---
sourceDocument: Zurich ServiceNow AI Platform Administration
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/platform-administration

 Release :

    - zurich

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Zurich ServiceNow AI Platform Administration

ft:clusterId :

    - platadm

bundleId :

    - platadm

workflow :

    - Platform


---

# Zing removes stop words from queries

# Zing removes stop words from queries {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Zurich
* 
* Updated July 31, 2025
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read

Remove common words from search queries that don't produce meaningful results.

Stop words are common words that aren't indexed because they aren't meaningful in search results. Articles, conjunctions, personal pronouns, and prepositions are examples of stop words that aren't used in keyword searches.
Administrators can configure stop words for all indexed tables and for specific tables.

By default, the system maintains two types of stop words.  
{#stop-words-removed-from-queries__table_kk3_hjq_1z__entry__2}

| Stop word type | Description |
|-|-|
| System-wide text index stop words | The system always ignores system-wide text index stop words when generating text indexes. Any search for a system-wide stop word returns no search results. |
| Table-specific stop words | The system uses the table-specific Text Index record to determine whether to index the stop word or to just remove it from keyword search queries against the table. |
[Table 1. Types of stop words]

{#stop-words-removed-from-queries__table_kk3_hjq_1z}

By default, the system has stops words for common English words. Search administrators typically create stop words from search terms that produce too many search results such as articles, conjunctions, personal pronouns, and
prepositions.
* **[Configure a global stop word](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/HM14ZkuY9PXZxzxzB1CO6w)**   
  Configure stop words that shouldn't be indexed by the search.
* **[Configure a table-specific stop word](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/fkCmSQrh2yAVRTM9isIVHg)**   
  You can configure stop words for a specific table.
* **[Enable automatic stop words for a table](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/NLc01sZnfRwEGVi1Z9irmg)**   
  The system can identify and generate stop words when a search term exceeds an occurrence threshold.
* **[Disable a stop word in Zing](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/IvgiZyaVo2rKLlrzbKSAFg)**   
  Configure Zing to return results for text search terms that match a stop word's stemmed form.

**Related concepts**   

* [Available search options](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/PpTkvbh2xsxpCqGqiV8sCw "Zing offers users several search interfaces and search operators to conduct text searches.")
* [Global search finds records from multiple tables](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/0~Y~WuKbZ5jof3zO_NPSSw "Search multiple record types from a single search field.")
* [Zing generates search results in four phases](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/wqp~PV57nJIWpffyXh5pmA "Generate search results by dividing documents among shards, searching shard documents, scoring shard documents, and merging scores into an index.")
* [Zing filters search results with access controls](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/yo~xsxZe9LRiEF5bH_ICyw "Zing filters search results to only display records the user can access.")
* [Zing computes document scores using three components](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/cqrO8HZZUovi1FTpbJMVfQ "The Zing search engine computes document scores based on the frequency, sequence, and weight of search terms in the document.")
* [Zing indexes words](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/NAl9YpUEiJzNoQczDFC9qA "Index documents by dividing them into words. Depending on the languages your instance supports, a word may be a single character such as a Chinese or Japanese pictogram or a sequence of characters separated by spaces such as with Latin, Arabic, and Pinyin languages.")
* [Zing can include attachments in search results](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/oXXdLVzB2Yp7G2pIaggEEw "Search content from attachments on indexed tables. Display attachments for search results from the Knowledge [kb_knowledge] table.")
* [Zing matches derived words with stemming](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/OtFhLj5MRUgPDgrjN7aGKg "Convert any multiple-character search keyword to its stem form to find derived versions of the word.")
* [Zing can expand search results with synonyms](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Fg7~Ex710hROeHhsaHzZhw "Expand search results to include additional search terms.")
* [Zing displays search suggestions as users enter search terms](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/QyIXIWg6Dxa4_xzYPGeLFA "Display possible search query completions as users enter search terms.")  
**Related reference**   

* [Features of Zing text indexing and search engine](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/vU~x~UbL5xXQbtnAZzt2TA "Enable and configure Zing text indexing and search engine features.")
* [Installed with Zing](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/LPCjYyVdDqvuE6BRBnQANA "Several types of components are installed with Zing.")