When you're working on multiple customizations, you need to switch which update set captures your changes. This guide shows you how to make a different update set active without moving your existing work.
Why update sets matter for change tracking
Before update sets, tracking what changed in your instance was a nightmare. Platform admins had to remember every field they modified, every business rule they created, and every workflow they touched when moving customizations between environments. Update sets solve this by automatically capturing changes as you make them — but only if you're working in the right one. The people who build customizations — developers and admins — need to switch update sets frequently as they move between different projects or features.
How update set switching works
ServiceNow has one active update set at any time. Every customization you make — new fields, modified forms, business rules — gets automatically captured in whichever update set is currently active. Switching update sets is just changing this pointer; it doesn't move existing changes. Think of it like changing which bucket catches the water — the water already in other buckets stays put. You can switch from the update set picker in the top navigation bar or through the full update sets module.
Managing multiple update sets effectively
Once you understand switching, good practices make the difference between organized change management and chaos. Create update sets with descriptive names that match your work — not generic names like 'My Changes'. Keep related customizations together in the same update set when possible. Switch update sets deliberately before starting new work, not in the middle of a feature. Advanced teams establish naming conventions and use update set hierarchies to group related changes across larger initiatives.
Before you start
- •admin role or personalize_choices to modify update sets
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Step by step
Access the update set picker
Click the Settings gear in the top-right corner of any ServiceNow page, then select 'Developer' from the dropdown. You'll see the current update set name displayed prominently. Alternatively, navigate to System Update Sets > Local Update Sets if you want to see all available update sets in a list view.
The gear icon shows your current update set name — if it says 'Default' you're not capturing changes properly.
Choose your target update set
In the developer panel, click the dropdown showing your current update set name. You'll see all available update sets for your instance. Select the update set you want to make active. If using the Local Update Sets list view instead, click directly on the update set record you want to switch to.
Update sets show their state — only 'In Progress' update sets can be made active.
Confirm the switch
If using the dropdown picker, the switch happens immediately and you'll see the new update set name displayed. If you clicked into an update set record, click the 'Make Current' button at the top of the form. ServiceNow will switch the active update set and return you to the previous page.
Verify the active update set
Check the Settings gear or developer panel to confirm the correct update set name is now displayed. The update set picker always shows what's currently active. Make a small test change — like opening a form and adding a field — then check that update set's Related Links > Preview Update Set to confirm your changes are being captured in the right place.
Best practices
Switch update sets before starting new work, not after you've already made changes — there's no way to move customizations between update sets automatically.
Never work in the 'Default' update set — it can't be transferred between instances and you'll lose your changes during migrations.
Create update sets with descriptive names that match your project or feature — avoid generic names like 'Test' or 'My Changes' that become meaningless later.
Check your active update set regularly when switching between different tasks — it's easy to accidentally capture unrelated changes in the wrong set.
Keep the developer panel open when doing heavy customization work so you always see which update set is active.
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