Sort Option form

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Sort Option form

    The Sort Option form in ServiceNow's AI Search application configuration allows you to create search result sort options. These options control how search results are ordered within the search application's sort menu, enabling users to sort by specific fields such as dates, numbers, or strings from configured data sources.

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    Key Features

    • Label: Defines the display name of the sort option in the search UI, helping users understand the sorting criteria.
    • Sort Field: Specifies the source table field or common AI Search index field used to sort results. Supported fields include date, number, and string types. The field can be qualified by the indexed source table name (e.g., kbknowledge.author) or unqualified for common index fields (e.g., title, language).
    • Sorting on Parent and Child Table Fields: You can sort on fields from a parent table, which includes data from child tables, or on fields unique to a child table by qualifying with the parent table name. This ensures comprehensive sorting across related data structures.
    • Application Scope: Automatically set to define the relevant application context for the sort option.
    • Ascending Option: Enables sorting in ascending (A to Z) or descending (Z to A) order based on user preference.
    • Active Option: Activates or deactivates the sort option for availability in the search application.

    Important Considerations

    • If you specify a sort field of an unsupported type or one not linked correctly in the search application’s indexed sources, an error is shown when saving.
    • The indexed source must be linked to the parent search application configuration’s search profile to use the sort field.
    • Do not use child table names as qualifiers; always use the parent table name to ensure proper sorting behavior.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    By configuring sort options with the Sort Option form, you enable end users to organize search results in meaningful ways that align with your data structure and business needs. This improves search result usability and efficiency, empowering users to find relevant information faster within AI Search applications.

    The Sort Option form enables you to create a search result sort option in the search application configuration for an AI Search application.

    For details on creating or editing search result sort options, see Search result sort options in AI Search application configurations.

    Table 1. Sort Option form
    Field Description
    Label Label displayed for the search result sort option in the search application's sort menu.
    Sort Field Name of a source table field or common index field that the sort option uses to sort search results.
    The sort field can be a date, number, or string field.
    Note:
    If you specify a sort field of an unsupported type, an error message appears when you attempt to save the sort option.
    Supports the following formats:
    Qualified [indexed_source_table_name].[field_name] entry

    Sort search results on their values from the specified table's field.

    For example, enter kb_knowledge.author to sort search results by their Author field values.
    Note:
    The parent search application configuration's linked search profile must include a search source derived from the specified indexed source table. If this condition isn't met, an error message appears when you attempt to save the sort option.
    Unqualified common index field name

    Sort search results on their values from the specified common AI Search index field.

    For example, enter title to sort search results based on their titles, or language to sort search results based on their language.

    The [indexed_source_table_name] qualifier must be the name of a table specified in an indexed source. Don't specify indexed source child table names for this qualifier.

    Special cases include:
    Sorting on parent table fields

    If you specify an indexed source parent table's field in a sort option, AI Search includes values from the same field on child tables from the indexed source.

    For example, suppose you create an indexed source for custom table Parent [u_parent] which is extended by custom table Child [u_child], and then specify u_parent.author as the field for a sort option. When a user applies the sort option, AI Search uses both u_parent.author and u_child.author field values to sort the search result list.

    Sorting on child table fields

    You can specify a field that's unique to an indexed source's child table as a sort option field.

    Continuing the previous example, if your Child [u_child] table includes an Editor field that's not present on the Parent [u_parent] table, you can define u_parent.editor as a sort option field to sort search result s using this field's values.
    Note:
    Be sure to specify the parent table's name as the qualifier, not the child table's name.
    Application Application scope for the search result sort option. This field is automatically set.
    Ascending Option to make the search result sort option display results in ascending order (a to z). Clear this option to make the search result sort option display results in descending order (z to a).
    Active Option to activate the search result sort option for use in the search application.