Controlling idle live chat sessions
Configure how active chat sessions are handled by the system when live chats become idle.
By default, the system automatically checks live chat sessions every two minutes through the Idle Chat Timer Task scheduled job to ensure that chat sessions are still active. If the requester does not respond within 180 seconds (three minutes) during an active chat session, the session becomes idle. The user receives a reminder message that the conversation is timing out and asks if they are still there. If they don't respond, the system automatically cancels (times out) the chat session 360 seconds (six minutes) after the requester's last response.
You can change the idle chat reminder message and the default time after which the system displays the reminder message and closes an idle chat.
Idle live chats are not available for Connect Support. Starting with the Paris release, Connect Support no longer receives enhancements or non-priority bug fixes. Consider moving to ServiceNow® Advanced Work Assignment and Agent Chat in workspace to automatically assign chat requests and other work items to agents. For details, see Move from Connect Support to Advanced Work Assignment and Agent Chat.
Change the idle chat reminder message
The default idle chat reminder message displayed to requesters is: The conversation is timing out, are you still there? Agents receive the message: User response will indicate if they want to continue the chat.
You can modify the default message sent to requesters by updating the com.glide.cs.idle_chat_reminder_message property.
- As admin, navigate to All, and then enter sys_properties.list in the filter.
- Open the com.glide.cs.idle_chat_reminder_message property.
- In the Value field, enter the new reminder message to be displayed.
- Select Update.
Change the idle chat timeout values
Add the com.glide.cs.idle_chat_reminder_timeout and the com.glide.cs.idle_chat_cancel_timeout properties to the System Property [sys_properties] table to set the chat reminder message timeout and the idle chat cancel timeout values. Create both properties at the same time.
- As admin, navigate to All, and then enter sys_properties.list in the filter.
- Select New to add the
com.glide.cs.idle_chat_reminder_timeout property.
- On the form, fill in the fields.
Field Value Name System property name. Enter: com.glide.cs.idle_chat_reminder_timeout Description Explanation for this property. For example: Idle chat reminder timeout (in seconds) Type Data type. Select integer. Value Enter the number of seconds before the idle chat reminder message is displayed, after the requester's last response. This value must be equal to or greater than 120 seconds, since the Idle Chat Timer Task job runs every 120 seconds to check active chat sessions. For example, if the idle chat reminder message is to be displayed 5 minutes after the requester's last response, enter 300 seconds.
注:If you want to set an idle chat message reminder timeout that is under 120 seconds, you must also change the time at which the Idle Chat Timer Task job runs. The job must check for idle chats within a shorter time frame. For example, if the reminder message timeout is 60 seconds after the requester's last response, set the Idle Chat Timer Task job to run every 60 seconds. For more information on base system scheduled jobs, see System scheduler. - Select Submit.
- On the form, fill in the fields.
- In the System Properties table, select New to add the
com.glide.cs.idle_chat_cancel_timeout property.
- On the form, fill in the fields.
Field Value Name System property name. Enter: com.glide.cs.idle_chat_cancel_timeout Description Explanation for this property. For example: Idle chat cancel timeout (in seconds) Type Data type. Select integer. Value Number of seconds before an idle chat is canceled (times out). This value must be larger than com.glide.cs.idle_chat_reminder_timeout, where the difference between this value and com.glide.cs.idle_chat_reminder_timeout is larger than or equal to 120 seconds (2 minutes, which is when the Idle Chat Timer Task job runs). For example, if the reminder message timeout value is 300 seconds (5 minutes), the idle chat cancel timeout value must be 420 seconds or greater.
注:If you changed the Idle Chat Timer Task job, the difference between the chat cancel timeout value and the idle chat reminder timeout must be larger or equal to the Idle Chat Timer Task job time. For example, if the reminder timeout is 60 seconds and the Idle Chat Timer Task job is also 60 seconds, the idle chat cancel timeout value must be 120 seconds or greater. - Select Submit.
- On the form, fill in the fields.
Set the inactivity timeout behavior
The com.glide.cs.start_idle_timeout_after_agent_response property determines the timeout behavior when inactivity is triggered. When this property is true, the inactivity timer does not start until the agent sends a non-automated response to the requester.
- As admin, navigate to All, and then enter sys_properties.list in the filter.
- Select New to add the
com.glide.cs.start_idle_timeout_after_agent_response property.
- On the form, fill in the fields.
Field Value Name System property name. Enter: com.glide.cs.start_idle_timeout_after_agent_response Description Explanation for this property. For example: Timeout behavior when inactivity should be triggered. Type Data type. Select true/false. Value Either true or false. - Select Submit.
- On the form, fill in the fields.
Set the server disconnect timeout for guest conversations
The com.glide.cs.chat_disconnect_timeout property determines how long the system will wait to reconnect a disconnected conversation before it ends the chat. If communication is reestablished during that timeframe, the conversation resumes.
- As admin, navigate to All, and then enter sys_properties.list in the filter.
- Select New to add the
com.glide.cs.chat_disconnect_timeout property.
- On the form, fill in the fields.
Field Value Name System property name. Enter: com.glide.cs.chat_disconnect_timeout Description Explanation for this property. For example: Timeout behavior for disconnected guest conversations. Type Data type. Select integer. Value Number of seconds before a disconnected guest chat is canceled (times out). The client will try to reconnect during that time. - Select Submit.
- On the form, fill in the fields.
Examples
These examples show how the com.glide.cs.start_idle_timeout_after_agent_response system setting may affect how the system handles idle chats. In the following examples, the inactivity timeout is set to 60 seconds and the inactivity reminder is set to 30 seconds.
- Agent enters the chat.
- System sends automated message Thank you for contacting support. I am looking into your question now and will be with you shortly.
- Agent sends the message What can I help you with today?
- If the requester does not respond after 30 seconds, then the system sends the message The conversation is timing out, are you still there?
- If the requester does not respond within 60 seconds after the agent's message, then the system sends the message It seems you have left the conversation and ends the chat.
- Agent enters the chat.
- System sends automated message Thank you for contacting support. I am looking into your question now and will be with you shortly.
- If the agent does NOT send a message, one of the following occurs:
- If com.glide.cs.start_idle_timeout_after_agent_response is
not set or is set to false, then
- The system starts the inactivity timer.
- If the requester does not respond after 30 seconds, then the system sends the message The conversation is timing out, are you still there?
- If the requester does not respond within 60 seconds after the automated message, then the system sends the message It seems you have left the conversation and ends the chat.
- If com.glide.cs.start_idle_timeout_after_agent_response is set to true, the system does not start the inactivity timer and the chat will not time out.
- If com.glide.cs.start_idle_timeout_after_agent_response is
not set or is set to false, then