Change attributes

Change attributes define the information captured throughout the lifecycle of a change request. They include common attributes like Subject, Requester, and Priority, as well ascustom attributes that are unique to specific templates. Each attribute can have its own visibility, editability, and validation rules.

Together, they ensure that all the necessary information is captured for each cahnge, leading to more efficient workflows and better record-keeping.

Attributes appear in multiple places:

• When creating or updating a change request

• In change templates (to standardize information collection)

• Within workflows (for automation or condition logic)

• As placeholders in notifications and messages

To learn more about how change templates can be customized, see customizing change templates.

Common attributes

Atomicwork includes a predefined set of common attributes that are shared across all change templates. These cover the basic details needed to record, track, and manage a change request.

The Requester andStatus attributes are always present in a change.

• The Requester identifies who initiated the change, whether that's an employee, an agent or admin. It isautomatically populated when the change is created,always visible, andnot editable by workspace members. It remains required at all stages of the change to maintain accountability.

• The Status represents the current progress of the change. It isalways visible andrequired throughout the change lifecycle. It can be manually updated or may be updated by the system as part of workflow actions.

Custom attributes

To capture information that’s specific to your organization or change type, you can add custom attributes to any change template. Custom attributes let you extend the form beyond the common attributes.

Adding a custom attribute to a change template

To add a custom attribute to an existing change template:

• Navigate to Settings > [Your workspace] > Catalogs.

• Select the Change tab to view all available change templates.

• Select the template you want to edit. You will see a list of common attributes as well as custom attributes for the template.

• To add a custom attribute, click on Add attributein the Attributes specific to this template section.

• Enter the following details for the attribute:

  • Response type: Choose the type of input (Short text, Number, Date, People, Dropdown, etc.).

  • Display name: Enter a label for the attribute (for example, Change owner or Rollback plan).

  • Date and time validation: For Date-time attributes, choose whether the field accepts only past dates, only future dates, or both.

  • You can also add a hint or prefill value to guide users when filling out the attribute.

• Under Access settings, define when and how the attribute should appear or be edited.

See Access settings for change attributes for more details.

• Click on Add to save the new attribute to the template.

• Once you're done editing the template, click on Update at the top right to publish the template.

To learn how to create a change, see How to create changes.

Access settings for change attributes

Access settings define how each attribute behaves across the change lifecycle — whether it's visible, editable or required during creation, updates, and closure. These controls help you design structured forms, guide users to enter the right information at the right time, and keep attributes hidden or locked when needed.

You can configure these access settings for both common andcustom attributes in change templates. These settings are separate from requester settings and apply wherever change attributes are used by agents in the workspace:

• When creating a change and editing attributes

• In the Update attributes action in workflows

• When attributes appear as placeholders in automations or messages

Available access settings

Requester settings for change attributes

Requester settings control how employees who raise changes interact with each attribute. Configure these controls separately from agent access settings so requester forms show only the fields employees need to provide or update.

Requester settings also drive the forms employees see when they select Create > Raise a change in the portal or raise a change through Atom in Slack, Microsoft Teams, or the Universal Agent.

How these settings work together

These settings are independent, meaning the system does not auto-check or auto-inherit behaviors.

• If an attribute is visible but not editable, users can see it but cannot change it.

• If an attribute is required on closure, users must complete it before closing the change, even if it was not visible at creation.

• Attributes with default values are visible automatically, even when they are not required.

Here are some example attribute configurations to illustrate how different access combinations work: