--- sourceDocument: Brazil ServiceNow AI Platform Administration sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-administration Release : - brazil ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Brazil ServiceNow AI Platform Administration ft:clusterId : - platadm bundleId : - platadm workflow : - Platform --- # Indexed sources # Indexed sources in AI Search {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Brazil Updated September 10, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 5 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 Indexed sources in AI Search Indexed sources in AI Search enable ServiceNow customers to designate platform tables and external document sets containing alphanumeric text and string fields for searchability. AI Search ingests this content and stores it in a search index, allowing efficient retrieval of relevant information. Indexed sources can be either internal (ServiceNow AI Platform tables) or external (documents in external repositories or remote tables). Show full answer Show less ## Indexed Source Types * **Internal indexed sources**: Index text and string fields from specified ServiceNow AI Platform tables and their child tables, excluding certain system tables that cannot be indexed. Remote tables cannot be indexed internally. * **External indexed sources**: Index content from text and string fields of documents stored outside ServiceNow or in remote tables, using external content schema references. ## Search Performance Considerations Customers should manage the following factors to optimize search speed and efficiency: * **Index size:** Larger indexes slow searches. Avoid indexing unnecessary content. * **Number of indexed sources:** More sources increase search duration even if total size remains constant. * **Number of indexed fields:** Indexing more fields increases search time regardless of index size. * **Indexing frequency:** Frequent index updates can compete with search operations for resources, affecting response time. ## Retention Policies and Filter Conditions Retention policies and filter conditions help reduce index size and update frequency by excluding old or irrelevant records (e.g., records older than two years or with specific statuses). These settings also trigger automatic purging of stale records to maintain index efficiency. Retention policies are mandatory for indexing Task \[task\] tables and their extensions, and optional for others. ## Indexed Source Configuration * **Attributes:** Control indexing behavior at the record level. * **Field settings:** Control indexing behavior for individual fields on records. These configurations allow fine-tuning of what and how content is indexed. ## Indexing Behavior and Limitations * AI Search automatically indexes changes (create, update, delete) in configured source tables and child tables. * Unmodified records are indexed only during a full table index operation. * Numeric fields are not searchable by value unless copied into text or string fields. * Knowledge article indexing includes knowledge block content by default, but administrators can exclude it if desired. * Only one active indexed source per ServiceNow AI Platform table is permitted; duplicates from plugins or applications are made inactive by default. ## Additional Features * **Guardrails:** Controls to limit task and alert records indexed, improving performance. * **Semantic index configuration:** Simplifies setup for semantic indexing using the Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) framework. * **Catalog variable content indexing:** Optionally enable indexing of variables on Catalog Item records, with configuration for eligible items and variables. ## Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers By correctly configuring indexed sources, retention policies, and field settings, customers can optimize AI Search to deliver fast, relevant search results across internal and external content. Managing index size and update frequency improves search responsiveness, while features like semantic indexing and catalog variable indexing extend AI Search capabilities to diverse content types. This enables more efficient knowledge discovery and enhanced user experience within the ServiceNow platform. Indexed sources designate ServiceNow AI Platform® tables and external document sets with alphanumeric text and string field content that you want to make searchable. AI Search ingests text and string fields from table records or external documents and stores their searchable alphanumeric content in its search index. For instructions on creating an indexed source, see [Create an indexed source](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/76DQ3~2TY11eH17kKEhX3A "Define an indexed source to make content and metadata from ServiceNow AI Platform table records searchable using AI Search."). ## Indexed source types {#indexed-sources-ais__section_fbz_g54_3nb} AI Search supports the following indexed source types. Internal indexed source : An internal indexed source retrieves alphanumeric content and metadata from text and string fields on ServiceNow AI Platform records. It includes a unique name and a reference to a ServiceNow AI Platform table with records that you want to make searchable. AI Search extracts and indexes searchable alphanumeric content and metadata from text and string fields on records in this table and in any of its child tables that you configure for indexing. : AI Search excludes some ServiceNow AI Platform tables from indexing. You can't define indexed