Reclaiming user subscriptions

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Reclaiming user subscriptions

    ServiceNow enables you to reclaim unused SaaS and SSO user subscriptions to optimize and reduce total software costs. The reclamation process is similar to reclaiming software licenses in ServiceNow Software Asset Management (SAM) and can be performed via both the Software Asset Management Core UI and the Software Asset Workspace. This feature helps ensure that unused subscriptions do not incur unnecessary expenses.

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    Removal Candidate States

    When reclaiming user subscriptions, each removal candidate progresses through specific states that indicate its status in the reclamation workflow:

    • Attention Required: Indicates an issue, such as a missing User field on an automatic removal candidate with notifications enabled, or a failed reclamation. Resolving the issue moves the state to Ready.
    • Ready: The candidate is ready for reclamation. Selecting "Reclaim" advances the workflow.
    • Awaiting User: The user has been notified and must approve or deny the removal request. Applicable if user notification is enabled.
    • Awaiting Approval: If the user rejects the removal, the manager must approve or decline it. Relevant when notifications are enabled.
    • Awaiting Revocation: The candidate is pending reclamation. You can manually complete it or allow automated reclamation via a scheduled job. Candidates with restricted software automatically enter this state with justification.
    • Closed Complete: The user subscription has been successfully reclaimed.
    • Closed Skipped: The reclamation was canceled due to missing user subscription information.
    • Closed Canceled: Reclamation was canceled because user activity was detected, indicating the subscription is in use.

    Practical Use and Automation

    You can reclaim subscriptions manually in either the Software Asset Management classic application or the Software Asset Workspace. The system also supports automation through a weekly scheduled job ("SAM — Updating Existing Reclamation Candidates") that processes removal candidates in the Awaiting Revocation state, moving them to Closed Complete if conditions are met.

    Why It Matters

    Effectively reclaiming unused user subscriptions helps ServiceNow customers control software expenditure by ensuring that only active, necessary subscriptions are maintained. It streamlines license management and improves cost efficiency for SaaS and SSO applications.

    You can reclaim unused SaaS and SSO subscriptions to reduce your total software costs.

    The process of reclaiming a user subscription is similar to reclaiming a software license in ServiceNow® Software Asset Management. You can reclaim user subscriptions in both the Software Asset Management Core UI and the Software Asset Workspace.

    When you’re reclaiming a user subscription, you can determine the status of the associated removal candidate using the following removal candidate states.
    Table 1. Removal candidate states
    State Description
    Attention Required The removal candidate requires attention.

    The state is set to Attention Required when the User field is empty on an automatic removal candidate that has the Notify User option enabled. After the User field is populated, the state automatically changes to Ready.

    The state can also be set to Attention Required when a reclamation fails. After you resolve the error, the state automatically changes to Ready.
    Ready The removal candidate is ready for reclamation. Select Reclaim to advance the reclamation workflow.
    Awaiting User The user has been sent an email notification to approve or deny the removal request. This state is applicable only if the Notify User option is enabled on the removal candidate.
    Awaiting Approval The user must approve or deny the removal request. If the user wants to keep the subscription, the manager then becomes responsible for approving or declining the removal. This state is applicable only if the Notify User option is enabled on the removal candidate.
    Awaiting Revocation The removal candidate is awaiting reclamation.

    You can manually reclaim the user subscription in the removal candidate by selecting Close Complete. Alternatively, you can reclaim the user subscription through the SAM — Updating Existing Reclamation Candidates weekly scheduled job. When the scheduled job runs, removal candidates that are in the Awaiting Revocation state and have an empty User subscription field are automatically updated to the Closed Complete state.

    If the User subscription field is empty for a removal candidate that is in any other state, the reclamation workflow is canceled and the state automatically changes to Closed Skipped.

    The state of a removal candidate with restricted software is automatically set to Awaiting Revocation. The justification is set to Restricted Software.
    Closed Complete The user subscription has been reclaimed.
    Closed Skipped The user subscription hasn’t been reclaimed by the removal candidate.
    Closed Canceled The user subscription hasn’t been reclaimed by the removal candidate because user activity is detected.