--- sourceDocument: Australia ServiceNow AI Platform Administration sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/platform-administration Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia ServiceNow AI Platform Administration ft:clusterId : - platadm bundleId : - platadm workflow : - Platform --- # Custom Connector Gateway external content connector # Custom Connector Gateway external content connector {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated October 21, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Custom Connector Gateway external content connector The Custom Connector Gateway external content connector enables ServiceNow AI Search applications to make content and metadata from external source systems searchable. Unlike standard connectors that crawl content and permissions, this connector acts as a receiver for content and security principal data pushed by your own custom connector via the Custom Connector Gateway API. This approach allows you to retrieve and manage indexing of content and metadata on your terms, using a custom connector that periodically crawls your source system and submits data for indexing in your ServiceNow AI Platform instance. Show full answer Show less ## How It Works * Your custom connector periodically crawls the source system to gather document content, metadata, and security principal details. * It sends add and delete requests for these items to the ingest gateway host using the Custom Connector Gateway API. * The ingest gateway host forwards these requests to the Custom Connector Gateway connector running on your ServiceNow AI Platform instance. * The connector processes the data for indexing, making it searchable within AI Search applications. * Indexed content is stored in connector-specific indexed sources, which search administrators can link to search profiles to enable search functionality. ## Key Components * **Custom Connector:** Your implementation that retrieves source data and pushes it via API. * **Ingest Gateway Host:** A ServiceNow-hosted server that receives API requests from your connector and routes them to your AI Platform instance; note that availability may vary by datacenter region. * **ServiceNow AI Platform Instance:** Hosts the Custom Connector Gateway connector, indexes the data, and integrates with AI Search. ## Configuration and Prerequisites * Configure your ServiceNow AI Platform instance to support the Custom Connector Gateway by following the specific setup steps. * Identify the hostname of the ingest gateway host associated with your AI Platform instance for API communication. * Retrieve the unique sysid of your Custom Connector Gateway external content connector, which is needed for authentication and API operations involving JWTs. * Create a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector within your AI Platform instance to receive and index data. ## Schema and API Usage The connector uses a default schema with predefined fields for content item metadata. Your custom connector should utilize these fields in the requests it sends to the Custom Connector Gateway API to ensure proper indexing and searchability of the content. ## Customer Benefits * Enables integration of virtually any external content source into ServiceNow AI Search by leveraging a custom connector. * Provides control over content retrieval and submission, avoiding dependency on ServiceNow crawling processes. * Supports indexing of both content and security principals, preserving search security and relevance. * Allows search administrators to manage and configure search sources and profiles for tailored search experiences. The Custom Connector Gateway external content connector makes a source system's content and metadata searchable in AI Search applications. Retrieve content, metadata, and users with your own custom connector and push that data to the gateway connector using the Custom Connector Gateway API. Unlike other external content connectors, the Custom Connector Gateway connector doesn't run content or user permission crawls to retrieve content and security principals from the source system. Instead, it serves as a way for your custom connector to submit retrieved content and security principals for indexing via the Custom Connector Gateway API. The process of indexing searchable content from your source system with a custom connector looks like this: 1. Your custom connector executes periodic crawls to retrieve document content and metadata and security principal details from your source system. 2. During each crawl, your custom connector submits add and delete requests for documents and security principals to the `xcc-ingest` Custom Connector Gateway API endpoint on your ingest gateway host. 3. The ingest gateway host transmits document and security principal add and delete requests submitted via the Custom Connector Gateway API to the Custom Connector Gateway connector running on your ServiceNow AI Platform instance. 4. On your ServiceNow AI Platform® instance, the Custom Connector Gateway connector feeds the retrieved data to AI Search for indexing, making it searchable in your AI Search applications. {#custom-connector-gateway-external-content-connector__ol_sgx_x5h_gjc} The indexed content and metadata are stored as records in a connector-specific indexed source. Search administrators can create search sources from this indexed source and link them to search profiles to make the indexed records searchable in AI Search applications. To learn more about developing a custom connector, see [Implementing a custom connector](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/mAdNFVn7~jk0bF~0678LMQ "Your custom connector retrieves content, metadata, and security principals from a system of your choice. It runs on your local or cloud server and uses the Custom Connector Gateway API to send its retrieved data to a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector defined on your ServiceNow AI Platform instance. The Custom Connector Gateway connector feeds the retrieved data to AI Search for indexing."). For details on the endpoint and operations available in the Custom Connector Gateway API, see [Custom Connector Gateway API](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=custom-connector-gateway-api&version=australia&pubname=australia-api-reference&ft:locale=en-US). ## Custom Connector Gateway prerequisites {#custom-connector-gateway-external-content-connector__section_rmf_zcl_hjc} Before you can use the Custom Connector Gateway connector, you must configure your ServiceNow AI Platform instance to satisfy the connector's prerequisites. For details on this procedure, see [Configure your ServiceNow AI Platform instance to support the Custom Connector Gateway](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/CIh50aCUCVSOnngdJ1Ul3Q "Configure settings in your ServiceNow AI Platform instance to satisfy the prerequisites for the Custom Connector Gateway."). ## The ingest gateway host {#custom-connector-gateway-external-content-connector__section_prk_b33_njc} The ingest gateway host is a server provided by ServiceNow to facilitate Custom Connector Gateway API operations. It's distinct from both your ServiceNow AI Platform instance and your AI Search node. Note: Architectural components for ingest gateway hosts are deployed in ServiceNow regional datacenters. If your ServiceNow AI Platform instance is hosted in an in-country datacenter, check with your ServiceNow contact to confirm whether ingest gateway hosts are supported in your in-country datacenter before beginning implementation. * **[Implementing a custom connector](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/mAdNFVn7~jk0bF~0678LMQ)** Your custom connector retrieves content, metadata, and security principals from a system of your choice. It runs on your local or cloud server and uses the Custom Connector Gateway API to send its retrieved data to a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector defined on your ServiceNow AI Platform® instance. The Custom Connector Gateway connector feeds the retrieved data to AI Search for indexing. * **[Find the hostname for your ingest gateway host](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/mADjXa6L5luQX17cmiJdzg)** Look up the hostname for the ingest gateway host associated with your ServiceNow AI Platform® instance. Your custom connector needs this hostname to send its Custom Connector Gateway API requests to the proper host. * **[Get the sys_id for a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/KWn9HYXs7m_59dNHitFB3A)** Retrieve the sys_id for a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector. This sys_id value is required when creating or retrieving a Java Web Token (JWT) using the Custom Connector Gateway API. * **[Configure your ServiceNow AI Platform instance to support the Custom Connector Gateway](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/CIh50aCUCVSOnngdJ1Ul3Q)** Configure settings in your ServiceNow AI Platform instance to satisfy the prerequisites for the Custom Connector Gateway. * **[Create a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/DPa97REzxRM6hygNeG8cfw)** Create a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector to index searchable content and security principals retrieved by your custom connector implementation. * **[Custom Connector Gateway default schema fields](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/VPW8jYhVPriQF0sYc~3EOg)** The default schema for Custom Connector Gateway external content connectors includes predefined fields to store content item metadata. Use these fields in requests your custom connector sends to the Custom Connector Gateway API endpoint.