sources for these excluded tables or their derived tables. For a list of excluded tables, see [ServiceNow AI Platform tables excluded from AI Search indexing](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/jBPC7LivIXfZ616z9Fd~Xw "AI Search excludes the following ServiceNow AI Platform tables when indexing content. You can't configure these tables, or tables derived from them, as AI Search indexed sources."). : You can't index [remote tables](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=remote-tables&version=brazil&pubname=brazil-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US) with internal indexed sources. To index content from a remote table, create an external indexed source. External indexed source : An external indexed source retrieves alphanumeric content and metadata from text and string fields of documents in an external repository or a [remote table](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=remote-tables&version=brazil&pubname=brazil-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US). It includes a unique name and a reference to an external content schema table instead of a ServiceNow AI Platform table. For more details on configuring indexed sources for external content, see [Indexing and searching external content in AI Search](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Pzn_JkCqE1ckEKhuzCeBXg "With a subscription for the External Content for AI Search plugin, you can enable AI Search users to search content and metadata from documents in external repositories and remote tables."). Note: AI Search doesn't index Unicode characters from the High Surrogate Area (code units in the range U+D800 to U+DBFF). Characters from this range are replaced with spaces during indexing. ## Search performance considerations for indexing {#indexed-sources-ais__id_bzn_2b1_5jc} Search performance for AI Search is affected by several customer-controlled factors related to content indexing. Changes to these factors can impact search performance as follows. Index size : Indexing more content produces a larger index, which takes more time to search. Avoid indexing content that isn't needed for search. : Indexing large source tables, such as the Task \[task\] table and tables that extend it, can add significant numbers of records to the AI Search index. Number of indexed sources : An index with more indexed sources takes longer to search than one with fewer indexed sources. This is true even if the two indexes are the same size. Number of indexed fields : Increasing the number of fields you index across your indexed sources makes the system take longer to find search results. This effect is independent of index size and number of indexed sources. Indexing frequency : The more often your indexed content is synchronized and updated, the more often search will compete with indexing for compute resources, increasing search response time. This is especially pertinent for indexed sources with frequently modified fields. ## Indexed source retention policies and filter conditions {#indexed-sources-ais__id_k3x_fc1_5jc} To limit the size of your index and the frequency of index updates, you can define retention policies and filter conditions for your indexed sources.{#indexed-sources-ais__retention-policies-filter-conditions-p1} As an example, you can define a retention policy for an indexed source to exclude records that are more than two years old. This policy keeps your search results more current and reduces the size of your index. Changes made to the excluded records don't trigger index updates, so this policy also reduces indexing frequency.{#indexed-sources-ais__retention-policies-filter-conditions-p2} Similarly, you can define a filter condition for an indexed source that excludes source table records with a specific status, such as Open. This filter condition reduces the number of records indexed from the source table, which in turn reduces the total amount of data you index. Excluding open records that have frequent updates also reduces indexing frequency.{#indexed-sources-ais__retention-policies-filter-conditions-p3} AI Search also uses your retention policy and filter condition settings to automatically purge stale records from the index, reducing its size.{#indexed-sources-ais__retention-policies-filter-conditions-p4} To learn more about creating retention policies and filter conditions for your indexed sources, see [Indexed source retention policies and filter conditions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/IeAlbcMzCA9NmXMh9CMSpA "To limit the set of records indexed from source tables, you can configure retention policies and filter conditions for your indexed sources. AI Search also uses these settings to automatically purge stale records from the index, optimizing search performance.").