI Platform. ServiceNow Studio features streamlined navigation to applications and metadata, integrated low-code tools, efficient tracking and packaging of development work that accelerates development processes and enhances productivity. For more information, see Exploring ServiceNow Studio.

    Are you a developer who wants to use industry-standard development tools and processes?

    The ServiceNow IDE and ServiceNow SDK support developing applications in source code with ServiceNow Fluent, creating JavaScript modules, and using third-party libraries. ServiceNow Fluent is a domain-specific programming language for creating application metadata in code.

    The ServiceNow IDE is an implementation of Visual Studio Code for the Web on the ServiceNow AI Platform. The ServiceNow SDK uses Visual Studio Code Desktop locally. For more information, see Building applications in source code.

    Related applications and features

    Exploring Decision Tables
    Use Decision Builder to create and manage decision tables. Embed business logic into a series of if-then decision rules.
    ServiceNow Studio
    ServiceNow Studio gives developers access to app development builders and tools, all in one place.
    Flows in Workflow Studio
    Workflow Studio automates processes and repetitive work to improve efficiency and experience.
    Table Builder
    Use Table Builder to design tables, forms, and flows visually using a single user interface.
    UI Builder
    Use UI Builder to build web user interfaces for CSM Configurable Workspace, App Engine Studio generated workspaces and portals, or custom web experiences using Next Experience Components and custom web components.
    Workflow Studio
    Integrate workflow authoring, configuring, and monitoring into a single page experience.
    Workspace Builder
    Workspace Builder for App Engine enables you to create a custom workspace from App Engine Studio (AES) quickly and efficiently.