ServiceNow Otto context menu

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
  • The ServiceNow Otto context menu uses generative AI to help agents summarize, create, and edit written content, thus streamlining their writing tasks.

    Agents produce various types of content, including emails and chat replies. The ServiceNow Otto context menu uses generative AI to assist agents in summarizing, creating, and editing emails and chat replies. Agents can preview AI generated content, scroll through previously created content, and refine the text using the AI. The ServiceNow Otto context menu can be triggered from any application or field in a ServiceNow workspace where the ServiceNow Otto context menu is enabled.

    The ServiceNow Otto context menu unlocks the power of generative AI and is available in Next Experience for:
    • Customer Service Management (CSM)
    • Human Resources (HR)
    • IT Service Management (ITSM)
    • Strategic Portfolio Management (SPM)
    • IT Operations Management (ITOM)
    The Now Assist context menu isn’t available with Core UI.

    Using the ServiceNow Otto context menu

    The ServiceNow Otto context menu is available on any field where the floating ServiceNow Otto button (ServiceNow Otto context menu icon) appears. If you start typing in the field, a menu appears with the available ServiceNow Otto context menu actions. The ServiceNow Otto context menu helps you summarize, create or modify existing documentation.

    You can configure the Advanced filter to hide or show the ServiceNow Otto context menu quick actions option using the wwna_quick_actions table. To view more variable set configuration options, see ServiceNow Otto context menu variable set configuration.

    Chat window using the ServiceNow Otto context menu

    You can use the ServiceNow Otto context menu when communicating with users in Agent Chat:

    If it takes too long to generate text or the Now LLM Service isn't available, an error message appears.

    Agent Chat window with the ServiceNow Otto context menu icon

    Change request risk explanation using the ServiceNow Otto context menu

    The ServiceNow Otto context menu makes the change request risk explanation available on the workspace and on UI16 after assessment and calculation.

    When the risk is assessed and calculated, you’ll see the Explain risk button with the ServiceNow Otto ServiceNow Otto context menu icon icon on the workspace showing the risk explanation in a dialogue box in the Record information section.

    The change request risk explanation powered by ServiceNow Otto.

    When the risk is assessed and calculated, you’ll see the ServiceNow Otto ServiceNow Otto context menu icon icon against the Risk field on UI16, showing the risk explanation in a dialogue box.

    ServiceNow Otto showing the change risk explanation.

    Note:
    The risk explanation that is presented in the dialogue box is assessed and calculated on the change request form.

    For more information about risk assessment and calculation, see Risk assessment.

    Content editing in Knowledge Base articles using the ServiceNow Otto content menu
    The ServiceNow Otto context menu enables generative AI assisted content editing capabilities for Knowledge Base authoring and to provide resolution notes in workspaces and UI16.

    When you open a knowledge article and select the content in it, you’ll see the ServiceNow Otto ServiceNow Otto context menu icon icon pop-up and float along with your mouse device.

    When you hover over the ServiceNow Otto icon, you’ll see the following menu options to help you edit the content:
    • Elaborate: Generative AI details the selected text.
    • Shorten: Generative AI shortens the selected text.

    ServiceNow Otto context menu options for the selected text.

    You can insert the generative AI elaborated or shortened content into the Knowledge Base articles, using the Insert button and update or publish them.

    Insert the AI generated text into the Knowledge Base article.

    For more information about generating Knowledge Base articles using the Now Assist context menu, see Edit an article using the Now Assist context menu.

    Change Tone using ServiceNow Otto context menu
    The ServiceNow Otto context menu enables users to change the tone of their content. Users can choose between casual, formal, and sympathetic tone to enhance their content further, using the generative AI capabilities.
    When you hover over the ServiceNow Otto icon or select Refine menu, you see Change Tone menu option.
    You can further choose a preferred tone and select Formal, Casual, and Sympathetic. Review the changes and select Insert to finalize the new text.

    Now Assist change tone selections.

    Note:
    If you do not see the change tone option for your application or product, reach out to ServiceNow.
    Limit the number of content refinement calls using the ServiceNow Otto context menu
    Configure and limit the number of content refinements to the skill per session using the ServiceNow Otto context menu. By default, the maximum number of refinements isn’t set and you can configure to limit it.
    You can configure the refinement calls limitation at the Recommendations Dialog Props field in the Limit refinements record using the refineCount property.
    Note:
    The Limit refinements record is available in the ServiceNow Otto config var set record in the ServiceNow Otto Skill context menu application.

    Configure the content refine limits to using the refineCount property.

    You can set the refineCount as follows:
    • The default value of the property is -1. If the value is less than 0, then the number of refinements to the skill are unlimited.
    • If you provide 0 as the value, then the refine button will be disabled and the You reached the limit for refining content. message is displayed.

      The content refinement limited to zero or the refinements reached the maximum count.

    • If you configure it with a value greater than 0, you’ll be able to refine the content according to the set value. For example, if you set the refineCount to 2, then you will be able to refine the content only twice.

      The content refinement limit value set to two.

    Create knowledge article with open prompt
    Use NAcm to create inline knowledge article using open prompts. See Generate KB article with ServiceNow Otto context menu.
    Set the minimum word count for the ServiceNow Otto icon
    You can set a minimum word count required for the ServiceNow Otto icon to appear, to control when the icon is displayed based on content length. To set the minimum word count, update the value for the minSelectedWordCount property.