Explore and Search view in Service Graph Workspace

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated February 9, 2026
  • 5 minutes to read
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    Summary of Explore and Search view in Service Graph Workspace

    The Explore and Search view in Service Graph Workspace allows ServiceNow customers to efficiently navigate and search the Configuration Management Database (CMDB) without needing in-depth knowledge of its data model. This functionality supports finding configuration items (CIs) and related data via contexts mapped to CI classes or natural language search powered by AI.

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    Access this feature by navigating to Workspaces > Service Graph Workspace and selecting the Explore and Search icon. User roles required include sncmdbuser, sncmdbeditor, or sncmdbadmin.

    Explore Functionality

    Explore provides two modes for browsing classes and CIs:

    • Contexts mode: Displays a hierarchical navigation of classes grouped by categories (contexts). This mode requires the Service Graph Workspace - Content store app and its dependencies, such as the Data Model Navigator store app, which enable context definitions and quick class filters.
    • Classes mode: Shows top-level contexts expanding into lists of classes. Available if the Content store app is not installed, using existing CMDB group definitions for navigation.

    In either mode, users can drill down to view CIs in the selected context or group, apply quick filters common to all classes in the list, and open individual CIs in the CI Form for detailed management.

    Search Functionality

    The Search tab supports multiple modes to query the service graph data:

    • AI Search: Utilizes Now Assist AI-driven natural language search to interpret and optimize queries. Requires activation of the Now Assist skill Search result classifier and installation of the Now Assist for CMDB version 3.0 store app.
    • Intelligent Search: Provides Natural Language Query (NLQ) capabilities allowing users to type search queries in everyday language with dynamic suggestions. It supports multi-table queries, advanced filtering, and relationship traversal. Results display in paginated lists with options to load more or all results (up to system limits).
    • Conditional Search: Offers a basic condition builder to specify filters on CIs by class and related lists, useful for precise queries without natural language input.

    When search queries include ambiguities, users are guided to refine them by selecting appropriate CI classes before executing the query. Feedback mechanisms allow users to submit comments on search results to their CMDB administrators.

    Additional features include:

    • Sample searches for common or complex query examples.
    • Your recent searches list for quick reruns.
    • System properties to control record count limits for performance optimization.
    • Integration with the CMDB Query Builder for advanced query editing.

    Practical Considerations

    To fully leverage Explore by contexts, ensure the Service Graph Workspace - Content store app and its dependencies are installed. For AI Search capabilities, install and configure Now Assist components accordingly.

    User roles such as sncmdbuser, sncmdbeditor, or sncmdbadmin are required for access, while serviceviewer and appserviceuser roles relate to access control on specific service and outage records.

    This functionality helps ServiceNow customers quickly locate and manage CMDB data, improving operational efficiency and data accuracy without requiring deep CMDB schema knowledge.

    Search through CMDB tables without having detailed knowledge of the CMDB data model by using contexts that are mapped to CI classes as navigation. Use natural language with the AI-driven search to search the CMDB and related data.

    Access

    Navigate to Workspaces > Service Graph Workspace, and then in the navigation panel, select the Explore and Search icon.

    Role required: sn_cmdb_user, sn_cmdb_editor, or sn_cmdb_admin

    Explore

    Explore classes and CIs using one of the following exploration modes:
    Contexts

    The top-level contexts expand into a hierarchy of contexts (where classes are grouped by categories). As you expand navigation entries, the next level of contexts appears.

    This option is available only if the Service Graph Workspace - Content store app is installed. The Service Graph Workspace - Content app automatically installs all its dependent apps, such as the Data Model Navigator store app. The Service Graph Workspace - Content store app and its dependent apps enable the Explore by contexts option, and provide the contexts definitions and the quick class filters used in the CI list views.

    Classes

    The top-level contexts expand into lists of classes.

    If the Service Graph Workspace - Content store app isn't installed, then Explore by classes is the only mode of exploration available. In this case, existing CMDB groups definitions in which type = CMDB Workspace are used to organize the navigation panel. For more information, see CMDB groups.

    In either exploration mode, you can drill-down to see a list of CIs that belongs to the selected context or CMDB group.

