--- sourceDocument: Brazil ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/servicenow-platform Release : - brazil ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Brazil ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities ft:clusterId : - platcap bundleId : - platcap workflow : - Platform --- # Service Catalog topic blocks in Virtual Agent powered by NLU # Service Catalog topic blocks in Virtual Agent powered by NLU {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Brazil Updated September 10, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 6 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 Service Catalog topic blocks in Virtual Agent powered by NLU The Service Catalog topic blocks in Virtual Agent powered by Natural Language Understanding (NLU) enable you to design conversational interactions for searching and requesting catalog items. These reusable topic blocks streamline request submissions within Virtual Agent, enhancing user experience by integrating catalog item searches and requests directly into conversations. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Search Catalog Item Block:** Allows searching catalog items based on keywords and specified catalogs, with a carousel view for multiple results. Input parameters include search terms, catalogs, and result limits. Output provides selected catalog item details. * **Request Catalog Item Block:** Supports submitting requests for catalog items identified by sysid. Options include contextual search execution, user confirmation prompts, and displaying end state information. Returns record details post-submission. * **Virtual Agent Render Types for Catalog Items:** Catalog items can be rendered as conversation, window, pop-up, or inline forms within Virtual Agent depending on configuration and item complexity. ## Requesting Catalog Items in Conversation Mode * Conversation mode lets users answer questions inline to submit requests. * Catalog items must have no more than 10 questions (configurable via glide.sc.conversational.request.question.limit). * Supports only non-scripted UI policies applied sequentially and excludes client scripts designed for Now Mobile or Service Portal. * Only specific variable types are supported, including attachments, checkboxes, dates, emails, lookups without pricing implications, multiple choice, numeric, reference (with limits), text, URL, and yes/no variables. * Single-row variable sets are allowed; multi-row variable sets are not. * Default values and data lookups are displayed to facilitate responses, but some lookup configurations have limitations. * Certain question types cannot be skipped, ensuring required inputs are collected. * Search functionality differs by collaboration tool; for example, Microsoft Teams does not support search icons in choice fields. ## Non-Conversational Catalog Item Requests * Non-conversational items render as inline forms, pop-ups, or windows based on question count, variable types, and system properties. * Inline forms appear when ≤20 questions exist without custom/UI page variables; pop-ups appear if \>20 questions without custom variables. * Windows are used if custom/UI page variables are present or for specific item types like Content Items, Order Guides, Wizards, Launchers, or Standard Change Templates. * Pop-ups enable request submission without new tabs but exclude items with custom variables. * System properties such as glide.sc.va.inlinerender.question.limit and glide.sc.va.rendertype.legacy control rendering behavior and can be adjusted to suit user interface preferences. ## Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers This capability allows customers to embed efficient, user-friendly catalog item search and request experiences directly within Virtual Agent conversations, reducing friction and improving request submission speed. By adhering to variable and rendering requirements, customers can deliver tailored conversational interfaces that meet organizational policies and user expectations. Understanding these parameters helps in configuring catalog items to be fully compatible with Virtual Agent's conversational or non-conversational modes, ensuring seamless user interaction and better adoption of self-service catalog requests. You can design a topic conversation in the Virtual Agent powered by Natural Language Understanding (NLU) by including reusable topic blocks to perform request submission tasks. ## Search Catalog Item {#request-topic-blocks-va__section_g5n_2g1_3mb} You can use this topic block to search for a catalog item based on the search criteria. If there are multiple search results, you can select one from a carousel view.