--- sourceDocument: Yokohama ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/yokohama/servicenow-platform Release : - yokohama ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Yokohama ServiceNow AI Platform Capabilities ft:clusterId : - platcap bundleId : - platcap workflow : - Platform --- # Service Catalog topic blocks in Virtual Agent powered by Now LLM # Service Catalog topic blocks in Virtual Agent powered by Now LLM {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Yokohama Updated January 30, 2025 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 5 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 Now LLM ServiceNow customers can enhance their Virtual Agent conversations by integrating reusable Service Catalog topic blocks powered by Now LLM. These topic blocks enable conversational, AI-driven catalog item requests, streamlining the request submission process through generative AI. This approach supports a more natural, guided interaction for end users when ordering catalog items. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Request Catalog Item Block:** Enables conversational submission of catalog items using generative AI to fill in questions and guide users through the request process. * **Input Parameters:** Configure catalog item by sysid, JSON context, options for contextual search, user confirmation before proceeding, and displaying end state information. * **Output Parameters:** Provides details such as the generated record sysid, the table name, request status, relevant questions, failure messages, and indication of Now LLM usage. * **Rendering Modes:** Catalog items can be rendered in Virtual Agent as conversations (inline Q\&A), pop-ups, or windows depending on compatibility and item complexity. * **Conversational Mode Conditions:** Catalog items must meet specific criteria to be conversational, including question count limits, supported scripted UI policies and client scripts, and variable types. * **Supported Scripting Methods:** A defined set of JavaScript methods and classes are allowed in catalog client scripts and UI policies to maintain conversational capabilities. * **Variable Support:** Only certain variable types and attributes are supported conversationally; unsupported variables or those causing non-conversational behavior can be excluded from conversational interfaces. * **Default Values and Question Controls:** Default answers are shown to users to simplify interactions, and certain question types cannot be skipped to ensure completeness. * **Collaboration Tool Support:** Virtual Agent supports usage in platforms like Microsoft Teams, with some limitations on choice field searches. * **Pop-up and Window Rendering:** Non-conversational catalog items render either as pop-ups (without custom or UI page variables) or windows (with custom/UI page variables), providing flexible UI options. * **Configuration Properties:** Properties such as question limits and rendering behavior can be adjusted to optimize performance and user experience. ## Practical Impact for ServiceNow Customers By leveraging Service Catalog topic blocks powered by Now LLM within Virtual Agent, customers can: * Deliver a conversational, AI-enhanced catalog request experience that reduces friction for end users. * Implement streamlined, reusable topic blocks to handle catalog requests efficiently in Virtual Agent conversations. * Customize the experience by controlling confirmation prompts, contextual searches, and how the request results are presented. * Ensure catalog items meet conversational criteria by reviewing variable types, scripting, and question limits to maintain a seamless chat experience. * Utilize different rendering modes to handle both conversational and non-conversational catalog items appropriately, preserving user experience consistency. * Use configuration settings to fine-tune the conversational catalog request behavior, improving response times and usability in collaboration environments. This enables ServiceNow customers to create more intuitive, efficient service catalog interactions within Virtual Agent, enhancing automation and user satisfaction. You can design a topic conversation in Virtual Agent powered Now LLM by including reusable topic blocks to perform request submission tasks. ## Request catalog item (Now LLM) {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__id_xrd_v5g_lzb} You can use this topic block to request for a catalog item through a conversational and streamlined experience based on generative AI. For information about configuring Now Assist in conversational catalog request, see [Configure Now Assist in Conversational Catalog Request](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=configure-gen-ai-catalog-item&version=yokohama&pubname=yokohama-conversational-interfaces&ft:locale=en-US). {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__table_h5d_dvg_lzb__entry__2} | Parameter | Description | |-|-| | catalog_item_id | sys_id of the catalog item that should be requested. | | context_json | Context of the conversation in JSON format. | | 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=yokohama&pubname=yokohama-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 1. Input parameters] {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__table_h5d_dvg_lzb} {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__table_jrd_dvg_lzb__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. | | status | Status of the request. Possible options are success or error. | | variables | Questions related to the catalog item. | | message | Message that gives additional information in case of any failure. | | used_LLM | Option that indicates if Now LLM was used while requesting the item, that is, if slot filling was done for questions defined in a catalog item using generative AI. | [Table 2. Output parameters] {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__table_jrd_dvg_lzb} ## Virtual