Understand the Downgrade Protection feature in ServiceNowSummary<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #00718F; } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: #024F69; } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: #032D42; } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: #00718f; } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: block; max-width: ; width: auto; height: auto; } } Managing instance upgrades in ServiceNow often requires multiple patch or version changes over time. Conflicts can happen when a scheduled change tries to apply a patch that is older than the version already installed on the instance. To prevent accidental downgrades, ServiceNow includes a built-in safeguard called Downgrade Protection. Downgrade Protection ensures that if a scheduled change is for a version that is older than the current version, it automatically skips the change at runtime. This protects the platform from regression and eliminates the risk of introducing bugs or inconsistencies by reverting to an older version. For example, if an instance has these changes scheduled: Change 1: An end-of-life (EOL) upgrade to Yokohama Patch 2 is scheduled for a specific date.Change 2: Xanadu Patch 7 change is scheduled for a few days later. The platform applies the Yokohama Patch 2 upgrade first. The second change is skipped entirely because the system can detect that it is an older release family. This feature ensures platform stability and aligns with the ServiceNow policy of only supporting forward upgrades. Manual downgrade or rollback is not supported through scheduled changes and requires explicit intervention, typically with assistance from ServiceNow support. Note: To skip a lower version or patching target, you can schedule or reschedule an upgrade to a higher version on an earlier date to automatically cancel the lower version patching Change (CHG). Related Links<!-- /*NS Branding Styles*/ --> .ns-kb-css-body-editor-container { p { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } span { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #000000; } h2 { font-size: 24pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h3 { font-size: 18pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } h4 { font-size: 14pt; font-family: Lato; color: black; } a { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; color: #00718F; } a:hover { font-size: 12pt; color: #024F69; } a:target { font-size: 12pt; color: #032D42; } a:visited { font-size: 12pt; color: #00718f; } ul { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } li { font-size: 12pt; font-family: Lato; } img { display: block; max-width: ; width: auto; height: auto; } } ServiceNow versions and release familiesManage and schedule instance upgradesUse comments to request support for patch and EOL changes