NowDev AI Toolbox

Overview

NowDev AI Toolbox is a Visual Studio Code extension that provides specialized AI agents for ServiceNow development within GitHub Copilot Chat. Acting as a Lead Architect, the system orchestrates specialized sub-agents to plan, build, review, and deploy full-stack solutions.

Developed using the ServiceNow SDK official documentation, the extension integrates ServiceNow Best Practice Skills directly into GitHub Copilot, ensuring generated code adheres to strict performance and security standards. It features an AI Orchestrator that breaks down requirements, visualizes architecture with Mermaid diagrams, and delegates tasks to specialized agents for scripting, business logic, and deployment.

Key Features

AI Orchestrator: A master agent that breaks down requirements and delegates tasks to specialized sub-agents.
Built-in Agent Skills: Automatically equips GitHub Copilot with verified knowledge of ServiceNow best practices.
Automated Governance: Specialized reviewer agents inspect each artifact, dynamically selecting only the best-practice checks relevant to the artifact types actually present in the solution.
Multi-Tier Agent Architecture: The orchestrator delegates to development agents, which hand off to specialized reviewer agents — agents calling agents — enabling deep, context-aware automation at every layer of the development workflow.
Interactive Workflow: Uses interactive tools to clarify requirements and validate designs.
Live Instance Preview & Autonomous Verification: Agents autonomously inspect your ServiceNow instance in real-time—capturing screenshots, reading form field state, validating form behavior, and detecting client-side issues without manual inspection. Perfect for post-deployment verification and debugging client-side problems.

Installation & Usage

Prerequisites

Visual Studio Code 1.113 or later
GitHub Copilot Chat extension
Enable nested sub-agents — add "chat.subagents.allowInvocationsFromSubagents": true to your VS Code settings.json. Without this setting, the multi-level agent hierarchy will not function (coordinators cannot invoke their specialists).

The Context7 MCP Server must be installed manually in VS Code to enable the AI agents to reference official ServiceNow documentation and verified best practices during development. The extension's knowledge base is built from ServiceNow SDK official documentation, ensuring all recommendations align with the latest platform standards.

Click the button above to install the Context7 MCP server plugin in VS Code.

Manual Context7 Setup (If Plugin Installation is Blocked)

If you cannot install the Context7 MCP plugin due to group policy restrictions or other installation issues, you can manually configure the remote Context7 server:

Open your VS Code MCP config file:
- Windows: %APPDATA%\Code\User\mcp.json
- macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/mcp.json
- Linux: ~/.config/Code/User/mcp.json
Add the following configuration to the servers section:

"io.github.upstash/context7": {
  "type": "http",
  "url": "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp"
}

Your mcp.json should look like this:

{
  "servers": {
    "io.github.upstash/context7": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Restart VS Code for the changes to take effect.

Note: If Context7 is unavailable, the agents will automatically fall back to using built-in skills for development guidance and best practices.

Quick Start

Download the VSIX from the Releases section
Install the extension in VS Code: Extensions → Install from VSIX...
Open GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code
Select "NowDev AI Agent" from the dropdown menu
Start chatting to plan and coordinate your ServiceNow development tasks

All agents are automatically available in every workspace once the extension is installed.

Getting Started with Fluent SDK

If you are starting a new ServiceNow Fluent SDK project, the NowDev AI Toolbox provides a guided onboarding flow:

Install the ServiceNow SDK CLI globally (requires Node.js):
```
npm install -g @servicenow/sdk
```
Open the NowDev AI Toolbox sidebar by clicking the activity bar icon.
Click "Initialize Fluent Project…" in the sidebar (visible when no now.config.json is detected in your workspace). You will be prompted to enter your ServiceNow instance URL, and a terminal will open running now-sdk init to scaffold the project.
Alternatively, run the command directly from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) → NowDev AI: Initialize Fluent Project, or right-click your workspace folder in the Explorer and select NowDev AI: Initialize Fluent Project.

Once now-sdk init completes, the sidebar will automatically detect the new now.config.json and display your Fluent App details.

Recommended Workflow

Always start with NowDev AI Agent for any new task or feature. The orchestrator will:

Analyze your requirements and create a detailed implementation plan
Break down complex tasks into manageable steps
Coordinate between specialized agents as needed
Ensure all work follows ServiceNow best practices

You can also use specialized agents directly for specific tasks, but starting with the orchestrator ensures proper planning and coordination.

