ServiceNow AI search: A practical overview for 2025

If you work with a big platform like ServiceNow, you've probably felt the pain of trying to find something specific. You know that one knowledge article or catalog item is buried in there somewhere, but digging it up feels like an impossible task. The info exists, but actually getting your hands on it? That’s the real challenge.

ServiceNow's answer is AI Search, its new-and-improved engine built to take over from the old Zing search. But what does it actually do, how tricky is it to set up, and does it really solve the whole problem?

In this guide, we'll walk you through ServiceNow AI Search in plain English. We’ll break down its key features, the setup process, and where it falls short. We'll also see how it compares to more flexible tools designed to work across your entire tech stack.

What is ServiceNow AI Search?

ServiceNow AI Search is the platform's modern search engine, meant to replace the legacy Zing search. If you're wondering what the big deal is, the difference is pretty straightforward. Zing was a basic search engine that relied on you typing the exact keywords. If you didn’t use the perfect term, you probably came up empty-handed.

AI Search is smarter. It uses artificial intelligence to figure out the intent and context of your search. Think of it this way: using Zing was like flipping through a book's index, hoping you guess the right word. Using AI Search is like asking a helpful librarian who gets what you need and points you to the right chapter, even if your wording isn't perfect.

It’s built right into the ServiceNow world and works across the Service Portal, the Now Mobile app, and the Virtual Agent, so you get a consistent search experience no matter where you are.

Key features and benefits of ServiceNow AI Search

AI Search isn't just a search bar; it has some clever features designed to make finding information faster and feel more intuitive.

Understanding what you mean with semantic search

So, what’s the magic behind it? It’s mainly a feature called semantic search. Instead of just matching words, it understands the relationships between them to give you more relevant results.

For example, if you search for "new laptop," a basic search would only show you results with that exact phrase. Semantic search understands that you’re trying to get a new computer. It’ll pull up results for “MacBook request,” “order a new computer,” or a “hardware request form.” It's a big improvement because you no longer have to guess the exact corporate jargon to find what you need.

This is all powered by Natural Language Understanding (NLU), which helps the system understand the "why" behind your search, leading to answers that actually solve your problem.

Getting direct answers with Genius Results

One of the most useful features is called Genius Results. Instead of just dumping a list of links on you, AI Search tries to give you a direct, actionable answer right at the top of the page. The idea is to solve your problem without making you click through a bunch of documents.

You'll see a few different kinds of Genius Results:

• Q&A: Ask a question like "how do I reset my password?" and the system can pull a snippet from a knowledge article and show it to you as the answer.

• Catalog Items: A search for "request Adobe Photoshop" can pop up a result that takes you straight to the software request form.

• People: If you search for a coworker, it can show you their contact info and where they sit in the org chart.

A better user experience with typo handling and personalization

Let's be honest, we all make typos when we're in a hurry. AI Search is designed to be forgiving, so a search for "lpatop" will still probably point you in the right direction.

On top of that, the system gets smarter over time. It pays attention to which search results people click on and which ones actually help them solve a problem (like closing a ticket or finishing a request). Over time, it learns to push the most helpful results to the top.

The experience is also personalized based on your role and department, so you see stuff that's actually relevant to you.

How to set up ServiceNow AI Search

While it's easy enough for employees to use, setting up ServiceNow AI Search isn't exactly a one-click job. It takes a good amount of admin work and careful planning to get it configured the right way.

graph TD A[Start] --> B{1. Define Indexed Sources}; B --> C{2. Configure Search Sources}; C --> D{3. Customize Search Profiles}; D --> E[AI Search is Live]; subgraph Legend direction LR F[Admin defines what content to index e.g., Knowledge Base, Catalog Items] G[Set user permissions and access rules e.g., HR Team sees HR articles] H[Tailor search behavior for different portals e.g., Service Portal vs. Mobile App] end B -- "Specifies WHAT to search" --> F; C -- "Controls WHO sees what" --> G; D -- "Defines HOW search works where" --> H;

The process boils down to a few key steps:

1. Indexed Sources: First, you have to tell the system what it's allowed to search. This means pointing it to the right tables, like your knowledge base articles or service catalog items.

