Rule - Action Mapping form

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Rule - Action Mapping form

    The Rule - Action Mapping form in ServiceNow's AI Search allows you to link boost actions to result improvement rules within a search profile. This enables you to enhance the relevancy of search results by applying various types of boosts based on specific criteria.

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    Key Features

    • Label: Unique identifier for each boost action.
    • Type and Application: Automatically set to "Boost Action" and the current application scope.
    • Order: Defines the sequence in which boost actions are evaluated within a result improvement rule.
    • Boost Type: Supports multiple boost strategies:
      • Boost All Documents In Indexed Source: Applies a relevancy boost to every search result from the specified source.
      • Boost By User Context (dynamic): Applies boost if a result’s field matches a dynamically populated user context value.
      • Boost By Field Match (static): Applies boost if a result’s field matches a specified static value.
      • Boost By Synonym Dictionary: Applies boost if a result’s field matches any synonym in a selected dictionary.
    • Indexed Source: The data source whose search results are subject to the boost action.
    • Boost Weight: An integer modifier that adjusts relevancy scores positively or negatively. Each unit changes relevancy by 0.1% of the original score. Positive weights increase relevancy, while negative weights decrease it, potentially lowering results to the bottom of the list.
    • When Field and Related Parameters:
      • When: Specifies the field to evaluate in the indexed source, required for dynamic, static, or synonym-based boosts.
      • Matches the Searcher's Dynamically Populated User Context: Used with dynamic boosts to match user context elements.
      • Contains: Used with static boosts to specify the fixed value to match.
      • Matches A Synonym Dictionary: Used with synonym boosts to specify the synonym set.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    By configuring Rule - Action Mappings, you can precisely control how AI Search prioritizes and ranks search results to tailor relevancy dynamically or statically based on your organizational data and user context. This capability enhances the search experience by promoting more relevant results, improving user satisfaction and efficiency.

    Understanding boost weights and their cumulative effect allows you to fine-tune search result rankings, combining multiple boost actions to achieve the desired relevancy outcome.

    The Rule - Action Mapping form enables you to link a boost action to a result improvement rule in an AI Search search profile.

    For information on configuring boost actions in result improvement rules, see Boost search results using a result improvement rule.

    Table 1. Rule - Action Mapping form
    Field Description
    Label Unique label for the boost action.
    Type Action type. This field is automatically set to Boost Action.
    Application Application scope for the boost action. This field is automatically set to the name of the current application.
    Order Order of evaluation for the boost action in the context of the result improvement rule.
    Boost Action
    Boost Type Type of boost the action applies to search results from the selected indexed source.
    Supported types include:
    • Boost All Documents In Indexed Source: Applies relevancy boost to every search result from the indexed source.
    • Boost By User Context (dynamic): Applies relevancy boost to search results from the indexed source if they include a value for the selected field that matches a field value specified in the dynamically populated user context.
    • Boost By Field Match (static): Applies relevancy boost to search results from the indexed source if they include a value for the selected field that matches a specified static value.
    • Boost By Synonym Dictionary: Applies relevancy boost to search results from the indexed source if they include a value for the selected field that matches any synonym defined in a synonym dictionary.
    Indexed Source Reference to an indexed source. The boost action only applies to search results for records from this indexed source.
    Boost Weight Integer value that AI Search uses to alter the relevancy scores for search results affected by the boost action. Boost weights can be positive or negative.

    Positive boost weights increase the relevancy scores for boosted search results. Each boost weight of 1 increases a boosted search result's relevancy score by 0.1% of its original value. For example, if you set a boost weight of 100, you increase each boosted search result's relevancy by +10%, so a search result with an original relevancy score of 60 gets a final relevancy score of 66. Setting a boost weight of 1000 adds +100%, doubling the relevancy scores for boosted search results.

    Negative boost weights reduce the relevancy scores for boosted search results. Each boost weight of –1 reduces a boosted result's relevancy score by 0.1% of its original value. As an example, if you set a boost weight of –150, you reduce a boosted search result's relevancy by 15%, so a search result with an original relevancy score of 100 gets a final relevancy score of 85. Any boost weight of –1000 or lower reduces a boosted search result's relevancy score to 0, causing it to appear at the end of the search result list.

    When a single search result is affected by multiple boost actions, AI Search adds the individual boost weights together to determine the total relevancy score modifier. For example, a search result boosted by three rules with boost weights 100, 150, and –25 has a total boost weight of 225, increasing its final relevancy score by 22.5% of its original value.
    When Name of a field from the selected indexed source. This field appears only when you select Boost By User Context (dynamic), Boost By Field Match (static), or Boost By Synonym Dictionary as the boost type.
    Matches the Searcher's Dynamically populated user context element to compare with a search result's value for the field selected in the When field. This field appears only when you select Boost By User Context (dynamic) as the boost type.

    The choice list displays the source table and field for each user context element. As an example, the Language user context element is populated using the User [sys_user] table's language field value for the search user.
    Contains Static value to compare with a search result's value for the field selected in the When field. This field appears only when you select Boost By Field Match (static) as the boost type.
    Matches A Synonym Dictionary Synonym dictionary to check for synonyms that match a search result's value for the field selected in the When field. This field appears only when you select Boost By Synonym Dictionary as the boost type.