Platform Overview and Navigation · Topic 2 of 2
Next Experience Unified Navigation
ServiceNow CSA navigation: Next Experience Unified Navigation, the banner, All, Favorites, History and Workspaces menus, application menus and modules.
- 4 min
- Next Experience is the current interface; Unified Navigation is its banner based navigation.
- The four menus are All, Favorites, History and Workspaces.
- The All menu holds application menus and modules, and has a filter.
What it is
Next Experience is the current look and feel of the platform. Unified Navigation is the navigation frame at the top of that interface, called the banner. It gives every user one consistent way to reach applications, records and workspaces.
The older interface kept the application navigator in a left panel. In Unified Navigation the navigator is opened from the banner instead.
How it works
The four menus
| Menu | What it holds |
|---|---|
| All | Every application menu and module the user's roles allow, with a filter box |
| Favorites | Items the user saved so they are one click away |
| History | Recently visited records and lists |
| Workspaces | Role based work areas, for example for service agents |
The banner also holds global search, the user menu and other tools. Personal preferences are reached from the user menu.
The All menu and the filter
The All menu lists application menus. Each application menu contains modules, which are the links to lists, forms and pages. The filter at the top narrows the list as you type, so a user can type "incident" to see the matching modules.
Users only see what their roles allow. If a user cannot see a module, the first thing to check is the roles on the module and its application menu.
Application menus and modules
An admin builds navigation from two record types.
| Item | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Application menu | A group heading in the All menu, such as a product area |
| Module | A single link under the heading, such as a list of open records |
The admin defines them under System Definition, in Application Menus and Modules. A module can open a list, a form, a URL or a report. Roles on both the menu and the module control who sees it.
Favorites and History
A user adds a favorite by selecting the star next to a module or a record, and can organize favorites into groups. Favorites are personal to the user.
History records what the user opened recently. It helps a user return to a record without searching for it.
Workspaces
A workspace is a work area designed for a role, with lists, forms and tools on one screen. It is opened from the Workspaces menu. A user sees only the workspaces their roles allow.
Workspaces run on the same platform, so the same data appears in them as in the standard interface. Only the presentation differs.
Finding things quickly
A user has three fast ways to reach something. The All menu filter finds a module by name, Favorites jumps to a saved item, and global search in the banner searches records across tables the user can read.
Admins can help users by keeping module names clear and by hiding modules the user does not need through roles, so the menu stays short.
How the exam asks about this
- "A user wants quick access to a list they open every day." Add it to Favorites.
- "An agent wants to return to a record they looked at an hour ago." Use History.
- "A user cannot find a module that a colleague can see." The user lacks a role on the module or its application menu.
What to remember for the exam
- Next Experience is the current interface; Unified Navigation is its banner based navigation.
- The four menus are All, Favorites, History and Workspaces.
- The All menu holds application menus and modules, and has a filter.
- Application menus and modules are defined under System Definition and shown by role.
- Favorites are personal and chosen by the user; History is automatic and shows recent items.
- Workspaces give role based work areas on the same data.
Do not fix a missing module by giving the user the admin role. Check the roles on the module and application menu, and give the narrowest role that works.
Common mistakes
Mixing up Favorites and History. Favorites are chosen by the user and stay until removed. History is built automatically from recent activity.
Assuming everyone sees the same All menu. Menus and modules are filtered by role, so two users can see very different lists.
Believing a workspace holds a different copy of the data. A workspace is another view of the same records, not a separate database.
Check yourself
What are the four menus of Unified Navigation?
All, Favorites, History and Workspaces.
Where does an admin define the links shown in the All menu?
As application menus and modules under System Definition, with roles controlling who sees them.
A user cannot see a module that others can. What is the likely cause?
The user lacks a role required by the module or its application menu.
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