Custom Connector Gateway external content connector

The Custom Connector Gateway external content connector makes a source system's content and metadata searchable in AI Search applications. Retrieve content, metadata, and users with your own custom connector and push that data to the gateway connector using the Custom Connector Gateway API.

Unlike other external content connectors, the Custom Connector Gateway connector doesn't run content or user permission crawls to retrieve content and security principals from the source system. Instead, it serves as a way for your custom connector to submit retrieved content and security principals for indexing via the Custom Connector Gateway API.

The process of indexing searchable content from your source system with a custom connector looks like this:

Your custom connector executes periodic crawls to retrieve document content and metadata and security principal details from your source system.
During each crawl, your custom connector submits add and delete requests for documents and security principals to the xcc-ingest Custom Connector Gateway API endpoint on your ingest gateway host.
The ingest gateway host transmits document and security principal add and delete requests submitted via the Custom Connector Gateway API to the Custom Connector Gateway connector running on your ServiceNow AI Platform instance.
On your ServiceNow AI Platform® instance, the Custom Connector Gateway connector feeds the retrieved data to AI Search for indexing, making it searchable in your AI Search applications.

The indexed content and metadata are stored as records in a connector-specific indexed source. Search administrators can create search sources from this indexed source and link them to search profiles to make the indexed records searchable in AI Search applications.

To learn more about developing a custom connector, see Implementing a custom connector. For details on the endpoint and operations available in the Custom Connector Gateway API, see Custom Connector Gateway API.

Custom Connector Gateway prerequisites

Before you can use the Custom Connector Gateway connector, you must configure your ServiceNow AI Platform instance to satisfy the connector's prerequisites. For details on this procedure, see Configure your ServiceNow AI Platform instance to support the Custom Connector Gateway.

The ingest gateway host

The ingest gateway host is a server provided by ServiceNow to facilitate Custom Connector Gateway API operations. It's distinct from both your ServiceNow AI Platform instance and your AI Search node.

Note: Architectural components for ingest gateway hosts are deployed in ServiceNow regional datacenters. If your ServiceNow AI Platform instance is hosted in an in-country datacenter, check with your ServiceNow contact to confirm whether ingest gateway hosts are supported in your in-country datacenter before beginning implementation.

Implementing a custom connector
Your custom connector retrieves content, metadata, and security principals from a system of your choice. It runs on your local or cloud server and uses the Custom Connector Gateway API to send its retrieved data to a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector defined on your ServiceNow AI Platform® instance. The Custom Connector Gateway connector feeds the retrieved data to AI Search for indexing.
Find the hostname for your ingest gateway host
Look up the hostname for the ingest gateway host associated with your ServiceNow AI Platform® instance. Your custom connector needs this hostname to send its Custom Connector Gateway API requests to the proper host.
Get the sys_id for a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector
Retrieve the sys_id for a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector. This sys_id value is required when creating or retrieving a Java Web Token (JWT) using the Custom Connector Gateway API.
Configure your ServiceNow AI Platform instance to support the Custom Connector Gateway
Configure settings in your ServiceNow AI Platform instance to satisfy the prerequisites for the Custom Connector Gateway.
Create a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector
Create a Custom Connector Gateway external content connector to index searchable content and security principals retrieved by your custom connector implementation.
Custom Connector Gateway default schema fields
The default schema for Custom Connector Gateway external content connectors includes predefined fields to store content item metadata. Use these fields in requests your custom connector sends to the Custom Connector Gateway API endpoint.

Parent Topic:Configuring External Content Connectors

title	Custom Connector Gateway external content connector
description	The Custom Connector Gateway external content connector makes a source system's content and metadata searchable in AI Search applications. Retrieve content, metadata, and users with your own custom connector and push that data to the gateway connector using the Custom Connector Gateway API.
locale	en-US
canonical_url	https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/custom-connector-gateway-external-content-connector.html
release	australia
product	Search Administration
classification	search-administration
topic_type	concept
last_updated	2026-10-21
reading_time_minutes	3
keywords	ServiceNow OttoAI Agentsgenerative AIagentic AI
breadcrumb	ConfigureExternal Content ConnectorsSearch administrationConfigure core featuresAdminister the ServiceNow AI Platform