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Release: Australia · Updated: 2026-03-12 · Official documentation · View source

Skipped records that occur during application installation

Some records may be skipped when you make local updates to global or scoped applications. Skipped records can occur either when you modify the metadata records in the instance to which you're deploying or when you apply an update set. Depending on the deployment model you use and the state of applicable properties, you may risk "skipped records," which are generated in the sys_upgrade_history_log. Learn what to expect on your instance when you upgrade an application using various different methods.

General use cases

Under most circumstances, these general use cases occur during application installation:

Deployment typeApplication typeExpected outcome
Source ControlScopedNo skips, application loads from Source Control. If local update xml exists, you are prompted to stash those changes.
Source ControlGlobalNo skips, application loads from Source Control. If local update xml exists, you are prompted to stash those changes.
App RepositoryScopedSkipped records are generated and customizations preserved.
App RepositoryGlobalApplication changes applied and skipped records are generated only when a superior claim is found. For details, see Review skipped records using related lists.
StoreScopedSkipped records are generated, customization changes applied.
Source ControlCustomizationNo skips, customization loads from Source Control. If local update xml exists, you are prompted to stash those changes.
App RepositoryCustomizationNo skipped records are generated, customization changes applied.
Store/App RepositoryScoped and CustomizationNo skipped records are generated unless the customization updates the base application record. In this case, a log entry of a skipped update for the base application is created.

Author Elective Updates

It's important to understand the purpose of the author_elective_update folder.

When ServiceNow packages your application for the repository or for committing to Source Control, additional elements (which might have been previously ignored), are unloaded to the author_elective_update folder. (These deleted elements are often referred to simply as "deletes.") When your application is installed on your own instance, the deleted files are automatically loaded from the author_elective_update folder.

For example, if you changed the schema of your application by deleting a table or a column, those files are tracked in the folder but are not applied by default. There are specific rules that apply to author elective updates that you can change, based on the properties you can set. This folder contains metadata deleted files, including schema changes, and choice set unloads that you can apply or ignore. Whether you apply or ignore them, and whether corresponding skipped records are generated, depends on the state of the following properties and processing flow:

Property nameBehaviorDefaultUsed in Source Control
com.glide.apps.include_only_sys_choiceLoads only deleted elements and updates to sys_choice fields from author_elective_updateFalseNo
com.glide.apps.include_my_schemaLoads only deleted elements to schema files from author_elective_update. Applies to customer application installations and not third-party apps.FalseNo
com.glide.apps.force_skipsCreates skipped records for all of author_elective_updateFalseNo
com.glide.apps.include_my_deletesProcess author_elective_updateFalseYes
com.glide.apps.include_global_deletesProcess author_elective_update for global applicationsFalseYes

Note:

When there is no property for com.glide.apps.include_my_schema, it defaults to False. However, since the Orlando release, new instances have a default entry in the table to set it as True.

Image omitted: skipped-records-flowchart.png
Flow chart

Claims

Claims apply to global applications and application-customizations. In global applications, claims allow the system to choose a record deterministically should the same file be included in multiple applications. If you see a superior claim, an upgrade history log for the skipped record is created to identify a conflicting claim status. For details, see Review skipped records using related lists.

Parent Topic:Installation considerations