Combined Authentication release notes for upgrades from Yokohama to Zurich

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 20, 2026
  • 7 minutes to read
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    Summary of Combined Authentication Release Notes for Upgrades from Yokohama to Zurich

    This consolidated guide helps ServiceNow customers prepare for upgrading their Authentication capabilities from the Yokohama release family to the Zurich release family. It highlights new features, changes, deprecations, and important upgrade considerations to ensure a smooth transition and improved security and integration experiences.

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    New Features

    • Continuous Authentication (Yokohama): Enables step-up or re-authentication before users access sensitive or high-privilege data.
    • OAuth Grant Types for MID Server (Yokohama): Supports multiple OAuth grant types (Authorization code, Resource owner password, SAML bearer, JWT bearer) for outbound integration requests through the MID Server, facilitating secure communication between ServiceNow and external systems.
    • Machine Identity Console (Zurich): Simplifies inbound integration configuration with a new console designed for managing machine identity-based integrations.
    • Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) Dashboard (Zurich): Provides insights on MFA user enrollment, privileged admin compliance, and overall MFA status to enhance security visibility.
    • MFA Guided Setup (Zurich): Guides administrators through the MFA configuration process for users logging in with username and password, ensuring all users have an additional authentication layer.
    • OIDC Attributes Filtering (Zurich): Allows using Identity Provider attributes received from OIDC responses as filter criteria for authentication policies.

    Changes

    • MFA Enforcement (Yokohama): MFA is mandatory for all non-SSO users accessing ServiceNow.
    • Enhanced SSO Experience (Zurich): Improvements include displaying active SAML and OIDC Identity Providers on login pages, user group assignment during SAML/OIDC auto-provisioning, support for multiple SSO records using the same OIDC well-known URL, detailed login failure messages, and enhanced email notifications for SAML certificate and encryption key updates.
    • FIDO2 Support (Zurich): Enforce hardware key or biometric second-factor authentication using FIDO policy for stronger MFA.
    • OAuth Enhancements (Zurich): Increased client secret length support (up to 4096 characters), JWKS URL support for automatic JWT key management, expanded signing algorithm support (including Elliptic Curve and RS/HS variants), and customizable JWT ID (JTI) claim names for inbound OIDC and JWT flows.

    Deprecations

    • Inbound Integration Configurations (Zurich): Due to the new Machine Identity Console inbound integration configuration, legacy inbound integration setups via the Application Registry (OAuth API endpoint, OAuth JWT API endpoint, OIDC provider for ID token verification) are deprecated.

    Activation and Requirements

    • Authentication remains an active, default product within the ServiceNow AI Platform in both Yokohama and Zurich releases.
    • There are no new additional or browser-specific requirements introduced with this upgrade.
    • No changes to accessibility or localization requirements were noted.

    Additional Highlights from Patch Releases

    • AI Voice Service Authentication Factors: Enable caller access by configuring required authentication factors.
    • OAuth Token Options: Support for Opaque or JWT tokens for inbound integration endpoints, with scope-based API access control.
    • Provider Name Field: Introduced for inbound integrations to improve monitoring and management of OAuth and Basic authentication integrations.
    • MFA Dashboard and Policies: Tools to monitor MFA enrollment and enforce FIDO-based second-factor authentication.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Improved security posture through enforced MFA and enhanced authentication policies.
    • Simplified integration management with the Machine Identity Console and expanded OAuth capabilities.
    • Greater visibility and control over authentication activity via MFA dashboards and detailed SSO feedback.
    • Streamlined upgrade process with clear deprecations and activation guidance.

    Consolidated page of all release notes for Authentication from Yokohama to Zurich.

    How to use this page

    To help you prepare for your upgrade, we have combined the cross-family Authentication release notes onto one page. Read this summary of the new features, changes, and updated information for your product from Yokohama to Zurich.

    Tip:
    If there were no updates for a release notes section in a certain family release, we included a short note for your reference. For example, if a product did not have any updates in Tokyo, the row says "No updates for this release."

    Important information for upgrading Authentication to Zurich

    Before you upgrade to Zurich, review these pre- and post-upgrade tasks and complete the tasks as needed.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    New features

    Between your current release family and Zurich, new features were introduced for Authentication.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama
    Continuous Authentication
    Use Continuous Authentication to require step-up authentication or re-authentication to the users before allowing access to sensitive or high-privilege information.
    OAuth Grant Types for MID Server
    Use the Authorization code, resource owner password credential, SAML bearer, and JWT bearer OAuth grant types of OAuth for outbound integration requests through the MID Server. Personal Auth is also supported through the MID server. MID Servers facilitate communication and data movement between a single ServiceNow® instance and external applications, data sources, and services.

    Zurich
    Machine Identity Console
    Manage your inbound integration with ServiceNow's Machine Identity Console. Inbound integration in Machine Identity Console provides a simplified configuration experience for your inbound integrations.
    Multi-factor Authentication dashboard
    Use the new MFA Dashboard to understand insights such as MFA user enrollment, privileged admins who haven't opted in to MFA, and compliance. You can verify that all users have MFA enabled for enhanced security with the help of the MFA Dashboard.
    Multi-factor Authentication Guided Setup
    Use the new MFA Guided setup to configure multi-factor Authentication (MFA) for users who currently log in to ServiceNow with only a user name and password. This update enhances security by guiding administrators through the MFA setup process and verifying that all users are protected with an additional layer of authentication.
    Attributes for OIDC
    Use the Identity Provider (IDP) Attributes received from the OIDC response from the Identity Provider as a filter criteria for authentication.

    Changes

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some changes were made to existing Authentication features.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama
    Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enforcement
    MFA is mandated and is enforced to all the non-SSO login users accessing ServiceNow®.

