Enable indexing of attachments for an AI Search indexed source

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated July 28, 2025
  • 1 minute to read

    • Configure an indexed source attribute to enable indexing of content from attachments found on records from an indexed source.

    Before you begin

    Role required: ais_admin

    About this task

    By default, AI Search indexes searchable content and metadata (such as file size and date) for attachments found on source table records. Indexing supports the following attachment file formats:
    • Active Server Page Extended (.aspx)
    • Hypertext Markup Language (.html, .htm)
    • Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx)
    • Microsoft PowerPoint (.pot, .potx, .ppt, .pptm, .pptx)
    • Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx, .dot, .dotx)
    • Plain Text (.txt)
    • Portable Document Format (.pdf) with searchable text
    Note:
    The maximum file size for binary files is 25 MB. Keyword indexing processes up to the first 1MB of text. Use semantic search to index data containing between 1MB and 25 MB of text.
    AI Search provides limited support for encrypted record attachments:
    • When indexing an encrypted attachment, AI Search extracts metadata such as the attachment file's size and date, but it doesn't extract searchable content.
    • The encrypted attachment's MIME type is detected as application/octet-stream.
    • No feedback for the encrypted attachment appears in ingestion log messages.
    Attachment indexing is controlled by an indexed source's index_attachments attribute:
    • true (default value): Attachments are indexed for records from the indexed source.
    • false: Attachments aren't indexed for records from the indexed source.

    The following procedure explains how to make sure this attribute is set to true for an indexed source. For more general instructions on defining indexed source attributes, see Create an indexed source attribute in AI Search.

    Procedure

    1. Navigate to All > AI Search > AI Search Index > Indexed Sources.
    2. Open the indexed source that you want to verify or change attachment indexing for.
    3. In the Advanced Configuration related list, check for an index_attachments attribute with value false.
      Note:
      If no index_attachments attribute exists in the related list, or the attribute exists with value true, attachment indexing is already enabled for the indexed source. No further steps are required.
    4. Open the index_attachments attribute and change its value from false to true.

    Result

    Attachment indexing is enabled for the indexed source.

    What to do next

    If you changed the index_attachments attribute's value from false to true, reindex content for the indexed source. For details on reindexing, see Perform a full table index or reindex for a single AI Search indexed source.