Example Usage

Open GitHub Copilot Chat, select "NowDev AI Agent" from the agent dropdown, and type:

I need to create a custom ServiceNow application for managing IT assets with approval workflows

Customizing Agent Behavior

The nowdev-ai-toolbox.customInstructionsFile setting lets you supply a Markdown or plain-text file whose contents are injected into every agent session as the highest-priority directives — overriding built-in defaults where they conflict.

This is the primary mechanism for enforcing org-specific standards:

Coding conventions and framework preferences (e.g. "always use Fluent SDK")
Naming rules (scope prefix, casing, identifier patterns)
Forbidden patterns (e.g. eval(), N+1 queries, hard-coded sys_id values)
Unconditional "always use / never use" directives

How to Configure

Copy agents/github-copilot/CUSTOM-INSTRUCTIONS-TEMPLATE.md to a path of your choice (e.g. ~/nowdev-custom-instructions.md).
Edit the file to reflect your team's standards.
Point the extension at your file using one of these methods:

Option A — Sidebar (recommended): Click the NowDev AI Toolbox icon in the VS Code Activity Bar to open the sidebar panel. In the Custom Instructions File row, click the Browse… button and select your file using the OS file picker. The path is saved automatically to your global VS Code settings.

Option B — VS Code Settings: Open Settings (Ctrl+,), search for NowDev AI Toolbox, and paste the absolute path into the Custom Instructions File field.

The extension reads the file on every save and writes its content into .vscode/nowdev-ai-config.json under the customInstructions key. All agents then receive these instructions automatically.

Note: .vscode/nowdev-ai-config.json is auto-generated and is automatically added to .gitignore. It should not be committed to source control.

Template Sections

The template covers these sections (all optional):

Section	Purpose
`## Development Preferences`	Default framework, SDK version, coding style
`## Naming Conventions`	Scope prefix, table names, casing rules
`## Scope and Application`	Restrict changes to specific scopes/apps
`## Excluded Patterns`	Hard-forbidden APIs and practices
`## Always Use / Never Use`	Unconditional short-form directives

Specialized Agents

The extension provides a hierarchical system of AI agents spanning three tiers. Tier 1 agents are invoked directly by the orchestrator. Tier 2 agents are coordinators and routers that delegate to Tier 3 specialists. All tiers are wired automatically — you only ever interact with the Tier 1 agents.

Tier 1 — Orchestrator

Agent	Description
NowDev AI Agent	Lead Architect — triages requests, plans solutions, and coordinates all other agents

Tier 2 — Domain Coordinators & Routers

Agent	Description	Routes To
NowDev-AI-Assistant	Lightweight Q&A, brainstorming, and early discovery	—
NowDev-AI-Refinement	User story refinement and feasibility validation before development	—
NowDev-AI-Classic-Developer	Classic scripting coordinator — analyzes requirements and delegates to Classic sub-agents	Script, BusinessRule, Client developers
NowDev-AI-Fluent-Developer	Fluent SDK coordinator — analyzes requirements and delegates to Fluent specialists	Schema, Logic, Automation, UI, AI Studio developers
NowDev-AI-AI-Studio-Developer	AI Studio coordinator (SDK 4.4.0+) — routes based on whether request needs an AiAgent/AiAgenticWorkflow or a NowAssist Skill	AI Agent Developer, NowAssist Developer
NowDev-AI-Reviewer	Review router — detects Classic vs Fluent and delegates to the right reviewer	Classic Reviewer, Fluent Reviewer
NowDev-AI-Release-Expert	Release router — detects Classic vs Fluent and delegates to the right release agent	Classic Release, Fluent Release
NowDev-AI-Pipeline-Expert	CI/CD pipeline generator — creates GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, and Jenkins pipeline YAML for Fluent SDK deployments; covers credential management, branch strategies, and multi-scope deployments	—

Tier 3 — Specialists (internal, invoked by coordinators only)