    In the CIs list view you can:
    • Use the class quick filters to filter the list of the CIs by fields. Only filters that are common to all the CI classes in the list, appear (if there are none, then no class quick filters appear).
    • Select a CI to open it in CI Form. For more information, see Manage CI details using CI Form in Service Graph Workspace.

    Search

    Select the Search tab to search through the service graph data. Search provides the following modes of operation where depending on system configurations and usage, each mode might produce different search results:
    AI search

    Lets you access a Now Assist AI-driven search using natural language. Now Assist analyzes your search utterance to determine the optimum search method, shows the results, and then lets you refine the search using natural language in the Now Assist panel.

    To use this AI search, the Now Assist skill Search result classifier, must be activated. The Search result classifier skill is available starting with Now Assist for CMDB version 3.0 store app, which must be installed.

    For more information, see Search the Service Graph database using natural language.

    Intelligent Search

    Lets you use Natural Language Query (NLQ) search capabilities provided by Intelligent Search for CMDB.

    If the Now Assist store app and the Search result classifier skill requirements for AI search aren't met, the system defaults to using Intelligent Search to search service graph data.

    Intelligent Search

    Accessible to: CMDB Admin, CMDB Editor, CMDB User.

    Lets you use Natural Language Query (NLQ) search capabilities provided by Intelligent Search for CMDB. Use the input field to construct a search string using everyday language. As you type, a dynamic list of relevant suggestions appears, with items matching single words or part phrases in the typed-in text, such as table names.

    You can:
    • Select Search tips to see tips about constructing search strings. See details about the usage, examples for single and multi-table search, advanced filtering, and relationships in Intelligent Search.
    • Select Search to either run the query if the search string is already fully converted into a valid CMDB query, or to open the Refine your query dialog box.
      • If the search string has no ambiguities with the table name or relationships, then the query runs and the results appear in a list view format.

        Only the first 100 results of the query appear in the results pane.
        • Select Load More Results to view the next set of 100 results.
        • Select Load All Results to view the rest of the query results, up to the number specified by the glide.cmdb.query.max_results_limit system property (10,000 by default).

        If the constructed CMDB query contains more than a single table, then the View in Query Builder button appears. Select the button to open the CMDB Query Builder with your query fully constructed on the Query Builder canvas. You can use the Query Builder to continue editing the query.

      • If there are any ambiguities with table names or relationship types in the search string, then the search string can't be converted into a valid CMDB query. In this case, the Refine your query dialog box appears letting you select from suggested CI classes and continue to parse your search string into a valid CMDB query. Those suggested CI classes are based on phrases in your search string. Use the drop-down lists to select the CI classes that match your intended search and then select View search results to run the query.
      • If Intelligent Search is unable to convert your search string into a valid CMDB query, then selecting Search doesn't generate any query results. Instead, a feedback form appears. Fill out the form and select Submit Feedback to record your feedback for your CMDB Admin to review.
    • Use the Sample searches list to get you started in running a pre-defined search. This list consists of more common searches, or searches that are more difficult to construct such as searches that involve service instances (application services).
    • Use the Your recent searches list to rerun a previous search.
    • Select Results Feedback to submit feedback on the search results for your CMDB Admin to review.

    For more details about using NLQ with Intelligent Search, see Intelligent Search for CMDB.

    Alternatively, you can select Use conditional search instead to use a basic condition builder functionality where you can specify conditions to search for CIs of a specific class.

    You can:
    • Select New condition set to add a condition phrase.
    • Select Related List Condition to add a condition phrase for related lists.
    • Select Search to search through the CMDB.
    • Add and then adjust the sn_cmdb_ws.list.record_count_limit system property to limit the record count summation and so to minimize the performance impact of that operation. The record count shows on the Conditional search page, for example, above the results list. For more information about adding and modifying that system property, see Components installed with Service Graph Workspace.

    In the results list, select a CI to see its details in CI Form.

    UI activity Additional requirements
    • Mapped Application Service
    • Application Service
    • Application Service Group
    • Dynamic CI Group
    • Tag Based Service
    app_service_user role
    • Business Service
    • Technical Service
    • Application Service Outage
    service_viewer role