--- sourceDocument: Brazil Conversational Interfaces sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/conversational-interfaces Release : - brazil ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Brazil Conversational Interfaces ft:clusterId : - convint bundleId : - convint workflow : - Platform --- # Creating a Virtual Agent topic # Creating a Virtual Agent topic {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Brazil Updated September 10, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 minutes to read Use the Assistant Designer Asset library to create and modify Virtual Agent topics (conversations). Build your topic to meet a specific objective or goal, such as fulfilling a user's request or helping a user complete a task. ## Before you begin Do the following: * Review [Build conversations in the Asset library in Assistant Designer](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qOQICMWBk481tzqsg9dmAg "The Assistant Designer Asset library includes a diagram tool for creating and managing assets, which are blueprints for conversations between a Virtual Agent and a user. You can design topics that help your users resolve common work issues or guide them through self-service tasks."). * Configure Virtual Agent settings. For example, if you're creating large language model (LLM) topics, turn on ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent. For more information, see [Assistants overview](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/CRpOhuc1tRDeraEeCZ0xUg "Use Assistant Designer to build and optimize large language model (LLM) assistants for your conversational needs. Assistant Designer is a centralized assistant administrator experience that allows you to create and manage both chat and voice assistants."). * Plan your conversation before you begin. For more information, see [Designing a Virtual Agent topic](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/o7v7b2DIEgbGfA7xVjTiuQ "Walk through the design of an example Virtual Agent topic that enables users to view incidents they submitted. The example highlights the design controls that you can use to build the conversation flow."). * Verify that you're in the appropriate application scope before you create or update a topic. For example, if you're creating ITSM topics, verify that you're in the ITSM Virtual Agent Conversations scope. {#create-virtual-agent-topic__ul_qkk_xjg_g3b} Role required: virtual_agent_admin or admin ## About this task The topic is in the Inactive state until you publish it. Publishing a topic changes the topic state to Active and automatically deploys the topic to your Virtual Agent clients. ## Procedure 1. Navigate to AllConversational InterfacesAssistant Designer. 2. Select the Asset library tab. 3. Set the topic discovery toggle switch to LLM. 4. Select Create asset. 5. From the Create asset window, select Topic. Important: Selecting any of the other topics in the window will open the create flow in the respective application. 6. On the form, fill in the fields. For a description of the field values, see [Create a topic form](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/tudqPsFWObNvN~vHRbPBRw "The Create a topic form is used to set the properties for a new conversational topic for Virtual Agent."). 7. After filling the topic creation form, select Create. 8. On the Flow tab, build the conversation flow. {#create-virtual-agent-topic__table_mmy_blm_hmb__entry__2} | Flow steps | Description | |-|-| | Add controls | To create the topic flow: 1. Select the controls for user inputs, bot responses, or utilities from the palette and drop them onto the canvas.When you add a control to the canvas, it becomes a node in the conversation flow. 2. For each node, complete the corresponding property sheet. In the topic header bar, select Save. The topic header bar displays a Saving in progress... message. The toast message Successfully saved your topic appears in the lower-right corner afterward for 4 seconds, and can be closed by selecting the X in the message. For details about each control and the corresponding properties that you define, see [User inputs](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/kvFNptsDpMYs5QDoK1JJqg "Use the collection of input controls provided by Assistant Designer to prompt and capture information from the user in a conversation."), [Bot responses](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/dTEaoofyLRlOPgwbBeKfpg "Assistant Designer offers various controls for displaying bot responses in a conversation. Because the bot responses occur in third-party platforms, the format for each output may vary."), and [Utilities](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/NzIRUd9yynf0Gzbx0H9RxQ "You can control interactions within a topic by using utilities in Assistant Designer. These utilities perform various actions such as adding topic blocks (reusable components), running a script, or adding different conversation paths (branches) in a topic. Utilities are represented as nodes in a conversation flow but do not display anything to the user."). {#create-virtual-agent-topic__ol_b3l_3fm_3mb} As you add controls, watch for a yellow warning badge or a red error badge in the corner of the control. The number on the badge indicates the number of issues in that control, such as missing mandatory information in the property sheet. (Highlighting a badge or the "Incomplete" banner at the top of the property sheet details the items in need of correction.) | | Move a node | Select the node, drag it to the new location in the flow, and Select Save. | | Delete a node | Select the X in the upper right corner of the node. In the topic header bar, select Save. The topic header bar displays a Saving in progress... message. The toast message Successfully saved your topic appears in the lower-right corner afterward for 4 seconds, and can be closed by selecting the X in the message. Note: You can't delete a node that has a script variable used by subsequent JavaScript expressions in the flow. Also, you can delete a decision node only when it has a single branch. | [ ] {#create-virtual-agent-topic__table_mmy_blm_hmb} 9. Select Test in the header bar to test your topic in a chat window. You can review test results in the adjoining tabs. For detailed information, see [Testing LLM topics](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/h0nXOc1JW~JAr2xAR_3OSA "Preview, test, and debug topics that use large language models (LLMs) in the Assistant Designer Asset library chat window."). If the ServiceNow Otto panel, Microsoft Teams application, or Slack application is configured for your environment, preview options for those channels are displayed in the Test button list. Select Preview in Otto panel or Preview in Microsoft Teams in the list to test your topic in those environments. For more information, see [Integrating Virtual Agent with messaging apps](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/eRb4LPJNa9y6FL3hhZ_vnA "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."). 10. When you're finished with the topic, select Save in the topic header bar. The topic is in the Inactive state until you publish it. The topic header bar displays a Saving in progress... message. The toast message Successfully saved your topic appears in the lower-right corner afterward for four seconds, and can be closed by selecting the X in the message. {#create-virtual-agent-topic__steps_ght_myq_1bb} ## What to do next [Publish](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qzIKdJdzRM0S5pratz7THg "Deploy an inactive topic or an updated topic to save it and make it available to users on Virtual Agent clients.") the topic to deploy the topic to your Virtual Agent clients. The topic state changes to Active. If you created a topic that might be frequently used in certain contexts (environments), consider promoting the topic as part of the [default or custom chat experience](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/RHPDkiwRAOlCGR9TgpxETQ "Create different chat experiences for your end users based on the context in which they initiate a conversation with Virtual Agent."). *[\>]: and then