2. Search Sources: Next, you set up rules for who can see what. You could, for example, make sure only people in the HR department can see results from the HR knowledge base.

3. Search Profiles: Finally, you customize how the search works in different places. You might have one profile for the main Service Portal with all the bells and whistles, and a simpler one for the mobile app.

This setup process shows that AI Search is a serious enterprise tool that needs real technical know-how to roll out properly.

For any team without a dedicated ServiceNow guru or the time for a long implementation project, this complexity can be a real dealbreaker. It's why newer tools like eesel AI are built for simplicity. You can connect your helpdesk and knowledge sources with a few clicks and get going in minutes, not months, without needing a technical deep-dive or a series of sales calls.

The limitations of ServiceNow AI Search

While ServiceNow AI Search is a solid improvement, it does have some pretty significant limitations, especially if your company knowledge isn’t all stored neatly inside the platform.

Struggles with external knowledge sources

A common headache is that AI Search has a tough time with information that lives outside of ServiceNow. Most companies have crucial documents scattered across places like Confluence, Google Docs, or shared network drives. ServiceNow has "External Content Connectors" to try and pull this data in, but they can be tricky to set up and tend to be a bit fragile. Getting all your company knowledge into one searchable place often turns into a major IT project.

Instead of trying to force everything into one system, tools like eesel AI take a different approach: they connect to your knowledge right where it already is. eesel AI plugs into over 100 sources, from helpdesks like Zendesk and Jira Service Management to wikis like Notion and chat tools like Slack, giving you a single search layer over everything.

The rollout is complex and expert-driven

There’s no easy way to test-drive AI Search before you roll it out to everyone. The setup is complex, and there’s no simple "sandbox" mode to see how it will behave with your real data. This makes it tough to know what to expect or build confidence before going live.

In contrast, eesel AI’s simulation mode lets you test your setup on thousands of your past tickets safely. You can see how it will respond, get forecasts on how many issues it can solve, and find gaps in your knowledge base, all before it ever interacts with a user. This lets you start small and grow as you get more comfortable.

The pricing is a mystery

Good luck trying to find a price for ServiceNow AI Search online. It isn't sold by itself; it's bundled into the larger "ServiceNow AI Platform." To get a price, you have to go through the whole sales process, which can be slow and makes budgeting a guessing game.

This is why eesel AI puts its pricing right on the website. The plans are clear, and you don’t pay per resolution, so you know what you’re getting into and won’t get hit with a surprise bill.

ServiceNow AI Search pricing

As we mentioned, the pricing for ServiceNow AI Search isn't public. It's rolled into the ServiceNow AI Platform license, so you'll have to contact their sales team for a custom quote based on your company's size and needs. It's a time-consuming process that doesn't offer the straightforward predictability many teams are looking for.

A flexible ServiceNow AI Search alternative: Unify your entire knowledge base with eesel AI

ServiceNow AI Search does a good job of finding things inside ServiceNow. But let's face it, most companies' knowledge is all over the place. If you need a search tool that can connect to everything and get started in minutes, you'll probably want something more flexible.

eesel AI is an AI platform that works with your existing tools, including ServiceNow. Here’s a quick comparison:

Feature	ServiceNow AI Search	eesel AI
Setup Time	Weeks to months, needs an expert.	Minutes, completely self-serve.
External Sources	Tricky setup for a few sources.	100+ one-click connections.
Simulation	Not really an option.	Test safely on your old tickets.
Pricing Model	Bundled, must talk to sales.	Clear plans, no hidden fees.
Customization	Needs heavy configuration.	Easy to customize persona & actions.

Final thoughts on ServiceNow AI Search

Look, ServiceNow AI Search is definitely a step up from the old Zing search. If your company lives and breathes ServiceNow, it's a decent tool for finding information on the platform.

But the complicated setup, struggles with outside knowledge sources, and mysterious pricing can be major drawbacks. For teams that need something more flexible and easier to manage, it might not be the whole answer.

That's where eesel AI comes in. It's designed to connect all your company's knowledge, no matter where it's stored, giving everyone a single, reliable place to find answers without all the enterprise-level fuss.