Agent render types {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__section_vnx_mpw_b5b} A catalog item can be rendered in Virtual Agent as a conversation, window, or pop-up. ## Catalog item request using a conversation render type {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__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 Now LLM. * A catalog item cannot have more than the number of questions specified in the sn_now_assist_cr.llm.conversational.request.question.limit property. By default, this number is set to 500. For more information about this property, see [Service Catalog properties](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/LKvegQBXGZY5Jz9FqEiy6Q "The Service Catalog application contains properties used to configure various settings in the application."). * A catalog item can have scripted catalog UI policies. But when a catalog item has scripted UI policies containing unsupported methods or functions, the catalog item becomes non-conversational. * The following methods or classes are supported in the catalog client scripts or scripted UI policies for a catalog item to be conversational: * moment * window.location.href * top.location.href * top.window.open * window.open * open * Array * Boolean * Date * Error * GlideAjax * GlideRecord * JSON * Math * Number * Object * RegExp * String * alert * console.info * console.error * console.debug * console.warn * console.log * console.clear * console.count * console.countReset * console.dir * console.dirxml * console.table * decodeURI * decodeURIComponent * encodeURI * evalexec * g_form.addErrorMessage * g_form.addInfoMessage * g_form.addOption * g_form.clearMessages * g_form.clearOptions * g_form.clearValue * g_form.getActionName * g_form.getDisplayValue * g_form.getEditableFields * g_form.getIntValue * g_form.getReference * g_form.getSysId * g_form.getTableName * g_form.getUniqueValue * g_form.getValue * g_form.hasField * g_form.hideAllFieldMsgs * g_form.hideErrorBox * g_form.hideFieldMsg * g_form.isMandatory * g_form.isNewRecord * g_form.isReadOnly * g_form.isVisible * g_form.removeOption * g_form.save * g_form.setDisabled * g_form.setDisplay * g_form.setLabel * g_form.setLabelOf * g_form.setMandatory * g_form.setReadOnly * g_form.setReadonly * g_form.setValue * g_form.setVariablesReadOnly * g_form.setVisible * g_form.showErrorBox * g_form.showFieldMsg * g_form.submit * g_user * ga.addParam * ga.getXML * indexOf * isLoading * isNaN * newValue * oldValue * onChange * parseFloat * parseInt * this * toFixed * trim * undefined * escape * unescape {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__ul_zbj_wr4_m1c} * A catalog item can have catalog client scripts. But when a catalog item has catalog client scripts containing unsupported methods or functions, the catalog item becomes non-conversational. * The variables containing pricing implications aren't supported. * You can specify the upper limit for the number of records of reference type variables corresponding to a table in the sn_now_assist_cr.llm.reference_question_choices.limit property. By default, the limit is 2000000. If you specify the value more than 2000000, then it might impact the response time. * The UI page variable type is ignored in Virtual Agent like the UI page is ignored in Service Portal. For more information, see [Types of service catalog variables](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/rMej~RzU19KlbGBDTukH4A "Variables allow you to specify questions for a catalog item. Several types of service catalog variables are provided. Some variable types accept variable attributes."). * To support the custom variables, users must associate topic blocks with the custom variables to represent them in the conversational interfaces. If the users don't associate topic blocks, the catalog item containing the custom variables, becomes non-conversational. * If you know that a variable makes a catalog item non-conversational, you can remove such variable from the conversational interfaces by selecting Remove from Conversational Interfaces option. Find the option in the Availability tab of the question form in ServiceNow AI Platform. * The field messages aren't shown to the requester in the following scenarios: * If the field message appears for the question that's already answered. * If the question is not shown to the requester because the question is read-only, hidden, or already auto-filled. {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__ul_sbt_4p1_3bc} * The following variable attributes are supported: * ref_ac_order_by * allowed_extensions * max_file_size {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__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. * User can't 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-llm__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-llm__ul_yxq_qrs_f5b} {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__ul_oln_svz_hmb} Note: If you've installed the Now Assist in Conversational Catalog Request application, these conditions corresponds to the catalog item's conversational mode in the Virtual Agent powered by Now LLM. ## Catalog item request using a pop-up render type {#request-topic-blocks-va-llm__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-llm__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-llm__ul_t5v_zqs_f5b} **Related concepts** * [Catalog builder preview topic conversation](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/6d4cX9stk99OwGTJYiq1RQ "From the catalog builder, a user can preview a catalog item in a Virtual Agent conversation.") **Related topics** * [Configuring assistants overview](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=configure-now-assist-va&version=yokohama&pubname=yokohama-conversational-interfaces&ft:locale=en-US) * [Model provider updates](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=now-llm-model-updates&version=yokohama&pubname=yokohama-intelligent-experiences&ft:locale=en-US)