Agent	Coordinator	Description
NowDev-AI-Script-Developer	Classic-Developer	Server-side Script Includes and GlideAjax
NowDev-AI-BusinessRule-Developer	Classic-Developer	Business Rules and database triggers
NowDev-AI-Client-Developer	Classic-Developer	Client Scripts, UI Policies, and UI Actions
NowDev-AI-Fluent-Schema-Developer	Fluent-Developer	Tables, Roles, ACLs, Properties, Menus, Cross-Scope Privileges, Form Layouts, Instance Scan Checks
NowDev-AI-Fluent-Logic-Developer	Fluent-Developer	Business Rules, Script Includes, Script Actions, REST APIs, Email Notifications, SLAs, Scheduled Scripts
NowDev-AI-Fluent-Automation-Developer	Fluent-Developer	Flows, Subflows, custom Action Definitions, custom Trigger Definitions
NowDev-AI-Fluent-UI-Developer	Fluent-Developer	React UI Pages, Client Scripts, UI Policies, Service Catalog, Service Portal, Workspaces, Dashboards
NowDev-AI-ATF-Developer	Fluent-Developer	ATF Test() definitions covering form, REST, server-side, catalog, and navigation test steps
NowDev-AI-AI-Agent-Developer	AI-Studio-Developer	AiAgent definitions with tools, triggers, version management, and AiAgenticWorkflow team orchestration
NowDev-AI-NowAssist-Developer	AI-Studio-Developer	NowAssistSkillConfig — tool graph, LLM prompts, security controls, and deployment settings
NowDev-AI-Classic-Reviewer	Reviewer	Reviews Classic scripts against best practices
NowDev-AI-Fluent-Reviewer	Reviewer	Reviews Fluent SDK artifacts against best practices
NowDev-AI-Classic-Release	Release-Expert	Generates XML Update Set files for Classic deployment
NowDev-AI-Fluent-Release	Release-Expert	Runs `now-sdk build` and `now-sdk install` for Fluent deployment

Architecture

The extension integrates specialized AI agents directly into VS Code through GitHub Copilot Chat's agent system. Each agent is a declarative Copilot Agent with defined capabilities and expertise areas.

Agent Architecture Diagram

graph TD
    ORC["NowDev AI Agent\n(Orchestrator)"]

    ORC --> ASS["NowDev-AI-Assistant\n(Q&A & Discovery)"]
    ORC --> REF["NowDev-AI-Refinement\n(Story Refinement)"]
    ORC --> CLA["NowDev-AI-Classic-Developer\n(Classic Coordinator)"]
    ORC --> FLU["NowDev-AI-Fluent-Developer\n(Fluent Coordinator)"]
    ORC --> AIS["NowDev-AI-AI-Studio-Developer\n(AI Studio Coordinator)"]
    ORC --> REV["NowDev-AI-Reviewer\n(Review Router)"]
    ORC --> REL["NowDev-AI-Release-Expert\n(Release Router)"]
    ORC --> PIP["NowDev-AI-Pipeline-Expert\n(CI/CD Pipeline Generator)"]

    CLA --> SCR["NowDev-AI-Script-Developer\n(Script Includes)"]
    CLA --> BRD["NowDev-AI-BusinessRule-Developer\n(Business Rules)"]
    CLA --> CLI["NowDev-AI-Client-Developer\n(Client Scripts)"]

    FLU --> SCH["NowDev-AI-Fluent-Schema-Developer\n(Tables · Roles · ACLs · Forms)"]
    FLU --> LOG["NowDev-AI-Fluent-Logic-Developer\n(Business Rules · Script Includes · REST APIs)"]
    FLU --> AUT["NowDev-AI-Fluent-Automation-Developer\n(Flows · Subflows · Actions)"]
    FLU --> UI["NowDev-AI-Fluent-UI-Developer\n(React UI · Catalog · Workspaces)"]
    FLU --> ATF["NowDev-AI-ATF-Developer\n(ATF Tests)"]
    FLU --> AIS

    AIS --> AAD["NowDev-AI-AI-Agent-Developer\n(AiAgent · AiAgenticWorkflow)"]
    AIS --> NAD["NowDev-AI-NowAssist-Developer\n(NowAssistSkillConfig)"]

    REV --> CR["NowDev-AI-Classic-Reviewer"]
    REV --> FR["NowDev-AI-Fluent-Reviewer"]

    REL --> CRR["NowDev-AI-Classic-Release\n(XML Update Sets)"]
    REL --> FRR["NowDev-AI-Fluent-Release\n(now-sdk build/install)"]

Agent Capabilities

Specialized Knowledge: Deep expertise in specialized ServiceNow domains.
Native Skills: "Mounts" verified Best Practice documentation directly into the agent's context window.
Orchestration: Seamlessly hands off tasks between Planning, Development, Review, and Release agents.
Three-Tier Agent Hierarchy: The orchestrator delegates to domain coordinators (Classic Developer, Fluent Developer, Reviewer, Release Expert), which in turn delegate to focused specialists (Script Developer, Business Rule Developer, Classic Reviewer, Fluent Release, etc.). Each tier handles only its own concerns — you never need to pick the right specialist manually.