    Zurich
    Enhanced SSO login and logout experience
    Use the enhanced SSO login and logout experience. Enhancement includes:
    • Display of active SAML and OIDC Identity Providers (IdPs) on the ServiceNow platform and portal login pages.
    • Assign users to specific groups during SAML and OIDC auto-provisioning.
    • Set up OIDC with the same well-known URL. The OIDC configurations can use the same well-known URL of the IdPs for multiple SSO records.
    • Display login failure reasons to the users who logged out of ServiceNow due to session expiry or other reasons. Use the login link on the external logout page to again log in to ServiceNow in case of successful logout.
    • Display of a generic error message for unsuccessful single log out.
    • Enhanced email notifications for SAML certificate and Encryption Key store update.
    FIDO2 as an MFA factor
    Use the FIDO factor policy to enforce FIDO (Hardware key or Biometric as second factor for authentication) as second factor authentication to users who attempt to log in to the instance.
    OAuth integrations
    Configure OAuth integration that includes the following enhancements:
    • You can provide a maximum client secret length up to 4096 characters to meet security requirements of the third-party systems.
    • You can provide a JSON Web Key Set (JWKS) URL to automatically manage and update the public key for JSON Web Tokens (JWT) signature validation.
    • You can request OAuth tokens using the JWT grant type signed with Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ES) signing algorithms, including ES256, ES384, and ES512, for inbound JSON Web Tokens (JWT). It also supports RS256, RS384, RS512, HS256, HS384, and HS512.
    • You can customize the JWT ID (JTI) claim name in both inbound OpenID Connect (OIDC) and JWT Bearer flows.

    Removed

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some Authentication features or functionality were removed.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Deprecations

    Between your current release family and Zurich, some Authentication features or functionality were deprecated.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich
    Due to the launch of new simplified inbound integration configuration in Machine Identity Console, the following inbound integrations configurations in the Application registry page are deprecated:
    • OAuth API endpoint for external clients
    • OAuth JWT API endpoint for external clients
    • OIDC provider to verify ID tokens

    Activation information

    Review information on how to activate Authentication.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    Authentication is a ServiceNow AI Platform product that is active by default.

    Zurich

    Authentication is a ServiceNow AI Platform product that is active by default.

    Additional requirements

    If any additional requirements were introduced or changed for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Browser requirements

    If any specific browser requirements were introduced or changed for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Accessibility information

    Review details on accessibility information for Authentication, such as specific requirements or compliance levels.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Localization information

    If there are specific localization considerations for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama

    		 No updates for this release.

    Zurich

    		 No updates for this release.

    Highlight information

    If there are specific highlight considerations for Authentication we have noted them here.

    Release Release notes

    Yokohama
    Yokohama Patch 11
    Authentication factors for AI voice service
    Enable caller access to AI voice agents by configuring the required identification and authentication factors.
    OAuth enhancements
    Following are the OAuth enhancements:
    • Use Opaque or JWT token option for your inbound integration endpoints.
    • Use the Allow access only to APIs in selected scope option to enable access to the APIs that are explicitly listed in the selected scopes for your inbound integrations.
    • Use the OAuth Entity Resource tab for outbound integrations to configure resource parameters so they flow into the OAuth token request and are reflected in the token from your OAuth provider.
    Provider name for Inbound integrations
    Use the Provider name field to enter the details of your inbound integrations to distinguish between different inbound integrations on your ServiceNow AI Platform®. Update the Provider name in your API integrations to improve monitoring capabilities:
    • For OAuth integrations, update the provider name using the Provider name field. To know more, see OAuth Inbound.
    • For Basic authentication integrations, update the Provider name in the integration registration form.
    Yokohama Patch 7
    OAuth token enhancement
    Use Opaque or JWT token option for your inbound integration endpoints.
    Yokohama
    • Use Continuous Authentication to require step-up authentication or re-authentication to the users before allowing access to sensitive or high-privilege information.
    • Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) is enforced by default for all non-SSO login to ServiceNow®.
    • Use the Authorization code, resource owner password credential, SAML bearer, and JWT bearer OAuth grant types of OAuth for outbound integration requests through the MID Server.

    See Authentication for more information.

    Zurich
    Zurich Patch 4
    Authentication factors for AI voice service
    Enable caller access to AI voice agents by configuring the required identification and authentication factors.
    OAuth enhancements
    Following are the OAuth enhancements:
    • Use Opaque or JWT token option for your inbound integration endpoints.
    • Use the Allow access only to APIs in selected scope option to enable access to the APIs that are explicitly listed in the selected scopes for your inbound integrations.
    • Use the OAuth Entity Resource tab for outbound integrations to configure resource parameters so they flow into the OAuth token request and are reflected in the token from your OAuth provider.
    Zurich Patch 3
    Provider name for Inbound integrations
    Use the Provider name field to enter the details of your inbound integrations to distinguish between different inbound integrations on your ServiceNow AI Platform®. Update the Provider name in your API integrations to improve monitoring capabilities:
    • For OAuth integrations, update the provider name using the Provider name field. To know more, see OAuth inbound.
    • For Basic authentication integrations, update the Provider name in the integration registration form. To know more about the integration registration form, see View dashboard.
    Zurich Patch 1
    OAuth token enhancement
    Use Opaque or JWT token option for your inbound integration endpoints.
    Zurich
    • Experience the new Inbound integration configuration in the Machine Identity Console.
    • Use the new MFA Dashboard to understand insights such as MFA user enrollment, privileged admins who haven't opted in to MFA, and compliance.
    • Use the FIDO factor policy to enforce FIDO-based authentication.
    • Use the enhanced SSO login and logout experience.
    • Configure the authentication policies to restrict access, reduce roles, or enforce MFA based on Identity Provider (IdP) attributes that are received from the OIDC response.

    See Authentication for more information.