Upgrade Preview module

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 5 minutes to read
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    Summary of Upgrade Preview module

    The Upgrade Preview module offers insight into how an upgrade will affect your ServiceNow instance before it occurs. This tool allows you to explore potential impacts on your current configurations and assists in planning and preparing for upgrades effectively.

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    Key Features

    • Preview Process: Track the upgrade preview status through the Execution Tracker and view the ongoing preview process.
    • Version Eligibility: Only eligible target versions for your instance are displayed for preview. An empty drop-down indicates no available upgrades.
    • Information Cards: Various cards provide essential data, including current version details, scheduled upgrade information, and links to new features and fixes.
    • Skipped Records Prediction: Predicts records that may be skipped during the upgrade and categorizes them by priority and product family.
    • Application Upgrade Preview: Displays actions taken on applications, including upgrades and installations, along with their version history.
    • Predicted Schema Changes: Lists anticipated database alterations, such as new columns and tables, based on the upgrade.
    • Automated Test Framework (ATF) Results: Shows the percentage of passing ATF tests from the last 30 days and links to detailed results.

    Key Outcomes

    Utilizing the Upgrade Preview module empowers ServiceNow customers to make informed decisions regarding upcoming upgrades, minimize risks associated with skipped records, and enhance overall upgrade management. With detailed insights into application changes and schema predictions, customers can ensure a smoother transition to new versions, ultimately leading to improved system performance and reliability.

    The Upgrade Preview module enables you to have an unprecedented insight to an instance prior to an actual upgrade. You can explore and preview upgrades to different ServiceNow release versions and see how your instance might be impacted with your current configurations. The Upgrade Preview utility helps you to plan, schedule, and prepare for an upgrade.

    The preview status info and link in the message displayed on top of the Upgrade Preview page states the current status of the ongoing preview process. Because you can get an accurate prediction on the new and existing applications and their skipped records, the preview execution time has increased considerably. Select the link in the message to see the status of the preview process.

    Image showing the status message and link

    The Execution Tracker record displays when you select the progress link in the message. Select Show status related list to show the current status of the executed preview process.

    Image showing the preview screen
    Note:
    Depending on the eligibility of your instance, the list of available target versions for preview varies. Only versions that are allowed for a particular instance to be upgraded to, show up on the list. If your instance is not eligible to be upgraded to any version, the drop-down menu is empty.
    The following cards display with more information.
    Card names Description
    Current version Name of the current version.
    • Upgraded on: Date on which the instance got upgraded to the current version
    • End of life: Link to KB0610454 for more information about end of life
    Previewing version Information about the previewing version displays. If you haven't previewed any version, you are expected to select a version for preview and select Go. If you have already previewed a version, the following information displays.
    • Preview created: Date on which the preview was created
    • View preview details: Link to the Upgrade Preview form
    Note:
    Select Refresh preview if you want to regenerate a new preview of the same target version. Although selecting Refresh preview regenerates the skipped list, the reverted records won't get skipped. If you have reviewed and retained some records, they get replaced as soon as you select Refresh preview.
    Scheduled upgrade Name of the next upgrade that has been scheduled to start. If there is no currently scheduled upgrade, the card shows No upgrade scheduled.
    Note:
    This card can have different messages depending on the schedule of the upgrade.

    If there is an upgrade scheduled, the following information displays.

    • Estimated upgrade duration: Estimated duration needed to complete the scheduled upgrade.
      Note:
      If this is your first upgrade, there will be no information about estimated upgrade duration.
    • Next scheduled upgrade: Date and time on which the next upgrade has been scheduled to start.
    Find out what's new and changed Links to view the new and changed features in the current upgrade version. The following three links show up when you select Go to preview the upgrade version.
    • Problem fixes: Fixes that have been made since the last upgrade version
    • Personalized release notes: Release notes summary for the previewed version
    • Known error articles: Errors that have been identified but not yet resolved
    Note:
    These links don't show up if you haven't previewed any upgrades.
    Skipped list prediction
    Note:
    If you are using Upgrade Plan, the card name changes to Skipped list prediction with plans.
    		 Information about the predicted skipped records. See Preview predicted changes for more details.
    • Total record changes: Total number of records that are predicted to change when the upgrade occurs. Total record changes also include possible predicted skipped files known as Predicted skipped records.

      Review changes: Link to the list of records that have changed and can be reviewed.

    • Predicted skipped records: Total number of records that have been predicted to be skipped.
      • Total: Total predicted skipped records
      • To review: Predicted skipped records to be reviewed
      • Reviewed: Predicted skipped records that have been reviewed
      • Resolved: Predicted skipped records that have been resolved by implementing the rules
        Note:
        This entry shows up on the card only when rules are executed on the skipped records. You will also see a link to create a skipped record rule if either there are no existing rules or the existing rules aren't executed.
      Note:
      Skipped record rules and upgrade plans can't be implemented together. See Execute a skipped record rule automatically for more information.
    • Predicted skipped records by priority: Pie chart to represent the predicted skipped records by priority.
      Note:
      Select the pie chart to see the list of predicted skipped records.
      ServiceNow prioritizes the skipped records based on the importance of the file types. The prioritization is done as follows:
      • Priority 1 (highest priority): UI pages, UI macros, and more
      • Priority 2: Business Rules, Security ACLs, and more
      • Priority 3: Reports and more
      • Priority 4: Form Sections, Choice Sets, and more
      • Priority 5 (lowest priority): everything else
    Predicted skipped records by product Records that have been predicted to be skipped and are sorted as per their product families.
    Note:
    The products sorted under the Other category don't have any specific product family.
    Application Upgrade Preview Accurate prediction on the installs and upgrades for new and existing applications and for their specific skipped records. It states the total number of applications that have been either upgraded or installed.
    Note:
    The skipped records prediction is reflected on the Predicted skipped records by product card.

    Image showing Application Upgrade Preview card

    By default, 10 applications preview details show up. Select View all applications preview details link to view the entire list. It states the name of the application and the following information:
    • Action: The action taken on the specific application. It can either be upgraded for the existing applications or installed for the new applications.
    • From version: States the previous version of the upgraded application (existing application).
      Note:
      This field is empty if the application is a newly installed application.
    • To version: States the current version to which the existing application has been upgraded.
      Note:
      This field shows the current version of the newly installed application.
    Predicted Schema Changes Prediction about the kind of changes in the database based on the upgrade on your instance.

    Image showing the Predicted Schema Changes list

    By default, 10 predicted schema changes show up. Select View all predicted schema changes link to view the entire list. Changes like new columns, new tables, and new indexes are captured in this section.
    Automated Test Framework (ATF) results Percentage of passing ATF tests that ran in the last 30 days.
    • Most recent ATF run: Date and time on which the recent ATF tests ran
    • View ATF results: Link to show more information about the recent ATF results
    Note:
    Only the tests which are finished and have passed are considered for the ATF results. If one test runs more than once, only the recent execution is considered in the results.