--- sourceDocument: Australia Conversational Interfaces sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/conversational-interfaces Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Conversational Interfaces ft:clusterId : - convint bundleId : - convint workflow : - Platform --- # Configure # Configuring Virtual Agent {#ariaid-title1} * Release version: Australia * * Updated March 12, 2026 * * ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Configuring Virtual Agent Configuring Virtual Agent enables ServiceNow customers to deploy and customize conversational AI to support employees, IT teams, and customers effectively. The Conversational Interfaces Console is the central location for activating and managing Virtual Agent features, components, and integrations. This configuration enhances user engagement by enabling chat in various channels, routing conversations, and integrating with other ServiceNow applications. Show full answer Show less ## General Chat and Virtual Agent Settings Customers can tailor the chat experience by branding the chat client, previewing messages, and configuring conversation routing, including running Virtual Agent in third-party messaging apps. Pre-chat surveys and context variables can be set up to gather user information and personalize interactions. Callback options and system actions such as modifying system messages and URL navigation can also be configured. Virtual Agent supports sending email summaries of unread messages to inactive users and allows performance tracking of topics to optimize support effectiveness. Customers can use Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to discover topics, build custom greetings, and design chat experiences that route issues efficiently. AI Search integration improves fallback responses, while language detection and dynamic translation enhance multilingual support. ## Security and Platform Hardening ServiceNow recommends following platform hardening best practices to secure Virtual Agent instances. Deprecated features like the Sensitive Data Handler are being replaced by the Data Privacy application, ensuring compliance and data protection. ## Customization and Deployment Options Virtual Agent offers flexible customization to create multiple chat experiences based on user context. The portable chat widget enables embedding Virtual Agent on third-party web pages and portals, while optimized templates support mobile applications. Virtual Agent supports multiple simultaneous conversations distinguished by context, enhancing user interaction efficiency. ## Advanced Features and Integrations ServiceNow customers can integrate catalogs for service and product requests within NLU or keyword chat widgets. Notifications can be sent directly through Virtual Agent as informational or actionable messages. Cross-scope access privileges enable developers to share topic blocks and custom controls across applications, and custom categories help organize Virtual Agent assets for easier management and user navigation. Configure the Virtual Agent features, components, and integrations that you need to provide support to your employees, IT teams, and customers. Use the Conversational Interfaces Console to activate and configure Virtual Agent. Some of the general settings in the console are shared with other applications, such as Agent Chat. {#configure-virtual-agent__table_kbf_kxv_fsb__entry__2} | I want to... | See these topics | |-|-| | Chat Client Display Options || | Brand my bot | [Branding your chat client](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/pPcwFGoHzvnH5WNCaEiDkA "Customize your chat interface with your own brand, including company logo and bot avatar, UI color schemes, fonts, and the chat support menu displayed to your users.") | | Preview new or unread messages in a minimized chat window | [Enable message preview on the chat widget](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Rgkos~90yV9VvKlALZMHOA "Admins can allow their end users to see a preview of any new or unread messages waiting for them when the chat window is minimized.") | | Conversation Routing || | Configure my bot to run in third-party messaging apps | [Integrating Virtual Agent with messaging apps](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/eYn0beX_CQLOgHdD3uqHuA "Enable users to run Virtual Agent bot conversations in supported third-party messaging apps. Use the Conversational Integration apps for Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Workplace that are available from the ServiceNow Store to configure these messaging apps on your ServiceNow instance."). | | Create pre-chat surveys | [Define pre-chat survey configurations](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/VCdYRgfEWfAA4xfVrikYGg "Use pre-chat surveys to capture preliminary information from a customer. You can define a configuration that determines the pre-chat survey to be presented to your customers. From the responses received, Advanced Work Assignment routes chat conversations to appropriate queues and groups.") | | Create and use context variables to store chat-related information | [Configure context variables for storing chat-related information](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/kGrAEmnoX4R6E0RV3rTFKw "Specify chat context variables, also called Live Agent chat variables, for storing chat-related information, such as pre-chat survey responses. These variables contain contextual information that can be used to determine topic intent or control how chats are routed to live agents. You can also define variables to capture contextual information passed in Virtual Agent topic scripts to share with live agents.") | | Display or announce callback options to users through other ServiceNow apps | [Omnichannel Callback](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/AwY2wEr5P5R2m0B5InKQpg "ServiceNow Omnichannel Callback app enables other ServiceNow apps to display or announce callback options to users. The Omnichannel Callback app is available through the ServiceNow Store.") | | Configure topic context intents | [Define topic context intent configurations](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/MZP2RFXDscPiaa1ccN~P5Q "Use pre-chat survey information to determine the appropriate Virtual Agent conversation topic automatically displayed to end users (requesters), rather than prompting them to choose from a list of conversation topics.") | | System Actions || | Modify system chat messages | [Change Virtual Agent and Agent Chat system messages](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/~~M6xTldBStdxiMQDgrrkQ "Customize the default system messages displayed during Virtual Agent conversations and Agent Chat.") | | Specify how links open from the chat window | [URL navigation in Conversational Interfaces](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/xzH8s0g9BqOJzG_6soRokg "Use URL navigation settings to specify where and how chat links open. You can configure certain links to open in a specific portal. You can also specify the link target, such as a popup window.") | | Configure my bot to detect sensitive data | [Configuring Sensitive Data Handler](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/d9g~dawVW9XI1Duuf22efA "Detect and mask sensitive information that is shared in Agent Chat or Virtual Agent conversations.") Note: This feature is being prepared for future deprecation. It will be hidden and no longer available for installation but will continue to be supported. For details, see the [Deprecation Process \[KB0867184\]](https://hi.service-now.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0867184) article in the Now Support knowledge base. Install the Data Privacy application as a replacement. For more information, see [Data Privacy](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=data-privacy-landing&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-security&ft:locale=en-US). | | Send email summaries of unread messages to users when they are inactive | [Sending missed chat activity emails](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/LdSq0fTOM1PBCCwBmJuLkw "Send email to users with summaries of chat messages sent to them while they were offline.") | [Table 1. General chat settings] {#configure-virtual-agent__table_kbf_kxv_fsb} {#configure-virtual-agent__table_grb_xf4_swb__entry__2} | I want to... | See these topics | |-|-| | Get recommendations for Virtual Agent topics based on my data | [Quick start for Topic Recommendations](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/5Oy5s4rS9WNdP9_FEBiW7g "To get recommended topics based on your data, configure analysis reports, run the reports, and then review the results. You can either add new topics to Virtual Agent or link a recommendation to an existing topic.") | | Configure performance tracking for Virtual Agent topics | [Create deflection configurations and patterns](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/8U1HODy7zp~CssNzN1aANw "Set up deflection settings to create deflection configurations and deflection patterns that you can map to deflection topic blocks in Virtual Agent conversation topics. These deflections help you to track the issues that Virtual Agent helped to resolve or actually resolved for a user.") | | Use Natural Language Understanding (NLU) for topic discovery | [Configure Natural Language Understanding in Virtual Agent](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/OoXkuoaft1nBJxDPhF_3cQ "Configure Natural Language Understanding (NLU) in Virtual Agent to identify the NLU service provider for your instance. You can also specify the languages of NLU models used during conversation design, based on the languages supported by your NLU provider and the ServiceNow AI Platform.") [Creating models](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=creating-models&version=australia&pubname=australia-intelligent-experiences&ft:locale=en-US) (using NLU Workbench) | | Create custom greetings and setup topics | [Configure a Virtual Agent chat experience](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/JgQvKFaxAONC7_tsw1sYzA "Change the preconfigured Virtual Agent default chat experience or create a custom chat experience for your users. You can configure setup topics, specify promoted topics, and if needed, change the search profile.") | | Determine which issues are routed to Virtual Agent first | [Configure and run an Issue Auto Resolution