---
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


---

# Release states

# Release states {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated August 7, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read  
A release moves through a defined set of states, from creation to closure. The On Hold state lets you pause a release temporarily without losing task, policy, or association data.

In Digital Product Release (DPR), every release has a state that reflects its position in the release lifecycle. The release state determines which actions are available and whether the release
still requires setup, is actively being worked, or is paused, closed, or discontinued. For more information about the overall release process, see [Release for a product or service](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/4cqIPw2cfXhTc46s6xOlrQ "A release groups all the tasks (projects, epics, stories, enhancements, defects, problems, incidents, and so on) planned for a specific version of a product or service. Digital Product Release provides two different processes: timeline-oriented and stage-oriented, to help you in executing your releases.").

## Release states {#dpr-release-states__section_release-state-list}

The following states apply to a release.
{#dpr-release-states__table_release-states__entry__2}

| State | Description |
|-|-|
| Draft | The release is missing required setup information, such as a release template or a release readiness target date. You can finish creating the release from the Release Planning page or the Releases list. |
| Pending | The release is fully set up and scheduled to start. A scheduled job moves the release to the In Progress state automatically when its planned start date arrives. |
| In Progress | The release is actively moving through its phases. Tasks, policies, and approvals for the current phase are underway. |
| On Hold | Work on the release is temporarily paused. A warning banner appears on the release pages, and the Complete phase action and automatic phase progression are blocked until the release is resumed. However, other release activities, including task updates, field edits, configuration item and change request association, and running policies continue to work normally. For more information, see [Put a release on hold](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/OKTk_3hDtnXk2DozTBjx3A "Mark a release on hold when work must pause temporarily, and resume or cancel it later from the same menu."). |
| Review | All phases are completed and the release awaits final review before it's marked complete. A release can move to the Review state automatically when the sn_dpr.auto_transition_release_to_review property is enabled. |
| Completed | The release is closed. All release work is finished and the phases mapped to it are compliant with their policies. For more information, see [Close a release](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ipUqaxVowIibxcN1hBem1g "Complete a release after all tasks have been completed and all phases are in compliance with the mapped policies."). |
| Cancelled | The release is discontinued and no further work occurs. |
[Table 1. Release states]

{#dpr-release-states__table_release-states}
**Related tasks**   

* [Manage releases for digital products and services](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/SeGiLMkJ6qPL_PI6VIdXpQ "Track the progress of your releases, and work on them to release products and services faster and more efficiently.")