--- sourceDocument: Australia IT Service Management sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/it-service-management Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia IT Service Management ft:clusterId : - itsm bundleId : - itsm workflow : - Technology --- # Open a changeset to update config data # Open a changeset to update config data {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 minutes to read Update config data in an existing changeset or in a new changeset. You can save your changes for later updates or save and commit the changes. Committing the changes generates a snapshot for each deployable that is affected by the changes. ## Before you begin Important: Starting with the Washington D.C. release, DevOps Config is being prepared for future deprecation. It will be hidden and no longer activated on new instances but will continue to be supported. Role required: cdm_editor or cdm_admin ## About this task * When you commit the changes that you have made to an application (commit the changeset), the system generates a snapshot of each deployable that has been updated. A snapshot is an exact record of the config data for a deployable. Snapshots are read-only --- you cannot modify a snapshot. You can, however, start a new changeset that is based on a particular snapshot. * Sometimes, another user has committed changes to a data set (thus creating a new snapshot) while you are working on a changeset of the same data. In this case, the data that you are working on is stale (the data is in the state it was in before the other user committed changes). This can result in data conflicts. Learn more about how you use changesets and how CDM manages version control at [Changesets and version control in CDM](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/OMj330gzq7HaF94jTdLBkA "A changeset is a draft copy of an application that you can update and save as often as needed. When you are satisfied with your changes, you can commit the changeset to apply the changes to the application. Committing"). {#cdm-changeset-cr-u__ul_ugb_crv_kqb} ## Procedure 1. Use one of the following methods to open a changeset for editing: * On the Activity tab for an application, select a changeset number. * On the Overview or Config data tab for an application, select Edit Config Data. {#cdm-changeset-cr-u__choices_i5c_ltn_v4b} Important: Save your changes whenever you are confident of the changes and before you leave the Config data tab. The changeset opens on the Config data tab. 2. In the config data tree, select the item to edit in either the script view or the list view. By default, the Editor panel displays the script view of the key:value pairs (the config data items --- CDIs) in the selected node. See [Viewing and editing config data](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/wDuynY3CbIbMdsnLrXip4Q "You can update the config data of an application by creating or opening a changeset on the Config data tab, where you update the structure and CDIs of the config data.") for details on operations in the Config data tab. 3. Add components, collections or deployables, see the instructions in [Define or update a component](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/BKH7Lv5UIFJS3sHhuxgAEQ "Define or update a component while working in a changeset."), [Define or update a collection in an application](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/fyAnRJ9O_C_WPyEIEFouPA "Define or update a collection while working in a changeset of a application."), and [Create and update a deployable](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ay6idNbQQGyQa475bBEnqA "Create a deployable while working in a changeset. You can add multiple components and collections to a deployable."). 4. Select Save to save the changes in the changeset and ready the changes in the changeset to be committed. The Editor panel, List view, and Preview panel refreshes to reflect the resolved state of the changeset. The system updates the changeset but does not update the application. Changes appear on the Activity tab. You must commit a changeset to update the config data for the application. After saving, you can move on to other activities and return later to edit the changeset. 5. **Optional:** Select Commit. The Commit changeset dialog box opens and lists each deployable that is affected by the changes. Note: After you commit a changeset, the changeset cannot be modified. The system generates a snapshot of each deployable that is affected by the changes. The dialog box offers the following Additional actions: * If no deployables are affected by the changes, select No additional actions. The system will update the application to persist the changes. * * Select Validate snapshots to perform the following operations on all generated snapshots: * The system executes all policies that are statically or dynamically mapped to the associated deployable. * If the snapshot passes all policies, then the Validation status value is set to Passed and no entries are listed on the Validation Results tab. If validation was invoked with the Publish Valid publish option, then valid snapshots are auto-published. * If any policy encounters issues, then the Validation status value is set to Failed. The Validation Results tab displays all failures or warnings returned by policies. * If any policy failed to run to completion, then the Validation status value is set to Execution error and the Validation Results tab indicates that validation failed due to error. {#cdm-changeset-cr-u__ul_ljj_ppt_cqb} * Select Validate and publish snapshots to perform validation as described in the Validate snapshots action. Only snapshots that pass validation are published. Only published snapshots can be exported. {#cdm-changeset-cr-u__ul_hnb_prn_cqb}Select Commit. * The system updates the application to persist the changes to config data. * The changeset state changes to Committed. * The changeset cannot be modified. * If snapshots were created, the confirmation message includes a link to the snapshots. * If an error occurs during the commit process, the changeset state is set to Commit failed. {#cdm-changeset-cr-u__ul_mrw_xmm_zvb} {#cdm-changeset-cr-u__ph-persist-upon-commit} {#cdm-changeset-cr-u__choices_ydd_gvn_cqb} **Related concepts** * [Changesets and version control in CDM](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/OMj330gzq7HaF94jTdLBkA "A changeset is a draft copy of an application that you can update and save as often as needed. When you are satisfied with your changes, you can commit the changeset to apply the changes to the application. Committing") **Related tasks** * [Define or update a component](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/BKH7Lv5UIFJS3sHhuxgAEQ "Define or update a component while working in a changeset.") * [Define or update a collection in an application](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/fyAnRJ9O_C_WPyEIEFouPA "Define or update a collection while working in a changeset of a application.") * [Publish or unpublish a snapshot](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/pGySyDjwo8OYj~P5aGt~9A "Publish a snapshot so that it can be exported to enable the CI/CD pipeline to access and use the config data. Exporters can execute only on published snapshots.") * [Validate a snapshot manually](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/dR5iNaB_uvsVm7Yd5hP88g "Validate a snapshot from the Snapshot tab. For example, manually validate a snapshot to ensure that its valid for new policy requirements.") * [View the results of snapshot validation](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/aqaZvQcn9Xp5i_062W0JXQ "View validation failures and warnings on the Validation results tab for the snapshot.") * [View snapshots](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/gZ3wITXYfP3~QtLPoyfuEg "View the snapshots of all deployables for an application on the Details tab for the application. The release pipeline can access only a snapshot that is the currently published version.")