How large choice lists affect update set performance in ServiceNowSummary<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } Understand the performance impact of large choice lists in update sets and when to consider using reference fields instead. Choice lists are a useful field type but can affect performance when they grow large. The dropdown control is not well suited for large numbers of options from a usability standpoint, and large choice lists carry performance implications based on how choice lists work in update sets. If you need to provide a larger list of options, review the ServiceNow Build 101 - Choice Lists vs Tables community post to determine whether a reference field is a more appropriate approach. Choice lists in update sets are captured as a single sys_choice_set metadata entry that is a snapshot of the complete list. When an update set is applied, the existing choices are removed and replaced with the choices in the update set. For example, if you have a list of five choices and you add a sixth, the original five are removed and six are inserted. This ensures that the choice list on the target instance matches the non-production instance that produced the change. For more details, see KB0656146. If the list grows to 1,000, 5,000, or 10,000 entries, applying an update set takes significantly longer because the system must remove and recreate records at that scale. There is no system-enforced limit on choice set sizes. However, if you are measuring the number of choices in the thousands, consider using a reference field instead. The total number of sys_choice records in a choice set can grow beyond your original count because of domain separation, language support, and duplication from dependent relationships. There is no single record count threshold that applies to all instances. For example, if you support five languages, the same five choices from the earlier example result in 25 sys_choice records in the choice set. An instance with language support therefore takes longer to apply update sets than an instance without it. As choice lists grow, consider switching to reference fields to avoid performance issues during update set application. Related Links<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, #000000); } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--text-primary, black); } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718F); } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #024F69); } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #032D42); } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: var(--now-color--link-primary, #00718f); } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: ; max-width: ; width: ; height: ; } } Working with ChoicesServiceNow Build 101 - Choice Lists vs TablesUpdating choices in scoped applications