(BLOG) đ What You Can Really Do With AI Search in ServiceNow
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Monday
Most people think search is just a keyword box. Type something in. Hope for the best.
But after going through a deep hands on AI Search lab in ServiceNow, it is very clear that AI Search is not just search. It is a full blown experience engine that can be tuned, shaped, and optimized to guide users exactly where you want them to go.
Here is a breakdown of what is actually possible:
đ§ AI Search Understands Intent, Not Just Words
AI Search does more than match text.
â Synonyms
Search for laptop and results also match:
Mac
PC
Computer
You can even add your own. For example:
OOO â Out of Office
That means users do not need to use the ârightâ words to get the right results.
âď¸ Typo Tolerance
Search for ipone and AI Search auto corrects to iPhone.
It helps users even when they make mistakes, but still lets them override corrections if needed.
𧚠Stop Words Removed
Search for the Windows key and the word the is ignored automatically.
The engine focuses on meaningful terms, not filler words.
đ AI Can Feature the âBestâ Result
When users search password reset, they do not just get a list.
They get a featured answer at the top, called a Genius Result.
These can be:
Knowledge articles
Catalog items
People
This is how you move from search to guided resolution.
đ AI Search Respects Security
When impersonating a user without knowledge access, Knowledge articles disappeared from results.
AI Search automatically enforces:
ACLs
Role based visibility
So results are always personalized and secure.
âď¸ Where Things Get Powerful: Admin Control
This is where AI Search becomes a business tool, not just a feature.
Admins can directly shape what users see.
đ Promote Important Content
Scenario: Employees search new windows version but do not see Windows 11 guidance.
Solution:
Create a rule that says
If query contains ânew windows versionâ â promote Windows 11 article
Now that article always appears first.
You just controlled the top result for a common query.
đŤ Hide Outdated Content
Scenario: iPhone 6 is no longer supported.
Instead of deleting it, you create a rule:
If query contains âiPhoneâ â block iPhone 6
Users stop seeing outdated items instantly.
âŹď¸ Boost VIP People in Search
You can even influence ranking based on data.
Example:
Add People as a search source
Boost users where VIP = true
Now VIP employees appear higher in People search results.
This is AI ranking powered by business logic.
𧎠Smarter Filtering With Facets
AI Search also lets you create powerful filters that work across the platform.
đ Date Filters
You can add a facet like Updated so users can filter:
Older than a year
Recently updated
Perfect for knowledge freshness.
đˇ Cross Table Tag Filtering
You can index tags from:
Knowledge articles
Catalog items
Then create one Tags filter that works across both.
Users can filter by topics like Development regardless of record type.
đ Cross Table Category Filtering
You can combine fields from multiple tables into one filter.
Example:
A single All Categories facet that filters both:
Knowledge categories
Catalog categories
Now filtering feels unified, even when data lives in different places.
đ Searching Related Record Data (Dot Walk)
This one is powerful.
You can make search look inside related records.
Example:
Search incidents by the manufacturer of the affected device.
So a search for Yahoo could return an incident because the related configuration item was made by Yahoo.
Search is no longer limited to the main record fields.
đ The Big Takeaway
AI Search in ServiceNow is not just about finding things.
It is about:
⨠Understanding user intent
đŻ Guiding users to the right outcome
đ Giving admins control over ranking and visibility
đ Searching across related data
đ§ Making search feel intelligent, not mechanical
promotion rules, boosting, blocking, synonyms, facets, and cross table indexing, you are not just improving search.
You are designing the user journey inside your platform.
And that is where AI Search becomes a serious productivity tool.
If you are working with AI Agents, Service Portals, or self service experiences, this is one of the most underrated features to master.
