Update sets and Build Agent
Summarize
Summary of Update sets and Build Agent
Build Agent in ServiceNow automatically tracks all application changes in update sets, enabling customers to review, revert, and deploy changes seamlessly within ServiceNow Studio. Each checkpoint within a Build Agent conversation bundles related changes into a single update set, simplifying change management without navigating away from the platform. This functionality requires the ServiceNow instance to be on Zurich Patch 10 or later.
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How Build Agent Tracks Changes
Starting with Zurich Patch 11, Build Agent consolidates both automatic edits it makes and manual edits you make during the same work session into unified update sets. After completing a task, these update sets are merged to facilitate easier deployment and rollback management.
Checkpoints are created automatically after approving each task plan. Changes tied to each checkpoint are captured in corresponding update sets that can be accessed directly from the Build Agent chat panel. If manual edits exist before the next checkpoint, they are saved in separate manual edit update sets; otherwise, empty manual edit update sets are removed.
Accessing and Managing Update Sets
- Chat panel: Each checkpoint features a Review button to open the related update set in ServiceNow Studio. The summary card also provides access to all update sets linked to the changes it summarizes.
- Current Changes List (CCL) page: Displays Build Agent edits with buttons to open corresponding update sets.
Reverting and Deploying Changes
Customers can revert their application to any previous checkpoint within a Build Agent session, allowing flexible rollback to known states. Once changes are finalized, the update sets generated during the Build Agent session are available on the Deployment tab in ServiceNow Studio for deployment.
Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers
- Automatic, organized tracking of application changes without leaving ServiceNow Studio.
- Easy access to review and manage changes via checkpoints and update sets.
- Consolidated update sets simplify deployment and rollback processes.
- Supports manual edits alongside automated Build Agent changes within the same session.
When you work with Build Agent, your changes are automatically tracked in update sets so you can review, revert, and deploy them without leaving ServiceNow Studio.
Build Agent tracks every change it makes to your application in update sets. Changes from each checkpoint in a conversation are captured together in a single update set. You can access, review, and open those update sets directly from the Build Agent chat panel and the Current Changes List (CCL) page in ServiceNow Studio, without navigating to the platform.
Update sets use descriptive names to help identify what each update set contains. Names follow this pattern: application-name
build agent install 1, build agent install 2, and so on.
After Build Agent creates a checkpoint, it automatically opens a manual edit checkpoint that captures any changes you make directly to your application outside of Build Agent. These manual edits are tracked in a separate update set named manual edit 1, manual edit 2, and so on.
For general information about update sets on the ServiceNow AI Platform, see System update sets.
How Build Agent tracks changes
Starting with Zurich Patch 11, Build Agent automatically captures changes in a unified update set as you work. Manual edits you make in the ServiceNow Studio editor and automatic edits made by Build Agent within the same work session are bundled into a single update set. The consolidated update set merges all the update sets created for previous agentic and manual development into a single update set for ease of deployment. The consolidation occurs after you tell Build Agent that you're done working on a task and no longer require rollback.
Build Agent automatically captures changes to the app and metadata that you're working on.
A checkpoint is created automatically after you approve each task plan. When Build Agent reaches a checkpoint, the changes associated with that checkpoint are captured in the update set. You can view and open the relevant update set directly from each checkpoint in the chat panel. For more information on checkpoints, see Build Agent checkpoints and conversation change log.
When Build Agent prepares to create the next checkpoint, it checks whether any changes exist in the manual edit update set. If no changes are present, Build Agent removes the update set. If changes exist, Build Agent completes the update set and renders it with the other update sets from your conversation. You can access manual edit update sets directly from the checkpoints panel in your Build Agent conversation.
Access update sets from Build Agent
You can access update sets created during a Build Agent session from two locations in ServiceNow Studio.
- Chat panel
- Each checkpoint in the chat panel includes a Review button that opens the relevant update set in a new ServiceNow Studio tab. The update set button in the summary card opens all update sets associated with the changes shown in that card.
Figure 1. Summary card - Current Changes List page
- The Current Changes List (CCL) page in ServiceNow Studio shows Build Agent edits. Each checkpoint on the CCL page includes a button that opens the relevant update set in a new tab.
Revert changes using checkpoints
You can revert your application to any previous checkpoint during a Build Agent session. For more information about checkpoints and how to restore a previous state, see Build Agent checkpoints and conversation change log.
Deploy update sets
After your changes are ready, you can find the update sets from your Build Agent session on the Deployment tab on the ServiceNow Studio home page. For more information about deploying your changes, see Deploying what you built with Build Agent.