List of AI Search indexed source field settings
Summarize
Summary of List of AI Search indexed source field settings
This document details configurable field settings that control how AI Search indexes and processes data from source record fields in indexed sources. Adjusting these settings allows ServiceNow customers to tailor search indexing and filtering behaviors to better suit their organizational needs.
Show less
Key Field Settings and Their Use
- dotwalkfields: Indexes reference and display values from fields on a referenced table for use in search source filters, facet filters, and EVAM search result configurations. Changes to referenced data are automatically updated in the index. This setting is not searchable; to make referenced fields searchable, use searchabledotwalkfields. Both settings can coexist for the same reference field.
- indexcalculatedfield: Enables indexing of calculated field values. Set to true to index searchable content from calculated fields; otherwise, calculated fields are ignored during indexing.
- mapto: Maps a source field to a specific AI Search index field, ensuring the index field is populated with the source field’s values. Only one mapping per source field is allowed.
- notextindex: Disables indexing of searchable content for a selected field. When set to true, the field’s values cannot be matched in searches or filters, and no index events are generated for updates. Use caution with fields like sysupdatedon on Task tables, as this affects retention policies.
- notsearchable: Disables search matching for indexed content from a field but allows filters to still match the field’s value. This helps exclude fields from search results while retaining filter functionality.
- searchabledotwalkfields: Indexes reference field values as searchable text from referenced tables. This setting requires manual reindexing to update values when referenced data changes. Values indexed this way cannot be used in search source filters; use dotwalkfields instead for filtering purposes.
Practical Considerations for Use
- Changes to field setting values generally require reindexing the source content to take effect in searches and filters.
- Reindexing is necessary after modifying settings like dotwalkfields, searchabledotwalkfields, indexcalculatedfield, mapto, and notsearchable.
- Some settings, such as notextindex, affect indexing event generation immediately but require reindexing to update search results for existing data.
- Field settings are managed as records in the AI Search Configuration Attribute table with the Applies To value set to Column, distinguishing them from other indexed source attributes.
- Proper configuration of these settings enables precise control over what content is searchable, filterable, updated automatically, or excluded from indexing, improving search relevance and performance.
Expected Outcomes
Applying these field settings allows ServiceNow customers to:
- Customize which fields and referenced data are indexed and searchable within AI Search.
- Control search filtering behavior through selective indexing of referenced fields.
- Ensure calculated fields are accurately indexed when needed.
- Prevent unnecessary indexing of fields that should not contribute to search results, optimizing index size and performance.
- Maintain up-to-date indexed data for referenced tables, either automatically or via reindexing as appropriate.
These capabilities help tailor AI Search indexing to align with business requirements, improving search accuracy, efficiency, and user experience.
You can adjust indexing behavior for source record fields in an AI Search indexed source by configuring field setting attributes and values.
For more information on creating field settings, see Create a field setting for an AI Search indexed source.
| Attribute | Description |
|---|---|
| dot_walk_fields | Index reference and display values from fields on the selected reference field's source table for use in search source filters, facet filters, and EVAM search result configurations.
AI Search automatically updates the indexed field values to reflect changes made to the referenced table's field values. For more information about search source filters, see Search sources in AI Search. For details on facet filters, see Create a facet in an AI Search application configuration.
Note: You can't search field values indexed with this field setting. To index field values from referenced tables for search, create a searchable_dot_walk_fields field setting. You can
create both dot_walk_fields and searchable_dot_walk_fields field settings for the same reference field. If you change the value of this setting for an indexed source's field, the change doesn't take effect until you reindex content from the indexed source. For reindexing steps, see Perform a full table index or reindex for a single AI Search indexed source. |
| index_calculated_field | Option to enable indexing of searchable content from calculated field values.
If your indexed source contains a calculated field, set this field setting to true for that field to correctly index its values. With a field setting value of
false or no value, AI Search ignores values from the calculated field when indexing content.
If you change the value of this setting for an indexed source's field, the change doesn't take effect until you reindex content from the indexed source. For reindexing steps, see Perform a full table index or reindex for a single AI Search indexed source. |
| map_to | Map the selected field from the indexed source table to an AI Search index field. When indexing records from the source table, AI Search populates the specified index field with the value of the selected source field.
For example, the base system's Knowledge Table indexed source maps the kb_knowledge.short_description source field to the title index field. When AI Search indexes a record from the Knowledge [kb_knowledge] table, it populates the indexed record's searchable title with the value from the source record's
short_description field.
Note: You can only define one map_to field setting for an indexed source field. If you try to define multiple map_to settings for the same
field, the system displays an error message. If you change the value of this setting for an indexed source's field, the change doesn't take effect until you reindex content from the indexed source. For reindexing steps, see Perform a full table index or reindex for a single AI Search indexed source. |
| no_text_index | Option to disable indexing of searchable content from the selected field on records from the indexed source.
If you change the value of this setting for an indexed source's field, the new value immediately affects index event generation for updates to that field, but it doesn't affect searches or filters for previously indexed records until you reindex content from the indexed source. For reindexing steps, see Perform a full table index or reindex for a single AI Search indexed source. Warning: For Customer Service and Support guidelines on setting the no_text_index option for different field types, see KB0859922 on the Now Support site.Don't set this option to true for the sys_updated_on field on the Task [task] table, tables that extend Task, or any other tables that you've configured retention policies
for. The retention policies for these tables rely on indexing of sys_updated_on field values. For more information on retention policies, see Indexed source retention policies and filter conditions. |
| not_searchable | Option to disable search matching for content indexed from the selected field.
If you change the value of this setting for an indexed source's field, the change doesn't take effect until you reindex content from the indexed source. For reindexing steps, see Perform a full table index or reindex for a single AI Search indexed source. |
| searchable_dot_walk_fields | Index reference and display values from fields on the selected reference field's source table as searchable text.
AI Search doesn't automatically update the indexed field values to reflect changes made to the referenced table's field values. To update the indexed field values, you must reindex the indexed
source. For details on this procedure, see Perform a full table index or reindex for a single AI Search indexed source.
Note: You can't use field values indexed with this field setting in search source filters. To index field values from referenced tables for use in search source filters, create a
dot_walk_fields field setting. You can create both dot_walk_fields and searchable_dot_walk_fields field settings for the same reference
field. If you change the value of this setting for an indexed source's field, the change doesn't take effect until you reindex content from the indexed source. For reindexing steps, see Perform a full table index or reindex for a single AI Search indexed source. |
This example shows how the base system's Catalog Item Table indexed source maps short_description field values from the Catalog Item [sc_cat_item] table to the AI Search index's text field for indexed records.