Overview #

This article describes how Quality Clouds integrates with ServiceNow’s native pipeline and deployment capabilities to automatically assess the quality of an application before it is promoted between environments. The integration is achieved by adding a custom subflow into a standard ServiceNow pipeline, allowing organizations to orchestrate deployments while incorporating automated quality checks that return clear, structured results.

The configuration relies entirely on native ServiceNow capabilities, specifically, Flow Designer and the pipeline framework, making the solution easy to adopt, flexible, and aligned with ServiceNow’s recommended development processes. 

While the App Engine Management Center (AEMC) provides a richer user interface for tracking deployments, it is not required for using the Quality Clouds integration.

Requirements #

• Quality Clouds pipeline subflow installed from the Quality Clouds App Store – Deployment Gates
• The subflow associated with your configured “Pipeline Type” is extended to include the QC subflow. We recommend copying and extending the out the box subflow “Deployment Type Pipeline”.
• ServiceNow development environment connected to the Quality Clouds Portal 
• An API key configured in the ServiceNow Credentials module to allow Quality Clouds to run scans. You can retrieve the API key from QC Admin Console –> Account –> Api Key
• Quality gates in Dev instance is optional but recommended
• The App Engine Management Center (licensed and installed) remains useful but not required

ServiceNow Deployment Pipeline #

ServiceNow pipelines define the end-to-end process of promoting an application from one environment to another. In a typical configuration, the pipeline specifies:

• The source environment, such as a development instance
• The target environment, such as production
• The pipeline type, which contains the full Flow Designer flow describing each stage of the deployment

This pipeline type is the core of the deployment process. It executes all steps from validating the pipeline, creating deployment requests, and orchestrating the application movement between environments. Because this entire process is implemented using Flow Designer, it is easy to extend or customize, such as by inserting a Quality Clouds subflow.

Executing a Deployment with an Integrated Quality Check #

When a developer or administrator submits a deployment request through App Engine Studio, ServiceNow automatically registers it in the deployment request list and triggers the associated pipeline. 

As the pipeline moves through its stages, it eventually reaches the point where the Quality Clouds subflow has been inserted. This subflow is added by taking a copy of the out-of-the-box pipeline flow and enhancing it with a custom Quality Clouds action. Once executed:

1. The subflow validates its inputs and extracts the relevant information from the deployment request, such as the customer, the target instance, and the details of the application being promoted.
2. It then communicates with the Quality Clouds engine via API key and triggers a full application scan.
3. During this stage, the pipeline pauses while the scan runs.
4. When the analysis completes, the result, including the number of issues found, the status of the quality gate, and a structured list containing all detected issues, are fed back into the pipeline.

These outputs are then available to any subsequent steps, enabling organizations to customize behaviors such as approving deployments, running automated tests, or taking corrective actions based on the quality outcome.

Using the Results Inside the Pipeline #

One of the strengths of this integration is that Quality Clouds does not impose any opinionated behavior on the deployment process. Instead, the customer retains full flexibility to decide what should happen after the quality check completes.

• If the quality gate passes, the customer may choose to continue with the deployment to production, deploy to a staging environment, or run automated tests. 
• If the quality gate fails, the customer may block the deployment, notify a developer, raise a change request, or log a defect ticket.

The Quality Clouds integration provides structured information and leaves the governance and decision-making fully in the customer’s hands, ensuring that the pipeline behavior aligns with the organization’s specific processes and risk posture.

Role of App Engine Management Center #

Although not required, the App Engine Management Center can significantly improve the visibility of the deployment process. When installed, AEMC displays all deployment requests in a clear and intuitive interface, providing a visual representation of pipeline progress.

When a deployment request is submitted, AEMC immediately shows the execution of the various pipeline stages. This includes the moment when the Quality Clouds check is triggered, along with its status as the scan completes. This added visibility is particularly useful for teams that manage multiple deployments or large development portfolios.

However, it is important to emphasize that all Quality Clouds functionality operates fully even without App Engine Management Center. The pipeline and the subflow run entirely within native ServiceNow capabilities.

Conclusion #

The integration of Quality Clouds into ServiceNow pipelines allows organizations to embed automated quality checks directly into their deployment processes.

By leveraging native ServiceNow capabilities and a lightweight subflow, customers gain full visibility into application quality and maintain complete flexibility in controlling how deployments proceed.

This approach supports modern DevOps practices, strengthens governance, reduces the risk of deploying defective applications, and ensures that quality becomes a standard part of every deployment cycle.