In ServiceNow, anUpdate Setis a mechanism used to package and transfer customizations from one instance to another. TheDefault Update Setis automatically created for every instance and captures all unassigned configuration changes. However, it is considered abest practice not to use the Default Update Set for moving customizations between instances.
Lack of Organization & Traceability
The Default Update Set collects all modifications automatically, making it difficult to track specific changes related to a particular project or feature.
If multiple administrators or developers work in an instance, their changes will all be mixed together in the Default Update Set, leading to confusion and conflicts.
Risk of Losing Changes
Default Update Sets are not automaticallycomplete. Since users can forget to mark their customizations explicitly for an update set, some changes might not get captured.
If a system admin forgets to move a customization into a named update set, those changes may not be included in the migration process.
Cannot Be Moved Between Instances
The Default Update Setcannot be retrieved or movedbetween instances because it is system-managed. This makes itimpossibleto use it for transferring customizations effectively.
Named Update Sets, on the other hand, allow developers to package only the required changes for controlled migration.
Best Practice: Use Named Update Sets
It is highly recommended to create anamed Update Set(e.g., " Incident_Enhancements_Q1_2025 " ) for each set of related changes.
This provides a structured way to track, test, and promote configurations fromdevelopment → test → production environmentsin a controlled manner.
A. Merge Default Update Sets before moving between instancesIncorrect – The Default Update Set cannot be moved between instances, so merging it would not serve any purpose.
B. Submit Default Update Set to Application RepositoryIncorrect – The Application Repository is used forScoped Applications, not for update sets. The Default Update Set is system-managed and should not be used for structured deployments.
D. Keep Default Update Set to a maximum of 20 records, for troubleshooting purposesIncorrect – While keeping the Default Update Set small might be useful for tracking small changes, there is no such best practice limit of " 20 records. " It is still not recommended for migrations.
ServiceNow Product Documentation – Update Sets Best Practices📖 Update Set Best Practices
ServiceNow Community Best Practices – Managing Update Sets📖 Managing Update Sets
Reasons Why You Should Not Use the Default Update Set for Moving Between Instances:Incorrect Answer Choices Analysis:Official ServiceNow Documentation References:Conclusion:The correct answer isC. You should not use the Default Update Set for moving between instances.The best practice is to always createnamed Update Setsto ensure controlled, traceable, and reliable migrations of customizations between ServiceNow instances.
