How to Enable Drag & Drop File Upload in Virtual Agent Chat on Portal?

[Lion Kesler]

Hi everyone,

I'm working with the Virtual Agent chat interface embedded in the Employee Center portal.

In my specific case, due to hardware constraints (a hardened device), I’m unable to open the file picker dialog (triggered by clicking the paperclip icon). The only way I can upload files is via drag and drop.

Currently, the chat window only supports file upload through the paperclip icon, which opens the native file selection dialog.

👉 Is there any supported way to enable drag-and-drop file upload directly into the chat window (e.g., dropping a file anywhere inside the chat area)?

Any documentation, workaround, or UX-level customization tips would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[GlideFather]

@Lion Kesler 
OK. I don't think it is possible, but let's search around..

[GlideFather]

@Lion Kesler I tested to create a topic for it:

With this user input you can specify the "moment" to attach it - top corner is pointing to this:

https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bundle/xanadu-conversational-interfaces/page/administer/virtual-agen... 

Drag and drop is available only at specific moments - e.g. incident creation etc. It cannot be added when the chatbot is searching KBs for example... 

Let me know if you progressed 

[GlideFather]

Hi @Lion Kesler 

to drag and drop attachment, you need to create an input for it. It is kind of make the agent to expect the file being attached. It doesn't make sense at all times to attach it. When agent is searching the KB, why would the end user attach any files?

There is no need for them and when they do attach it then what shall happen?

While upon incident creation, it makes perfect sense to give chance to attache any file that would be associated with the incident.

Let me know if this answers your question 

[Lion Kesler]

Thanks — I understand your point regarding guided VA topics.

Just to clarify:
I'm referring specifically to the Live Agent Chat experience inside Employee Center, using the Virtual Agent Web Client .

In this case, the end user is already chatting directly with a support agent — not interacting with a VA topic. So it’s a typical 1:1 support conversation, similar to what you'd find in Teams, Slack, or any standard chat app.

At that point, it’s very natural for the user to want to drag & drop a screenshot, log file, or other relevant attachment — especially since clicking the paperclip opens a file picker, which I can’t use due to device restrictions.

So I’m looking for a way to enable drag & drop file upload during a live agent session, regardless of the VA topic structure.

Appreciate any guidance if that’s possible — whether natively or through a workaround.