Wildcard characters allow searching for patterns and variations
Expand search results to match any non-space character. Zing supports both single-character and multiple-character wildcards.
The following searches support Zing wildcard characters.
-
Global text search
-
Knowledge Base
Note: Users with the admin role can enable wildcard search in the Knowledge context by navigating to All > Contextual Search > Search Contexts, editing the Knowledge Base Search record, and selecting the Enable wildcard searches check box.
-
Note: To perform a wildcard text search of a list, you must select for text as the search field. If you select a list field instead of for text, wildcard characters in search terms will be interpreted as list search wildcards (for non-reference fields) or as auto-complete wildcards (for reference fields).
To perform a single-character wildcard search, use the percent sign (%) character. This wildcard finds words that contain any one character in place of the percent-sign-character. For example, to find words such as text or test, search for te%t.
To perform a multiple-character wildcard search, use the asterisk (*) character. This wildcard finds words that contain zero or more characters in place of the asterisk-character. For example, to find words such as planned or placed, search for pl*d.
You can use wildcard characters anywhere in a search string, and can include multiple wildcards in the same word. For example, to find words including affordable, effort, and offering, search for %ff%r*.
If a wildcard search returns too many hits, the system displays a message asking you to refine the search. Administrators can set a global text search property to change the limit for wildcard search results.
Note: Wildcard text searches are only effective with multiple character words. A wildcard within a sequence of pictogram characters returns too many options for an efficient search. Wildcards are best used with letter-based words.
Wildcard characters and synonym matching
Zing doesn't expand the % and * wildcard characters when looking for synonyms that match your search term. These characters are treated as literal characters when finding matching synonyms. As an example, if you search for issu*, Zing doesn't find synonyms for issue, but it does find synonyms for issu*.
Parent Topic:Available search options
Related topics
List search finds records from the current table
Boolean operators allow conditional search results
Quotation marks allow exact phrase searches
---
title: Wildcard characters allow searching for patterns and variations
description: Expand search results to match any non-space character. Zing supports both single-character and multiple-character wildcards.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-administration/search-administration/c\_Wildcards.html
release: brazil
product: Search Administration
classification: search-administration
topic_type: concept
last_updated: "2026-09-10"
reading_time_minutes: 2
breadcrumb: [Available search options, Zing text indexing and search engine, Search administration, Configure core features, Administer the ServiceNow AI Platform]
---
# Wildcard characters allow searching for patterns and variations
Expand search results to match any non-space character. Zing supports both single-character and multiple-character wildcards.
The following searches support Zing wildcard characters.
- Global text search
- Knowledge Base
**Note:** Users with the admin role can enable wildcard search in the Knowledge context by navigating to **All** > **Contextual Search** > **Search Contexts**, editing the **Knowledge Base Search** record, and selecting the **Enable wildcard searches** check box.
- [Search a list](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/platform-user-interface/t_SearchAList.md)
**Note:** To perform a wildcard text search of a list, you must select **for text** as the search field. If you select a list field instead of **for text**, wildcard characters in search terms will be interpreted as [list search wildcards](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/platform-user-interface/t_SearchAList.md) \(for non-reference fields\) or as [auto-complete wildcards](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/platform-administration/c_AutoCompleteForReferenceFields.md) \(for reference fields\).
To perform a single-character wildcard search, use the percent sign \(`%`\) character. This wildcard finds words that contain any one character in place of the percent-sign-character. For example, to find words such as **text** or **test**, search for `te%t`.
To perform a multiple-character wildcard search, use the asterisk \(`*`\) character. This wildcard finds words that contain zero or more characters in place of the asterisk-character. For example, to find words such as **planned** or **placed**, search for `pl*d`.
You can use wildcard characters anywhere in a search string, and can include multiple wildcards in the same word. For example, to find words including **affordable**, **effort**, and **offering**, search for `%ff%r*`.
If a wildcard search returns too many hits, the system displays a message asking you to refine the search. Administrators can [set a global text search property](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/platform-administration/search-administration/set-global-text-search-properties.md) to change the limit for wildcard search results.
**Note:** Wildcard text searches are only effective with multiple character words. A wildcard within a sequence of pictogram characters returns too many options for an efficient search. Wildcards are best used with letter-based words.
## Wildcard characters and synonym matching
Zing doesn't expand the `%` and `*` wildcard characters when looking for synonyms that match your search term. These characters are treated as literal characters when finding matching synonyms. As an example, if you search for `issu*`, Zing doesn't find synonyms for `issue`, but it does find synonyms for `issu*`.
**Parent Topic:**[Available search options](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/brazil/markdown/platform-administration/search-administration/c_IntroductionToSearching.md)
**Related topics**
[List search finds records from the current table]()
[Boolean operators allow conditional search results]()
[Quotation marks allow exact phrase searches]()
[Enable or disable the Zing junk filter]()
[Debug Zing]()
| title | Wildcard characters allow searching for patterns and variations |
| description | Expand search results to match any non-space character. Zing supports both single-character and multiple-character wildcards. |
| locale | en-US |
| canonical_url | https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-administration/search-administration/c\_Wildcards.html |
| release | brazil |
| product | Search Administration |
| classification | search-administration |
| topic_type | concept |
| last_updated | 2026-09-10 |
| reading_time_minutes | 2 |
| breadcrumb | Available search optionsZing text indexing and search engineSearch administrationConfigure core featuresAdminister the ServiceNow AI Platform |