{#request-topic-blocks-va__table_inb_mg1_3mb__entry__2} | Parameter | Description | |-|-| | query_term | Keyword to search for a catalog item. For information on configuring keyword search for a catalog item, see [Configure keyword search for catalog items](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/QCDwfrQ6G4o_MPhakNmzDA "When you search for a catalog item by a keyword in Service Catalog, the search results are displayed by considering a few fields of the catalog table."). | | catalogs | Comma-separated list of catalogs where a catalog item should be searched for. | | result_limit | Number of search results that should be displayed. By default, this number is set to 5. | [Table 1. Input parameters] {#request-topic-blocks-va__table_inb_mg1_3mb} {#request-topic-blocks-va__table_pks_mg1_3mb__entry__2} | Parameter | Description | |-|-| | catalog_item_id | If a catalog item is selected, sys_id of the item is returned. If no catalog item is selected, that is, None of these option is selected, -1 is returned. | | item_type | sys_class_name of the catalog item that the user selected. | | is_conversational | Specifies if the catalog item can be requested in the conversation mode in Virtual Agent. | [Table 2. Output parameters] {#request-topic-blocks-va__table_pks_mg1_3mb} ## Request Catalog Item {#request-topic-blocks-va__section_fmt_fg1_3mb} You can use this topic block to request for a catalog item. {#request-topic-blocks-va__table_kkf_4g1_3mb__entry__2} | Parameter | Description | |-|-| | catalog_item_id | sys_id of the catalog item that should be requested. | | execute_contextual_search | Option to specify if the contextual search should be run for a record producer based on its configuration. For information on defining contextual search for a record producer, see [Define contextual search for record producer](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=t_CntxtSearchRP&version=brazil&pubname=brazil-platform-administration&ft:locale=en-US). | | confirm_catalog_item | Option to specify whether the user must confirm the catalog item before continuing with the next step. If this is set to false, user can answer the catalog items questions by skipping the confirmation. | | show_end_state_card | Option to display the end state card information about the generated record to the user. | [Table 3. Input parameters] {#request-topic-blocks-va__table_kkf_4g1_3mb} {#request-topic-blocks-va__table_gbq_4g1_3mb__entry__2} | Parameter | Description | |-|-| | record_id | sys_id of the record that is generated after the item submission. If the catalog item is not supported in the conversation mode or if the user does not have access to the item, -1 is returned. | | record_table | Name of the table in which the record is generated. | | variables | Questions related to the catalog item. | [Table 4. Output parameters] {#request-topic-blocks-va__table_gbq_4g1_3mb} ## Virtual Agent render types {#request-topic-blocks-va__section_vnx_mpw_b5b} A catalog item can be rendered in Virtual Agent as a conversation, window, pop-up, or inline. ## Catalog item request using a conversation render type {#request-topic-blocks-va__section_x5d_d32_3mb} A user can submit a request in the conversation mode (by answering the questions in line). The following conditions must be met when a user requests a catalog item in the conversation mode in Virtual Agent powered by NLU. * A catalog item cannot have more than the number of questions specified in the glide.sc.conversational.request.question.limit property. By default, this number is set to 10. For more information about this property, see [Service Catalog properties](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Wfbocn4A12OMNwNWBm5haQ "The Service Catalog application contains properties used to configure various settings in the application."). * A catalog item can have non-scripted catalog UI policies. These UI policies should be defined such that variables are affected sequentially, that is, only a variable with the lower order affects a variable with the higher order. * A catalog item cannot have catalog client scripts that are defined for Now Mobile or Service Portal. * Only the following variables are supported: * Attachment * Check box (A group of check box variables isn't supported) * Date * Date/Time * Email * IP Address * Label * Lookup Multiple Choice (without pricing implications and advanced reference qualifier) * Lookup Select Box (without pricing implications and advanced reference qualifier) * Multiple Choice (without pricing implications) * Multi Line Text * Numeric Scale (without pricing implications) * Reference (without pricing implications and advanced reference qualifier) Note: Reference type variables that correspond to a table that has more than 7000 records are not supported. The upper limit for the number of records can be specified in the glide.sc.va.reference_question_choices.limit property. By default, it is set to 7000. * Requested For (without pricing implications and advanced reference qualifier) * Rich Text Label * Select Box (without pricing implications) * Single Line Text * URL * Wide Single Line Text * Yes / No * Container variables {#request-topic-blocks-va__ul_lj4_nv4_g3b} * The following variable attributes are supported: * ref_ac_order_by * allowed_extensions * max_file_size {#request-topic-blocks-va__ul_f23_nd1_3mb} Note: All the other variable attributes are ignored in Virtual Agent. * A catalog item can have a single-row variable set but not a multi-row variable set. * If a catalog item has a default value configured for a question, the default value is displayed in Virtual Agent, which