---
title: Define or update a component
description: Define or update a component while working in a changeset.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/it-service-management/devops-family/cdm-component-define.html
release: brazil
product: DevOps \(Family\)
classification: devops-family
topic_type: task
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 4
breadcrumb: [Viewing and editing config data, Using DevOps Config, DevOps Config, IT Service Management]
---

# Define or update a component

Define or update a component while working in a changeset.

## Before you begin

**Important:** DevOps Config is now deprecated and no longer supported or available for new activation.

Role required: cdm\_editor or cdm\_admin

## About this task

**Important:** Save your changes whenever you are confident of the changes and before you leave the **Config data** tab.

## Procedure

1.  Follow this procedure to add a component to an application:

    1.  While working in a changeset, select the more actions icon \(\[Omitted image "icon-actions-menu.png"\] Alt text: More actions icon.\) for the **components** node and select **Create component**.

    2.  Enter a unique and meaningful name and then select **Create**.

2.  To perform other actions, select the more actions icon \(\[Omitted image "icon-actions-menu.png"\] Alt text: More actions icon.\) for a component and select the action, as follows.

<table id="choicetable_hkz_r4h_tpb"><thead><tr><th align="left" id="d390561e116">

Selection

</th><th align="left" id="d390561e119">

Action

</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td id="d390561e125">

**Create component**

</td><td>

Add a component as described above.

</td></tr><tr><td id="d390561e134">

**Create CDI**

</td><td>

Add an individual config data item \(CDI\) and value to the collection. See the instructions in the next stepThe CDI can have an explicit value, or it can be a variable, override, or overlay.

-   Variable: The value for this CDI will set the value for an identically-named CDI in an included component.
-   Override: The value for this CDI will override the value for an identically-named CDI in an included component.You can also override inherited nodes from the child collection.
-   Overlay: A CDI that does not appear in any included component.


</td></tr><tr><td id="d390561e161">

**Include in collections**

</td><td>

Include the selected component in specified collections.In the Include in collections dialog box, select the collections that should include the component and then select **Include**.

 **Note:** Only collections that do not already include the component appear in the list.Inclusion of a node takes precedence over inheritance. If a node is both included and inherited, it is instead considered included.

</td></tr><tr><td id="d390561e181">

**Add file**

</td><td>

Add a file as a file node.You can attach a MIME-type file with a maximum file size of 5 MB.

For more information on adding files, see [Manage files using file nodes](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/it-service-management/devops-family/cdm-manage-file-config-data-file-node.md).

</td></tr><tr><td id="d390561e205">

**Exclude from inheritance**

</td><td>

Removes the inherited node and all child objects from the current collection.You can see excluded nodes in the changeset tree when you access the More actions menu \(\[Omitted image "icon-actions-menu.png"\] Alt text: More actions icon.\) and select **View excluded data**. Excluded nodes are appended with the label "Excluded".

Select **Include in inheritance** from the more actions icon \(\[Omitted image "icon-actions-menu.png"\] Alt text: More actions icon.\) to stop excluding the node and re-add it to the changeset.

</td></tr><tr><td id="d390561e236">

**Rename**

</td><td>

Rename the selected component.

</td></tr><tr><td id="d390561e245">

**Delete**

</td><td>

Delete the selected component.

</td></tr><tr><td id="d390561e254">

**View relationships**

</td><td>

View direct relationships with the node. Direct relationships are formed between nodes by inheritance or by being included.

</td></tr></tbody>
</table>3.  Add a CDI: Select the more actions icon \(\[Omitted image "icon-actions-menu.png"\] Alt text: More actions icon.\) for the item and select **Create CDI**.

<table id="table_h53_jmt_spb"><thead><tr><th>

 

</th><th>

 

</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>

Name

</td><td>

Unique and meaningful name for the CDI.

</td></tr><tr><td>

Value

</td><td>

Value that the CDI has in the current context or define a variable. -   You can specify a direct `key : value` pair.
-   You can define a variable and specify its default value. Variable definitions have the following form:

    ```
@@<variableName>@@: <value>
    ```

-   You can specify a value for a variable using the following form:

    ```
"<variableName>": "<value>"
    ```

-   You can specify a contextual variable. These are variables defined out-of-the-box that use the context of the node to set the variable value. The variable uses the following form:

    ```
"<variableName>": "(#<value>#)"
    ```

-   You can use recursive variables for a CDI value. Recursive variables use other variable values as parameters to set the CDI value. For example, each of these CDI values can resolve the same due to recursive variables:

    ```
cdi1: @(favorite_food/@(person)@)@
    ```

    ```
cdi2: @(favorite_food/@(john)@)@
    ```

    ```
cdi3: waffles
    ```

</td></tr><tr><td>

Encrypted

</td><td>

Option to specify that the value of the CDI should be encrypted. This option appears only for users with the CDM Secrets \[sn\_cdm.cdm\_secrets\] role.

 After you create the CDI, the value appears in all views as `*******`. To view the value on any tab that displays the CDI, users with the CDM Secrets \[sn\_cdm.cdm\_secrets\] role can select the **View encrypted data** menu option.

</td></tr></tbody>
</table>
**Related topics**  


[Create or update a variable CDI](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/it-service-management/devops-family/cdm-variables-crud.md)

[Manage files using file nodes](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/it-service-management/devops-family/cdm-manage-file-config-data-file-node.md)

[CDM data model](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/it-service-management/devops-family/cdm-data-model.md)

[Viewing and editing config data](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/it-service-management/devops-family/cdm-editing-config-data-changesets.md)

[How encrypted data is handled](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/it-service-management/devops-family/cdm-secrets-managing.md)