<!--
{
  "availability" : [
    "iOS: 10.0.0 -",
    "iPadOS: 10.0.0 -",
    "macCatalyst: 13.1.0 -",
    "macOS: 10.12.0 -",
    "tvOS: 10.0.0 -",
    "visionOS: 1.0.0 -",
    "watchOS: 3.0.0 -"
  ],
  "documentType" : "symbol",
  "framework" : "CloudKit",
  "identifier" : "/documentation/CloudKit/CKFetchDatabaseChangesOperation/init(previousServerChangeToken:)",
  "metadataVersion" : "0.1.0",
  "role" : "Initializer",
  "symbol" : {
    "kind" : "Initializer",
    "modules" : [
      "CloudKit"
    ],
    "preciseIdentifier" : "c:objc(cs)CKFetchDatabaseChangesOperation(im)initWithPreviousServerChangeToken:"
  },
  "title" : "init(previousServerChangeToken:)"
}
-->

# init(previousServerChangeToken:)

Creates an operation for fetching database changes.

```
convenience init(previousServerChangeToken: CKServerChangeToken?)
```

## Parameters

`previousServerChangeToken`

The change token that CloudKit uses to determine which database changes to return.

## Discussion

After creating the operation, assign a handler to the [`fetchDatabaseChangesCompletionBlock`](/documentation/CloudKit/CKFetchDatabaseChangesOperation/fetchDatabaseChangesCompletionBlock) property so that you can process the operation’s results.

If this is your first fetch, or if you want to refetch all zones, pass `nil` for the change token. If you provide a change token from a previous [`CKFetchDatabaseChangesOperation`](/documentation/CloudKit/CKFetchDatabaseChangesOperation), CloudKit returns only the zones with changes since that token. The per-database [`CKServerChangeToken`](/documentation/CloudKit/CKServerChangeToken) isn’t the same as the per-record zone [`CKServerChangeToken`](/documentation/CloudKit/CKServerChangeToken) from [`CKFetchRecordZoneChangesOperation`](/documentation/CloudKit/CKFetchRecordZoneChangesOperation).

---

Copyright &copy; 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. | [Terms of Use](https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/terms/site.html) | [Privacy Policy](https://www.apple.com/privacy/privacy-policy)