Code Examples

The project includes comprehensive code examples from the official ServiceNow SDK Examples Repository integrated directly into the skills. Each skill in the agents/skills/ directory includes an EXAMPLES.md file with code examples:

servicenow-fluent-development/EXAMPLES.md — Tables, business rules, REST APIs, ACLs, UI actions, service catalog
servicenow-business-rules/EXAMPLES.md — Before/after/async rules, validation, recursion prevention
servicenow-http-integrations/EXAMPLES.md — REST APIs, OAuth, error handling, SOAP
servicenow-client-scripts/EXAMPLES.md — Form initialization, GlideAjax, validation
servicenow-script-server-logic/EXAMPLES.md — Script includes, utilities, database queries
servicenow-flow-designer/EXAMPLES.md — Workflow automation, escalation, approval workflows
servicenow-ui-forms/EXAMPLES.md — Form field manipulation, UI actions, dynamic behavior

Included Skills

These best practice modules are now natively registered as Copilot Skills, sourced from ServiceNow SDK official documentation:

ServiceNow Scripting: Naming conventions, GlideAggregate vs GlideRecord, and forbidden patterns (eval).
Business Rules: Execution timing (before/after/async), recursion prevention, and IIFE wrapping.
Client Scripts: GlideAjax patterns, performance optimization, and g_scratchpad usage.
Deployment: Update Set hygiene, batching strategies, and XML migration rules.
JavaScript Modules: Module import/export patterns, @servicenow/glide APIs, Script Include bridging.
Full Fluent SDK Coverage: Tables (52 column types), Service Catalog (29+ variables), Flows, UI Pages, Workspaces, AI Agent Studio, and more.

Agent Definitions

Each AI agent is defined in declarative format:

View Agent Definitions

Included Examples & Attribution

This project integrates code examples from the ServiceNow SDK Examples Repository (MIT License) directly into the agent skills. Each skill's EXAMPLES.md file contains working code examples demonstrating best practices.

For details on third-party licenses and attribution, see THIRD_PARTY.md.

License

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

Code examples adapted from the ServiceNow SDK Examples Repository are licensed under the MIT License - see LICENSES/MIT-ServiceNow-SDK.txt for details.

Using NowDev AI Toolbox with Claude Code

Claude Code users can leverage the same best practice skills as Copilot users:

Copy the Claude instructions to your project:

cp agents/claude-code/CLAUDE.md .claude/instructions.md

Reference the skills directly in Claude — all agents/skills/ documentation works seamlessly with Claude's tools.
Use the official SDK docs — package/docs/ contains 157 API reference files and 40+ guides that Claude can consult.

See agents/claude-code/README.md for detailed setup instructions.

Author

Daniel Aagren Seehartrai Madsen - ServiceNow Rising Star 2025

Dedicated to elevating the standard of ServiceNow development through AI innovation.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
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.github		.github
.vscode		.vscode
LICENSES		LICENSES
agents		agents
media		media
src		src
.gitignore		.gitignore
.vscodeignore		.vscodeignore
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md
THIRD_PARTY.md		THIRD_PARTY.md
package-lock.json		package-lock.json
package.json		package.json
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json

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NowDev AI Toolbox

Overview

Key Features

Installation & Usage

Prerequisites

Manual Context7 Setup (If Plugin Installation is Blocked)

Quick Start

Getting Started with Fluent SDK

Recommended Workflow

Example Usage

Customizing Agent Behavior

How to Configure

Template Sections

Specialized Agents

Tier 1 — Orchestrator

Tier 2 — Domain Coordinators & Routers

Tier 3 — Specialists (internal, invoked by coordinators only)

Architecture

Agent Architecture Diagram

Agent Capabilities

Code Examples

Included Skills

Agent Definitions

Included Examples & Attribution

License

Using NowDev AI Toolbox with Claude Code

Author

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