ServiceNow "required field missing" on change request in CI

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

ServiceNow change models and data policies mark certain fields mandatory. Creating or moving a change_request without a required field (short_description, assignment_group, or a model-specific field) is rejected with a mandatory-field error.

What this error means

A change create or state change fails with success:false and a message that a mandatory field such as short_description or assignment_group is required.

{"error":{"message":"Data Policy Exception","detail":
"The following mandatory fields are not filled in: Short description"},"status":"failure"}

Common causes

A data policy marks a field mandatory

A data policy applies server-side regardless of the client, so a missing short_description or category fails the write.

The change model requires model-specific fields

Normal, standard, and emergency change models require different fields; omitting a model-required field blocks the transition or create.

How to fix it

Include the mandatory fields

1. Read which field the response names as mandatory.
2. Add it to the change payload (short_description, assignment_group, and so on).
3. For standard changes, reference a valid change template/model.

curl -sf -u "$SN_USER:$SN_PASSWORD" -X POST \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"short_description":"Deploy build ${{ github.sha }}",
       "assignment_group":"DevOps","type":"standard"}' \
  "https://your-instance.service-now.com/api/now/table/change_request"

Use a standard change template

Standard changes from a pre-approved template pre-fill mandatory fields, reducing what CI must supply.

How to prevent it

• Always send short_description and assignment_group at minimum.
• Match the payload to the change model requirements.
• Prefer pre-approved standard change templates for CI deploys.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• GitHub Actions documentation