Overview

Keyword search not happening - notification/error message: "The text query contained only common words or ambiguous wildcards, please refine your search and try again"

• By default the System Property > glide.ts.max_wildcard_expansion is 500 https://<instance-name>.service-now.com/nav_to.do?uri=sys_properties.do?sys_id=227ed010ef230000f16c8315a4225658

When Searching for a word in the Keywords/text search and you got no result instead get:

"The text query contained only common words or ambiguous wildcards, please refine your search and try again"

Navigate to the table ts_word.list https://<instance-name/ts_word_list.do?sysparm_query=

In the search for 'Name' enter that word in the Ts words :If the number is over the limit of value of System Property > glide.ts.max_wildcard_expansion, it will then act as stopword.

Example

When search for 'Create' in the Keywords:

Navigate to the ts_word.list https://<instance-name/ts_word_list.do?sysparm_query=

• In the search for 'Name' enter 'create' in the Ts words :This will show the number of the records
• If the words is over the mentioned limit of 500, this will act like stopword

Additional Information

Configure a global stop word - https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/london-platform-administration/page/administer/search-administration/task/t_ConfigureAGlobalStopWord.html