Capturing information from a user in a Apple Messages for Business chat conversation

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Capturing information from a user in a Apple Messages for Business chat conversation

    ServiceNow’s Virtual Agent Designer enables you to create conversational topics that interact with users in Apple Messages for Business chat conversations. Using a variety of input controls and bot response types, you can effectively prompt users and capture their information within the chat interface. This integration leverages Apple Messages for Business native interactive features for a seamless user experience.

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    User Notification Consent

    Notifications are disabled by default for the Apple Messages for Business channel and require users to opt in. Users can grant consent by typing "Notification" in the chat and subscribing via the bot’s response or through a subscription option provided by the administrator in your portal. Notifications cannot be sent until consent is obtained and enabled at the channel level.

    Supported User Input Controls

    The integration supports various user input controls in Virtual Agent Designer to capture diverse types of data from users:

    • Text: Users enter plain text responses.
    • Static Choice: Users select from a predefined list of options.
    • Dynamic Choice: Users select from dynamically generated lists, such as cases they have opened.
    • Boolean: Users provide yes/no type responses.
    • File Picker: Users can upload files directly in the chat.
    • Date Time: Users select calendar dates, times, or both.
    • Carousel: Users select a single item from a carousel display.

    Supported Bot Responses

    Virtual Agent Designer also supports multiple bot response types to communicate effectively with users:

    • Text: Sending plain text messages.
    • Image: Sending images to users.
    • Link: Sending web links; URLs must be added to the allowed domain list to be used.
    • Table: Displaying organized information (e.g., service changes, holidays, contacts) in a tabular format.
    • Card: Presenting detailed information from instance records as record cards, video cards, or image cards.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    This integration allows you to design sophisticated conversational flows in Apple Messages for Business that capture user inputs and deliver rich, interactive responses using ServiceNow’s Virtual Agent Designer. It supports a broad range of input types and response formats, enhancing user engagement and enabling efficient data collection within the messaging platform. Additionally, managing user consent for notifications ensures compliance and improves communication effectiveness.

    Virtual Agent Designer is a diagram tool for creating and managing topics, which are blueprints for conversations between a virtual agent and user.

    Use the collection of input controls provided by the Virtual Agent Designer to prompt and capture information from a requester in a Apple Messages for Business chat conversation. For more information, see Getting started with the Asset library in Assistant Designer.

    For more information about displaying images along with external links, see Using link unfurling in Virtual Agent.

    Apple Messages for Business has an array of interactive features that are native to the app. For more information about these interactive features, see Conversational Integration with Apple Messages for Business.

    User notification consent

    Note:

    Notifications are turned off by default for the Apple Messages for Business channel. Make sure to enable notifications at the channel level.

    Users must opt in to receive notifications. No notifications can be delivered until the user grants consent.

    There are two ways for users to grant consent to receive notifications:
    • The user can enter Notification into the Apple Messages for Business chat to get a bot response with the option to subscribe or unsubscribe from receiving notifications for your business on Apple Messages for Business.
    • As the administrator, you can set up the option for users to subscribe or unsubscribe from notifications from your portal. See Subscription-based notifications for more information.

    User input controls

    The Conversational Integration with Apple Messages for Business application supports the following user input controls in Virtual Agent Designer.

    Table 1. Supported user input controls
    User input control Description
    Text User enters a plain text string in the conversation.
    Static Choice User selects an item from a predefined list.
    Dynamic Choice User selects an item from a list that is created dynamically. For example, the user can select from a list of cases that they opened.
    Boolean User enters a Boolean response to the bot. For example, the user can reply Yes or No in a chat conversation.
    File Picker User sends a file to the bot.
    Date Time User selects a calendar date, time (hours and minutes), or both.
    Carousel User selects a single item from the carousel.

    For more information about configuring user input controls, see Assistant Designer user input controls.

    The Conversational Integration with Apple Messages for Business application supports the following bot responses in Virtual Agent Designer.

    Table 2. Supported bot responses
    Bot response Description
    Text Bot sends a plain text string to the user.
    Image Bot sends an image to the user.
    Link

    Bot sends a web link to the user.

    Note:
    Any URLs must be added to the allowed domain list (sys_cs_hostname_allow_list) table.
    Table

    Bot sends information in a table format so that users can see information in a more organized way.

    For example, you can organize and display information such as the following:
    • Planned service changes
    • Company holidays
    • Contact information
    • Testing sites
    Card Bot uploads and displays selected information from a record on your instance. You can choose a record card, video card, or small or large image card.

    For more information about configuring bot responses, see Assistant Designer bot responses.