Change lockdown · SN Doc Reader

Change lockdown allows change managers to pause all or a subset of in-flight change requests. Use it during major unplanned IT, critical, or financial events.

Change lockdown is available in the base system. After installation, the Change Lockdowns module appears in the Change application menu. To view or create a change lockdown, see Create a change lockdown.

Note: The Change lockdown depends on Change Management - Collision Detector plugin (com.snc.change.collision), this plugin is now activated automatically when you upgrade to the Brazil release.

A lockdown moves through an approval cycle before it takes effect. You can preview the affected change requests and refine the criteria while the lockdown is in draft. You can also cancel the lockdown when the situation that prompted it is resolved. For the full list of states, see Change lockdown states.

When a lockdown is approved and it reaches the Enforced state, the system writes the previewed change requests to the Schedule Lockdown Changes related list and sets their On hold field to true. Cancelling an enforced lockdown releases those change requests.

For steps on previewing, approval, and cancellation, see Manage a change lockdown.

Note: If a change request was already on hold before the lockdown was created, it remains on hold after the lockdown is canceled.

Lockdowns and conflict detection

The Inside Change Lockdown conflict type identifies change requests that overlap with an active lockdown period.

Conflict detection checks change requests against active lockdown records. If you create or reschedule a change request inside a lockdown period, the system places it on hold automatically.

For more information, see Change lockdown conflict detection.

Note:

Whether conflict detection runs against a lockdown depends on the change model state configuration.
The scheduling assistant excludes enforced lockdown periods when suggesting maintenance windows.
Create a change lockdown
Create a change lockdown to pause in-flight change requests during major unplanned IT, critical, or financial events.
Manage a change lockdown
Manage a change lockdown by previewing affected change requests, submitting for approval, reverting to draft, or canceling it.
Set the lockdown preview maximum
Change the maximum number of records that a change lockdown preview displays. This keeps the preview readable on instances with a large volume of change requests.
Change lockdown states
These states describe where a change lockdown sits in its approval cycle, which actions are available, and whether the lockdown holds any change requests.
Change lockdown conflict detection
Conflict detection checks change requests against active lockdown records in the same run that checks maintenance windows and blackout windows. A change request that falls inside a lockdown period is reported as a conflict and automatically placed on hold.

Parent Topic:Configuring Change Management

Related topics

Create a change lockdown

Manage a change lockdown

Change lockdown states

Change lockdown conflict detection

Limit conflict detection to a change model state

title	Change lockdown
description	Change lockdown allows change managers to pause all or a subset of in-flight change requests. Use it during major unplanned IT, critical, or financial events.
locale	en-US
canonical_url	https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/it-service-management/change-management/change-lockdown.html
release	brazil
product	Change Management
classification	change-management
topic_type	concept
last_updated	2026-09-10
reading_time_minutes	3
keywords	change lockdownlockdownchange freezeon hold
breadcrumb	ConfigureChange ManagementIT Service Management