1. What is Article Versioning?
Article versioning in ServiceNow Knowledge Management is the process of maintaining multiple versions of a knowledge article as it is updated over time. Instead of directly modifying a published article, ServiceNow creates a new version whenever significant changes are made.
Each version represents a specific state of the article at a particular point in time. This allows organizations to preserve historical content, track changes, and ensure that only reviewed and approved information is made available to users.
Article versioning helps maintain content accuracy, governance, and auditability while allowing continuous improvement of knowledge articles.
2. How Article Versioning Works in ServiceNow?
- Fill in the required details on the knowledge form and click Save.
- After saving, the article is created as an initial draft (Version 0.01).
You can view version details under Related List → Article Versions. - When the author clicks Publish, the article moves to Version 0.02.
4.If approvals are configured, the state changes to Review.
5.If the author needs to make changes during the review stage, they can click Recall.
- The article returns to Draft
- The version updates to 0.03
6.After making the required updates, the author clicks Publish again.
- The article moves back to Review
- The version changes to 0.04
7.Once the approver approves the article, it is published as Version 1.0.
Updating a Published Article
1.To update a published article without impacting the live version, the author clicks Checkout.
- A new draft is created as Version 1.01
2.After editing, clicking Publish moves the article to Version 1.02 and the state changes to Review.
3.Once approved, the updated article is published as Version 2.0, while the previous versions remain available for reference.
3.Visibility of Versions
- End users can only view the latest published version of an article.
- Knowledge authors and administrators can view all versions, including draft, retired, and archived versions.
Conclusion:
Article versioning in ServiceNow Knowledge Management is a powerful feature that ensures content integrity, traceability, and quality control. By maintaining a clear version history and structured approval process, organisations can keep their knowledge base accurate, reliable, and compliant while continuously improving content.
