Table of Contents
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Blog Summary
- ServiceNow releases introduce new features, improvements, fixes, and security updates.
- ServiceNow projects two major release families twice a year. In 2026, Australia and Brazil are the two that come with patches and fixes among release families.
- Gives customers early access to upcoming releases so you can test new features and identify issues before the production upgrade.
- An upgrade moves your instance to a new release family, while an update applies patches or hotfixes within the same release.
Have you ever wondered what a ServiceNow release actually changes in your instance and how often you need to upgrade? Each ServiceNow release cycle brings new features, improvements, fixes, and security updates. Understanding these updates helps admins and developers plan upgrades, test customizations, and keep their instances stable.
In this guide, we’ll explain the ServiceNow release cycle, the latest release, release notes, and the ServiceNow upgrade process. Let’s get started.
What is a ServiceNow release?
A ServiceNow release is the platform that brings new features, functions, improvements, and bug fixes. ServiceNow organizes releases into release families, which contain feature releases, patches, and hotfixes.
ServiceNow groups its versions into release families, which are usually named after cities, but in 2026, ServiceNow moved to country-based names starting with Australia and Brazil.
Let’s understand what these terms mean:
- Feature release: It introduces major new features and enhancements.
- Patch: It provides a collection of fixes for existing functionality.
- Hotfix: It addresses a specific issue in a release.
For example, the Australia release includes new products, applications, features, and fixes for existing functionality. ServiceNow also provides release notes to help customers understand what changed and prepare for an upgrade.
ServiceNow Release Cycle
ServiceNow follows a release cycle twice a year, with major release families arriving around March and September. In 2026, the major release families are Australia and Brazil, but the timing was different from the traditional march/september.To maintain platform stability, ServiceNow also provides patches and hotfixes between feature releases to address issues.
Latest ServiceNow releases in 2026
The two major ServiceNow release families for 2026 are Australia and Brazil. Australia was the first major family release of 2026. The release brings new features and improvements across the ServiceNow AI Platform. Brazil is the second release family and is entering its release preview and early access period in September 2026.
For professionals, keeping up with these releases is important because new versions can introduce new features, improve existing capabilities, and change how different ServiceNow products work.
Why ServiceNow Releases Matter for Admins and Developers
A new release can affect much more than your instance’s version name. It can change features, plugins, configurations, integrations, custom applications, and workflows. That makes release management an important part of a ServiceNow admin or developer’s job.
| Role | What to review |
|---|---|
| Admin |
– Review new features – Check existing configurations – Plan upgrade timelines – Test critical business processes – Communicate changes to users – Monitor the instance after upgrade |
| Developers |
– Review custom applications – Check scripts and business rules – Review APIs and integrations – Watch for deprecated functionality – Run automated tests – Confirm application compatibility |
Admins should review new features, check existing configurations, plan upgrade timelines, test important business processes, communicate changes to users, and monitor the instance after an upgrade.
Developers should review custom applications, scripts, business rules, APIs, integrations, deprecated functionality, automated tests, and application compatibility. Staying prepared helps teams avoid unexpected issues and make the most of every ServiceNow release.
ServiceNow recommends planning, testing, and validating upgrades because a release can affect existing functionality, particularly where an instance contains customizations.
How to upgrade the ServiceNow instance?
The ServiceNow instance upgrade process requires planning, testing, and validation. Here’s a simplified workflow:
Step 1: Read the release notes and identify new features, changes, deprecated functionality, and application-specific upgrade tasks.
Step 2: Plan the upgrade by verifying the checklist to help teams organize activities and identify which instance needs upgrading.
Step 3: Upgrade the Development Instance and run smoke tests that ensure custom applications work as expected.
Step 4: Use the Automated Test Framework (ATF) to support testing in non-production instances, along with user acceptance testing.
Step 5: Prepare and upgrade production to fix issues you find during testing before moving to production.
Step 6: ServiceNow recommends post-upgrade testing and validation, including user acceptance testing for production.
After completing these steps, check whether everything works as expected and make sure your users and business processes continue to run smoothly.
Conclusion
ServiceNow releases keep the platform moving forward with new features, improvements, fixes, and security updates. For admins and developers, staying current means more than knowing the latest release name. If you work as a ServiceNow professional or are just learning the platform, these releases help you understand what changes occur in the platform yearly.
Remember to understand the ServiceNow release cycle, read the release notes, and prepare your instance properly for every upgrade. Connect with us today to know more about ServiceNow.
Shrey Sharma is the Founder of S2 Labs and a 2019 Salesforce MVP. He's trained 50,000+ students into Salesforce careers and runs Salesforce Hulk, the largest Salesforce-focused YouTube community. He's been a featured speaker at Salesforce community events worldwide, and his mission with S2 Labs remains simple: real mentorship, hands-on projects, and a clear path from classroom to career.
