---
title: Search administration
description: The ServiceNow AI Platform includes multiple search engines and interfaces to help users easily and quickly find the information they need.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/search-administration.html
release: australia
product: Search Administration
classification: search-administration
topic_type: reference
last_updated: "2026-03-12"
reading_time_minutes: 2
breadcrumb: [Configure core features, Administer the ServiceNow AI Platform]
---

# Search administration

The ServiceNow AI Platform® includes multiple search engines and interfaces to help users easily and quickly find the information they need.

## Search engines

The ServiceNow AI Platform includes two search engines:

-   **[AI Search](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/ai-search/overview-ais.md)**

    AI Search is the default search engine for the ServiceNow AI Platform. It provides consumer-grade search capabilities for Customer Service Management, Now Mobile, Service Portal, and Virtual Agent.

-   **[Zing text indexing and search engine](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/c_ZingTextSearch.md)**

    Zing is a legacy search engine which provides fast results and emphasizes relevancy scoring.


## Search plugins

These search plugins offer specialized search experiences for particular search contexts.

-   **[Contextual Search](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/contextual-search/c_ContextualSearch.md)**

    The Contextual Search plugin enables search that focuses on query context and user intent to fetch the most relevant set of results. Contextual search displays related results within a form or record producer based on the text you enter in a field.

-   **[Intelligent Search for CMDB](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/servicenow-platform/intelligent-search-cmdb.md)**

    Intelligent Search for CMDB enables users to query for a set of Configuration Items in the CMDB. Complex queries open in CMDB Query Builder, where you can refine them or run them.


## Search interfaces and widgets

These are search fields and widgets offered in the ServiceNow AI Platform UI or in ServiceNow AI Platform applications.

-   **[Global search](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/ai-search/using-ais-next-experience-app.md)**

    Global search in the Next Experience UI allows you to search multiple tables from a single search field.

-   **[Service Portal](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/platform-user-interface/c_ServicePortal.md)**

    The Service Portal framework displays search data within a widget on the search page.

-   **[Service Portal search widgets](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/platform-user-interface/search-widgets.md)**

    Service Portal includes widgets for multiple forms of search.

-   **[Now Mobile app](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/mobile/now-mobile-app.md)**

    The Now® Mobile app provides global search, voice search, and photo search.

-   **[Mobile Agent](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/mobile/mobile-experience.md)**

    The Mobile Agent app enables service desk agents to promptly manage and resolve end user issues from their mobile devices.

-   **[Virtual Agent](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/conversational-interfaces/virtual-agent-landing-page.md)**

    The Virtual Agent platform uses search to help parse user statements and intents in chats.