Change models create reusable templates that standardize how specific types of changes get processed through your organization. You'll build a template with preset workflows, approvals, and field defaults that gets cloned every time someone creates that type of change request.
Why change models eliminate process chaos
Without change models, every change request starts blank and relies on the person creating it to know which workflow to use, who should approve it, and what information to include. This creates inconsistent processes where similar changes get handled differently depending on who submitted them. Change managers spend time manually routing requests and chasing missing information. For Standard changes specifically, ServiceNow requires a pre-approved change model — you can't create Standard change requests without one.
How change models standardize your process
A change model is a template that defines the change type (Normal, Standard, Emergency), assigns a specific workflow or flow, sets default field values, and configures approval chains. When someone creates a change request using your model, ServiceNow clones all these settings to the new record. Start with the change type since that determines available workflows, then assign your process automation, and finally set sensible defaults for fields your team always fills out the same way. The model becomes the single source of truth for how that type of change should be handled.
Building production-quality change governance
Once your basic model works, the improvements that matter are adding conditional default values based on other fields, creating model-specific approval rules that account for risk levels, and building dedicated flows that handle the unique requirements of that change type. Well-designed models reduce the cognitive load on requesters while ensuring your change advisory board sees consistent, complete information for every review.
Before you start
- •change_admin role or admin role
- •Workflow or Flow configured for your change process
Sourdough: ServiceNow Monitoring and Analytics
A Chrome extension for ServiceNow Admins and Developers with essential tools, analytics, graphs and monitoring features.
Free to install. Pro $5/month after a 14-day no-card trial.
Pro requires the ServiceNow admin role. Upgrade inside the extension.
Step by step
Navigate to Change Models
Go to Change > Administration > Change Models and click New. The change model form opens with the basic template fields you'll configure to define this reusable template.
Set the change type
Fill in the Name field with something descriptive like 'Server Patching - Standard' or 'Emergency Database Rollback'. Select the Type from the dropdown — choose Normal for regular changes requiring approval, Standard for pre-approved repetitive changes, or Emergency for urgent fixes. Standard changes must have an approved change model to function, so you'll need to submit this for approval after creation.
Standard change models require approval before they can be used — plan for that in your timeline.
Assign the workflow or flow
In the Workflow field, select the specific workflow or flow that should process changes created from this model. This determines the approval chain, tasks, and automation that will execute. If you're using Flow Designer instead of legacy workflows, you'll still select your flow from this same field.
Configure default field values
Scroll to the Default Values section and set any fields that should be pre-populated when someone uses this model. Common defaults include Category, Subcategory, Assignment Group, Priority, and Risk. These values get copied to new change requests, saving requesters time and ensuring consistency.
Set model availability
Check the Active checkbox to make the model available for use. If this is a Standard change model, also check the Template checkbox — this tells ServiceNow that Standard changes can be created from this model. Leave Template unchecked for Normal and Emergency models.
Save and test the model
Click Submit to create the model. For Standard changes, submit the model through your change approval process first. Once approved, test by creating a new change request and selecting your model from the Template dropdown to verify all defaults and workflow assignments copy correctly.
The Template dropdown only appears when creating change requests if you have active change models defined.
Best practices
Standard change models must be approved before they can be used to create change requests — build approval time into your deployment schedule.
Don't set default values for fields that vary by request like Description or Planned Start Date — only set fields that are truly consistent across all uses of this model.
Create separate change models for different risk levels of the same change type rather than trying to make one model handle all scenarios.
Test your change model by actually creating change requests with it — the cloning behavior sometimes reveals field dependencies you didn't expect.
Keep model names descriptive and specific enough that requesters can easily pick the right template from a dropdown list.
Test Your Knowledge
Quick 3-question quiz — see how your ServiceNow skills stack up.
A list view on a table with millions of records is slow. Best fix?
Select an answer to continue