{#indexed-sources-ais__retention-policies-filter-conditions-p5} Note: Retention policies are required for indexed sources that index records from the Task \[task\] table or tables that extend it. They are optional for other indexed sources. ## Indexed source attributes and field settings {#indexed-sources-ais__section_o2k_yft_xqb} You can configure attributes and field settings for an indexed source to control indexing behavior for source records. Attributes control the indexed source's behavior at the record level, while field settings define its behavior for individual fields on indexed records. For more information, including lists of available attributes and field settings, see [Indexed source attributes for AI Search](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/J7ZDCfsp8uAsZkyeLkwGMQ "An indexed source attribute defines indexing behavior for all records from an indexed source.") and [Field settings for AI Search](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/dKgTUCJlo3PwWPP7gzPVNg "A field setting controls indexing behavior for a specified field (column) on all records from an indexed source."). ## Indexing content from an indexed source {#indexed-sources-ais__section_awl_hgt_xqb} After you define an indexed source, AI Search begins automatically indexing to reflect changes to records in the selected source table and its specified child tables. The results of all record create, update, and delete operations in these tables are reflected in the search index. AI Search doesn't index content from unmodified records in these tables until you perform a full table index. For more information on indexing behavior, including steps for full table indexing, see [Indexing content from AI Search indexed sources](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Dqb4xP5PpTcjtS0riLRicQ "AI Search indexes records on indexed source tables to make their content searchable."). Note: The pre-configured indexed sources included with AI Search only index content from text and string fields on source records. When searching records from these indexed sources, you can use numeric fields to facet or filter your search results, but you can't find records using their numeric field values. To search on a record's numeric field values, copy them into a text or string field so they can be indexed. ## Indexing content from knowledge articles {#indexed-sources-ais__section_rfb_ldq_xdc} When indexing content from records in the Knowledge \[kb_knowledge\] table, AI Search defaults to including content defined in knowledge blocks. Administrators can override this default behavior and configure AI Search to exclude content from knowledge blocks when indexing knowledge articles. For details on making this change, see [Exclude knowledge block content from the AI Search index](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bpan_S4ODeQ5nTQ~ENIW6g "Prevent AI Search from indexing content found in your knowledge blocks."). ## Multiple indexed sources for the same ServiceNow AI Platform table {#indexed-sources-ais__section_clb_vmk_gtb} You can't create more than one indexed source for a single ServiceNow AI Platform table. However, plugins and applications may define duplicate indexed sources for a ServiceNow AI Platform table. For example, the base system includes an indexed source defined for the User \[sys_user\] table, but a plugin or application might define a second indexed source for this table under a different name. Note: Only one indexed source can be active at a time for a given ServiceNow AI Platform table. The system makes duplicate indexed sources for a table inactive by default. Before you can make one of these duplicate sources active, you must edit the currently active source and make it inactive. AI Search only indexes content and metadata from active indexed sources. * **[Create an indexed source](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/76DQ3~2TY11eH17kKEhX3A)** Define an indexed source to make content and metadata from ServiceNow AI Platform® table records searchable using AI Search. * **[Indexed source retention policies and filter conditions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/IeAlbcMzCA9NmXMh9CMSpA)** To limit the set of records indexed from source tables, you can configure retention policies and filter conditions for your indexed sources. AI Search also uses these settings to automatically purge stale records from the index, optimizing search performance. * **[Indexed source guardrails](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/w~E~GBmEtMZqjLk9TsB0lw)** Reduce index size and increase search performance with guardrails that limit the number of task and alert source records indexed from indexed sources. * **[Semantic index configuration for indexed sources](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/~frqE0djROccjBuSa7ligQ)** The AI Search generalized RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) framework offers a streamlined way to configure semantic indexing settings for records indexed from ServiceNow AI Platform® tables. * **[Exclude knowledge block content from the AI Search index](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bpan_S4ODeQ5nTQ~ENIW6g)** Prevent AI Search from indexing content found in your knowledge blocks. * **[Activate indexing of catalog variable content on Catalog Item records](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zKLyOQYxuw2XvWDV0Qvirw)** Activate indexing of searchable content from variables on Catalog Item records. Configure the set of Catalog Items eligible for catalog variable indexing and the set of variables to index. * **[Indexed source attributes for AI Search](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/J7ZDCfsp8uAsZkyeLkwGMQ)** An indexed source attribute defines indexing behavior for all records from an indexed source. * **[Field settings for AI Search](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/dKgTUCJlo3PwWPP7gzPVNg)** A field setting controls indexing behavior for a specified field (column) on all records from an indexed source. * **[Indexing content from AI Search indexed sources](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Dqb4xP5PpTcjtS0riLRicQ)** AI Search indexes records on indexed source tables to make their content searchable.