enables the user to proceed with the default value without having to select it manually. The user can also choose a different value other than the default value. * If a catalog item has a data lookup configured for a question, the setter value is displayed in Virtual Agent, which enables the user to proceed with the setter value or choose a different value. A catalog item with data lookup is not supported as a conversational item when the setter question precedes the matcher question. * User cannot skip the following type of questions for a catalog item: * Lookup Multiple Choice * Select Box * Lookup Select Box * Yes/No * Numeric Scale (If Do not select first choice configuration is not selected) * Multiple Choice (If Do not select first choice configuration is not selected, or Include none choice configuration is selected) {#request-topic-blocks-va__ul_t3n_4qb_c5b} * If the user is using Virtual Agent in a different supported collaboration tool like Microsoft Teams: * Searching for a value using the search icon in choice type of fields is not supported.Figure 1. Choice type fields in Microsoft Teams Figure 2. Choice type fields in Virtual Agent * Searching for a value in reference type of fields is performed in the form of a question.Figure 3. Reference type fields in Microsoft Teams Figure 4. Reference type field in Virtual Agent {#request-topic-blocks-va__ul_yxq_qrs_f5b} {#request-topic-blocks-va__ul_oln_svz_hmb} If the catalog item is non-conversational, the request form can appear as any of these render types: * Inline * Pop-up * Window {#request-topic-blocks-va__ul_a5g_bbj_dcc} The conditions determine whether the catalog item form for the non-conversational catalog item will appear as inline, pop-up, or window. Note: Based on the number of questions, a glide.sc.va.inline_render.question.limit property determines whether the catalog item form appears as inline or pop-up. By default, the property's value is 20. {#request-topic-blocks-va__table_nv2_hbj_dcc__entry__2} | The catalog item form appears as | Conditions | |-|-| | Inline | * The catalog item doesn't contain custom or UI page variables. * If the catalog item contains 20 or fewer questions, the item form appears as inline. The default value of the glide.sc.va.inline_render.question.limit property is 20. * The catalog item doesn't contain multi-row variable set (MRVS). {#request-topic-blocks-va__ul_n1c_kbj_dcc} | | Pop-up | * The catalog item doesn't contain custom or UI page variables. * If the catalog item contains more than 20 questions, the item form appears as a pop-up. The default value of the glide.sc.va.inline_render.question.limit property is 20. {#request-topic-blocks-va__ul_t32_4bj_dcc} | | Window | * The catalog item contains custom or UI page variables. * The glide.sc.va.render_type.legacy property is set to true. {#request-topic-blocks-va__ul_em2_frw_dcc} | [ ] {#request-topic-blocks-va__table_nv2_hbj_dcc} ## Catalog item request using an inline render type {#request-topic-blocks-va__section_wjt_srq_bcc} Catalog item requesters can submit a catalog item by filling the form inline in the Virtual Agent powered by NLU. While requesting a catalog item that's marked with inline render type, the requester can fill the item and its options within the Virtual Agent conversation. For example, a requester can fill a form inline in the Virtual Agent conversation and submit the item.Figure 5. Inline request of a catalog item



## Catalog item request using a pop-up render type {#request-topic-blocks-va__section_k5s_4n1_25b} A user can submit a catalog item request as a pop-up for items, which are not conversational. In a pop-up, Virtual Agent provides a link for the user to submit the request in a pop-up without navigating to a new tab. A non-conversational catalog item can be rendered as a pop-up only if it does not have any Custom, Custom with label, or UI Page variables. Note: If you do not want to render your Virtual Agent conversation as a pop-up, set the glide.sc.va.render_type.legacy property to true, which renders all non-conversational catalog items in the configured portal in a new tab. ## Catalog item request using a window render type {#request-topic-blocks-va__section_mlk_xn1_25b} A user can submit a catalog item request in a window. In a window, Virtual Agent provides a link for the user to submit the request in the Service Portal defined in the sn_itsm_va.com.snc.itsm.virtualagent.portal_url property. A non-conversational item is rendered as a window if it has a Custom, Custom with label, or UI Page variable. A catalog item is rendered as a window if it is of the following types: * Content Item * Order Guide * Wizard Launcher * Standard Change Template {#request-topic-blocks-va__ul_t5v_zqs_f5b} * **[Submit a request topic conversation](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/KjM9x6NSaiW5DdhhtV~bxg)** Users can submit a request in a Virtual Agent conversation. **Related concepts** * [Catalog builder preview topic conversation](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/8IbB_v9J7~HSKYKb4c6PJg "From the catalog builder, a user can preview a catalog item in a Virtual Agent conversation.")