Clarification on "Unload Dashboard" vs Update Set Capture in ServiceNow

mypdi · 3 weeks ago

Hi Community,
Why is the "Unload Dashboard" option available in the form header when dashboard updates are already captured in update sets?

Ankur Bawiskar · 2 weeks ago

@mypdi

"Unload Dashboard" is present because not everything gets captured and migrated

check this KB

Moving a dashboard via update set does not carry over all widgets when the dashboard tab is broken

💡 If my response helped, please mark it as correct ✅ and close the thread 🔒— this helps future readers find the solution faster! 🙏

Regards,
Ankur
✨ Certified Technical Architect || ✨ 10x ServiceNow MVP || ✨ ServiceNow Community Leader

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mypdi · 2 weeks ago

Hi @Ankur Bawiskar ,

My understanding is that update sets can fail to capture incremental dashboard changes (like adding new tabs or widgets later), whereas Unload Dashboard ensures everything including dependencies is captured correctly.
It means Unload Dashboard captures all related records of Dashboard from the start in update set.
so when we again import this via update set ,matched records get updated and new records get created.

Is this understanding accurate, or am I missing something?

Thanks

View solution in original post

Dr Atul G- LNG · 2 weeks ago

Hi @mypdi

To clarify, if you build a dashboard with a couple of tabs and then move it to another instance without any issues, it usually means everything has been captured properly in the update set. In such cases, the changes are straightforward and migrate as expected.

However, there are many scenarios where this is not the case. For example, if the dashboard was built while the user was working across different parts of the platform, some components or configurations might not be fully captured in the update set. This makes it difficult to guarantee that all changes will move correctly.

There are mixed experiences with this. Sometimes, the update set captures everything related to the dashboard in one go, while in other cases, it does not. This inconsistency is why dashboard migrations can be tricky and require careful validation.

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View solution in original post

Ankur Bawiskar · 2 weeks ago

@mypdi

"Unload Dashboard" is present because not everything gets captured and migrated

check this KB

Moving a dashboard via update set does not carry over all widgets when the dashboard tab is broken

💡 If my response helped, please mark it as correct ✅ and close the thread 🔒— this helps future readers find the solution faster! 🙏

Regards,
Ankur
✨ Certified Technical Architect || ✨ 10x ServiceNow MVP || ✨ ServiceNow Community Leader

mypdi · 2 weeks ago

Hi @Ankur Bawiskar ,

My understanding is that update sets can fail to capture incremental dashboard changes (like adding new tabs or widgets later), whereas Unload Dashboard ensures everything including dependencies is captured correctly.
It means Unload Dashboard captures all related records of Dashboard from the start in update set.
so when we again import this via update set ,matched records get updated and new records get created.

Is this understanding accurate, or am I missing something?

Thanks

Ankur Bawiskar · 2 weeks ago

@mypdi

yes your understanding is correct.

💡 If my response helped, please mark it as correct ✅ and close the thread 🔒— this helps future readers find the solution faster! 🙏

Regards,
Ankur
✨ Certified Technical Architect || ✨ 10x ServiceNow MVP || ✨ ServiceNow Community Leader