simulation](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Flb5W6PcqkB0QEgUDt3eEA "Use the incident data from your organization to run simulations from the matching intents that the Issue Auto Resolution application based its predictions on from the case descriptions.") | | Send notifications to users in Virtual Agent | [Configuring Virtual Agent notifications](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/UTdu7kgfTuX15~GxBGhiJQ "Send ServiceNow notifications directly to users via the Virtual Agent chatbot on supported messaging channels. Notifications can be simple informational messages for review, or actionable messages with buttons that users can select to perform certain actions.") [Enable Virtual Agent notifications](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/hYicjZqk1IgicQ6tVL_o9A "Enable Virtual Agent notifications so that your end users can receive notifications in supported Virtual Agent channels.") | | Use AI Search to return fallback results for Virtual Agent | [Improving the user experience with AI Search](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/sD7e0jmoWcNvwH~GbZlJCQ "Virtual Agent uses the ServiceNow AI Platform AI Search application to return search results in bot conversations as a fallback when there are no relevant topics to display to end users. Virtual Agent also provides a Run AI Search topic block that topic authors can use to generate search results in a topic.") | | Detect and dynamically translate Virtual Agent topics into a different language | [Language detection and dynamic translation in Virtual Agent enhanced chat](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/FAOAWXX~LUc8m4nk189xGg "Enable a combination of language detection and machine translation for Virtual Agent to improve the chat experience for diverse users. You can designate fallback languages for locales or dynamically translate languages that are not professionally localized or are not supported in topic discovery.") | [Table 2. Virtual Agent settings] {#configure-virtual-agent__table_grb_xf4_swb} ## Virtual Agent security {#configure-virtual-agent__section_cfw_dsg_vwb} Platform hardening for your instance is leveraged by Virtual Agent, so you should follow the overall platform hardening recommendations. For details, see [Secure your instance](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=platsec-landing&version=australia&pubname=australia-platform-security&ft:locale=en-US). * **[Customizing a Virtual Agent chat experience](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/R4waAGZguKdwl4f2r_Fndw)** Create different chat experiences for your end users based on the context in which they initiate a conversation with Virtual Agent. * **[Configure Natural Language Understanding in Virtual Agent](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/OoXkuoaft1nBJxDPhF_3cQ)** Configure Natural Language Understanding (NLU) in Virtual Agent to identify the NLU service provider for your instance. You can also specify the languages of NLU models used during conversation design, based on the languages supported by your NLU provider and the ServiceNow AI Platform®. * **[Use the portable chat widget to add Virtual Agent to your web page](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/56lEPI~yvz_1EssiCiNtAQ)** The portable chat widget can run on third-party web pages, in the service portal, or in UI Builder portals. * **[Configure Virtual Agent for a ServiceNow mobile application](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/FRRlm7BI_SIg3bdJUbUUHA)** Virtual Agent provides optimized templates for the mobile experience. Configure a service portal to run Virtual Agent on a ServiceNow mobile application. * **[Using multiple active conversations in Virtual Agent](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zR2tWDmnfYHElj9Q5Vb~MQ)** Virtual Agent features the ability to have multiple conversations at the same time, separated and directed by chosen context. * **[Using catalogs and autopilot in Virtual Agent](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ew5itCa8ax_UOxJEZyo_3A)** Use catalogs to search for and request services and products in Natural Language Understanding (NLU)/Keyword chat widget conversations. * **[Configuring Virtual Agent notifications](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/UTdu7kgfTuX15~GxBGhiJQ)** Send ServiceNow notifications directly to users via the Virtual Agent chatbot on supported messaging channels. Notifications can be simple informational messages for review, or actionable messages with buttons that users can select to perform certain actions. * **[Configure cross-scope access privileges for topic blocks and custom controls](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/nd5sfUG6wuzBdGKWuzYNzg)** Enable topic authors and developers to access Virtual Agent topic blocks and custom controls from other scoped applications. * **[Create or modify custom Virtual Agent categories](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/e3fVL8NqXqGJh26vXMVkFw)** Create or change custom categories for organizing and grouping related Virtual Agent assets, such as topics. You can also make category labels visible in the Topic picker menu displayed to end users.