How to Customize CAB Workbench for State Authorize Buttons (Approve OR Reject)

[Harsh3842]

Hi everyone, I need some guidance regarding the CAB Workbench behavior. The requirement is to have the Approve and Reject buttons visible and actionable when the change request is in the "Authorize" state. As per the standard ServiceNow process, my understanding is as follows: when a change request is in the "Assess" state, the Change Manager (initiator)—typically the Change Management team — reviews and approves the request based on configured rules. Once approved, the request transitions from Assess to Authorize. In the Authorize state, approval actions are made available to relevant stakeholders such as the Governance and IT Security teams etc., who can then approve or reject the request. After all required approvals are completed, the change request automatically moves to the Schedule state. This flow appears to align with ServiceNow best practices—could you please confirm if this understanding is correct? However, the requester is specifically asking for the Approve/Reject buttons to be visible directly in the CAB Workbench during the "Authorize" state. This seems to require a UI-level customization. At this stage, I am uncertain about the exact changes needed, the level of effort involved, or the timeline. I have explored community solutions, but most of them do not fully address this requirement. Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. If screenshot is required, please let me know The community links I have checked : 1. https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0725871 2. https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-forum/modifying-the-cab-workbench/td-p/3226045 3. https://www.servicenow.com/community/itsm-forum/customizing-cab-workbench-drop-down-items/m-p/340019... Thanks, Harsh

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @Harsh3842 

I have worked as a Change Manager and currently work as a BPC. From my experience, making any changes in the CAB Workbench involves significant customization and is not straightforward, as it is not a standard form. It includes a mix of multiple scripts and HTML code, which makes it complex to maintain.

Therefore, it is better to use it as it is designed out-of-the-box rather than heavily customizing it, as that approach is more stable and supported.

[Harsh3842]

Hi @Dr Atul G- LNG ,  thank you for the detailed explanation — this helps clarify the complexity involved.

I understand that customizing the CAB Workbench is not straightforward and may not be the recommended approach. However, I wanted to check if there are any supported or minimal-change options available to achieve specific requirements.

If customization is not advisable, could you please suggest any alternative approach or best practice to handle such requirements?

Thanks in advance for your guidance.

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @Harsh3842 

No, to clarify—as I mentioned, this is not a form, so adding fields or additional elements isn’t straightforward.

Your requirement is quite specific, so it’s better to use the solution as it has been designed and educate users on how it currently works instead of trying to modify it further.

[Tanushree Maiti]

Hi  @Harsh3842 

Refer KB: KB0755343 Unable to see approve/reject button on CAB workbench 

Resolution

To ensure the approve and reject buttons on the Change CAB Workbench are visible, make sure the following are true:

• There is an active CAB meeting defined during the Change start and end dates.
• The approvals of the Change record are in the requested state
• The user is an approver of the Change record.

2)KB0967345 CAB Workbench intermittently does not show Approve/ Reject buttons in prod instance.