---
sourceDocument: Australia IT Service Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/it-service-management

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia IT Service Management

ft:clusterId :

    - itsm

bundleId :

    - itsm

workflow :

    - Technology


---

# Change types

# Change types {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated September 10, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 minutes to read
Summarize  
![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI  
This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.  

## Summary of Change types

Change Management in ServiceNow supports three ITIL-defined service change types: standard, emergency, and normal.
Each change type triggers a specific state model and follows a distinct process to ensure appropriate approval and risk mitigation.
Show full answer Show less  

## Key Features

* **Standard Change:** Pre-authorized, low-risk, repetitive changes with established procedures. These changes bypass group, peer, and CAB approvals, streamlining implementation. Typical examples include routine TLS certificate renewals or password policy updates. Standard changes can be managed efficiently via catalog templates, enabling control over authorized changes.
* **Emergency Change:** High-priority changes applied immediately to resolve critical incidents or security vulnerabilities. These bypass group and peer reviews and proceed directly to CAB for urgent approval. Emergency changes address situations where service impact is current or imminent, often leading to rapid resolution. Unplanned configuration item (CI) changes during emergencies generate unauthorized change requests needing approval.
* **Normal Change:** Changes that are neither standard nor emergency. These require a full approval cycle including peer or technical review and CAB authorization. Normal changes undergo thorough assessment to minimize service disruption and are typically scheduled outside blackout windows or during maintenance periods.

## Key Outcomes

* Clear distinction among change types helps streamline approval workflows while maintaining control and compliance.
* Pre-approved standard changes reduce administrative overhead for low-risk routine updates.
* Emergency changes enable fast response to critical incidents without compromising necessary CAB oversight.
* Normal changes ensure comprehensive review and authorization for more complex or impactful changes.
* The traditional "change type" field is being superseded by the "change model" field, though legacy support remains.

## Choosing the Appropriate Change Type

* Use **normal change** for scheduled upgrades requiring peer and CAB approvals.
* Use **standard change** for applying documented, pre-approved patches via templates.
* Use **emergency change** for urgent security patches or fixes to active incidents.

**Note:** Advanced capabilities like AI-driven risk assessment may require additional subscriptions; contact your ServiceNow account team for details.  
Change Management supports the
three types of service changes ITIL describes --- standard, emergency, and normal. The change type
determines which state model is invoked and the change process that must be followed.

<br />

Standard change

:   A standard change is a pre-authorized change that is low risk, relatively common and follows a specified procedure or work instruction.

    A standard change is one that is frequently implemented, has repeatable implementation steps, and has a proven history of success. As Standard changes are pre-approved, they follow a stream lined process in which group
    level or peer approval and CAB authorization steps are not required.

    Approved standard change requests can be predefined in a catalog of templates to make accessing and requesting a standard change more efficient. This ability also enables the Change Management team to control the changes that are authorized as standard.

    For example, a routine TLS certificate renewal or a documented password policy update is typically handled as a standard change.

Emergency change

:   A high-priority change implemented immediately to resolve a major incident or apply a security patch. It bypasses group and peer review and goes directly to the Authorization state for CAB approval.

    Emergency changes cover the following types of emergencies:

    * Fix on fail or retroactive situations where the impact to service has already been experienced.
    * Fail or fail situations where the impact to service is imminent if action is not taken.

    {#change-types__ul_qqc_dsk_wy}These changes do not follow the complete life cycle of a normal change due to the speed with which they must be authorized. Therefore, they progress directly to the Authorize state for approval from the CAB Approval group.

    During an emergency change, there are chances that an unplanned CI change activity occurs. During such a case, an unauthorized change request is created and sent for approvals. For more
    information, see [Unauthorized change request](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/6mf8zPEdSPvf7_x9hnJlxg "Understand how an unauthorized change activity on a configuration item (CI) is captured and managed, so that you can review and take timely action on this change.").

Normal change

:   Any service change that is not a standard change or an emergency change.

    A normal change differs from a standard change in its approval path. Unlike a standard change, which is pre-approved and bypasses Change Advisory Board (CAB) authorization, a normal change requires assessment, peer or
    technical approval, and CAB authorization before implementation.

    Normal change requests follow a prescriptive process which requires two levels of approval before being implemented, reviewed, and closed. These changes require a full range of assessments and authorizations such as peer
    or technical approval, change management, and Change Advisory Board (CAB) authorization. This is to confirm completeness, accuracy, and the least possible disruption to service. These changes are most often scheduled
outside of defined change blackout windows or during defined maintenance windows. The normal type is used to implement beneficial change for any change to a service that is not a standard or emergency change.  
The following table summarizes about the three change types:{#change-types__table_change_type_compare__entry__4}

| Change type | Pre-approved | Required CAB | Typical use |
|-|-|-|-|
| Standard | Yes | No | Low-risk, repeatable changes with a proven history of success. |
| Normal | No | Yes | Any change that isn't standard or emergency and requires full assessment. |
| Emergency | No | Yes | High-priority changes that resolve a major incident or apply a security patch. |
[Table 1. Change type comparison]

{#change-types__table_change_type_compare}

The change type field has now been superseded by the change model field. ITIL change types and the type field are still supported. For more information, see [Change Models properties](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/j7JOftpFxCP4Sk9W0duqhg "Configure the Change Models properties to access the Change models capabilities when creating a Change request.") and [Change model management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/BiUOnkqFOLRgUczOq~P_Sg "Change models help streamline change requests by tailoring a fit-for-purpose process to support specific, common change use cases.").  

## Choosing a change type {#change-types__example_choose_change_type}

Use the following scenarios as a guide:

* A scheduled upgrade of a production database server that needs peer reviews and CAB authorization is a normal change.
* Applying a documented, pre-approved patch from a tested standard change template is a standard change.
* Deploying an out-of-band security patch to stop an active exploit is an emergency change.
{#change-types__ul_change_type_scenarios}  
Tip:  
The standard, normal, and emergency change types are part of core Change Management. Advanced capabilities, such as AI-driven risk and success probability, can require additional entitlements. For subscription and entitlement details, contact your ServiceNow® account team.
**Related tasks**   

* [Add a new change request type](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/CNwNGY1nD1wX31TSp~nqkQ "You can add a new change type to your change process. There are several processes involved with adding a change type. These processes include managing script includes and workflows.")