Exploring ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Exploring ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent

    ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent leverages large language models (LLMs) and generative AI to enhance Virtual Agent capabilities. It simplifies topic discovery and setup, reducing the time and expertise typically required for Natural Language Understanding (NLU) topic development. Otto improves deflection rates by enabling more accurate and natural language interactions, minimizing the need for live agent intervention. Existing NLU topics can be migrated to LLM topics using built-in migration features, easing the transition to AI-driven conversations.

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    Key Features

    • Guided Setup: Quickly configure Otto for Virtual Agent through an intuitive guided setup, requiring no special expertise.
    • Multi-Channel Availability: Deploy Otto on multiple platforms, including chat widgets, mobile apps, and Microsoft Teams.
    • Enhanced Search and Responses: Combines AI Search with chat to provide synthesized, actionable responses based on natural language queries, supporting both information searches and service catalog requests.
    • Service Catalog Integration: Users can request and refine service catalog items conversationally, with generative AI supporting natural language requests for catalog items.
    • LLM Topic Creation and Management: Administrators can create and activate LLM topics and customize skill pickers to tailor the user interaction experience.
    • Performance Monitoring: Track Otto’s usage and effectiveness through the Conversational Interfaces console and Now Assist Admin dashboard.

    Benefits

    • Faster Setup and Deployment: Guided setup enables administrators to launch Otto quickly without requiring deep AI or NLU expertise.
    • Improved User Experience: Users benefit from natural language conversations, actionable answers, and easy switching between queries within the same conversation.
    • Reduced Live Agent Load: Better deflection through accurate AI-driven responses reduces dependency on live support agents.
    • Flexible Integration: Supports deployment across various portals and platforms, ensuring consistent user experiences.
    • Insightful Analytics: Performance metrics help administrators understand usage patterns and optimize the Virtual Agent experience.

    ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent uses large language models (LLMs) and generative AI skills to improve deflection rates and reduce the amount of time-consuming work that Natural Language Understanding (NLU) topic discovery requires.

    ServiceNow Otto capabilities bring generative AI to Virtual Agent. Using LLMs for topic discovery simplifies the amount of setup and configuration required for Virtual Agent. Topics that use keyword and Natural Language Understanding (NLU) discovery often require months of development and the involvement of dedicated subject matter experts. Unusual issues or questions may lead a user to contact a live agent instead. You can continue to use your existing NLU topics and migrate them into new LLM topics using the topic migration feature within Assistant Designer Asset library. For more information on topic migration, see Migrating NLU/keyword Virtual Agent topics to LLM topics.

    Use the guided setup to configure ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent in a few minutes. No expertise is necessary to launch the experience. For more information, see Configuring assistants overview.

    ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent is available through portals on the chat widget, the mobile app, and Microsoft Teams.

    Search in ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent

    ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent enhance the user experience by combining AI Search with chat. These skills can increase issue resolution in Virtual Agent and reduce deflections to a live agent.

    The following figure shows how the requester uses natural language rather than keywords in the chat. Now LLM Service determines the most likely option based on the requester's input and sends a synthesized response with possible action items. Queries can apply to both information searches and service catalog requests.

    Figure 1. Example of standard chat's synthesized response with conversational and non-conversational catalog options
    A summary of the iPad options along with catalog options to either Go to request or Start request in the Virtual Agent.

    ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent shows users the best possible answer to a query, in the form of actionable options displayed along with the results. The bot may generate answers based on what it found, or return actionable options or links. Users have the option to see more results as needed.

    Service Catalog access

    ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent also gives users access to available options in the Service Catalog. Users can request an item, such as a mobile phone. The user can then provide more information to refine the search. For example, they may refine their request to a blue 256-GB iPhone. They can even request a new item instead, all in the same conversation, and the generative AI creates its responses using natural language.

    For full catalog functionality in the chat window, enable the generative AI experience for catalog item request submissions. For more information, see Configure ServiceNow Otto in Conversational Catalog Request.

    LLM topic creation

    Admins can create LLM topics for ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent. For more information, see LLM assistants. Activate the ServiceNow Otto Topics skill in the ServiceNow Otto guided setup. For more information, see Configuring assistants overview.

    For more examples of having a conversation with ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent, see Using ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent.

    The skill picker is configurable based on the user's requirements. For example, a user can change the View all topics label in the skill picker and add or remove the bullet list of promoted assets from the skill selection message.

    Benefits

    ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent provides the following benefits.

    Benefit Feature User
    Configure ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent in a few minutes, from either the Conversational Interfaces console or the AI Admin Hub console. Guided setup experience virtual_agent_admin or admin
    ServiceNow Otto skills can be turned on within the guided setup. Activate a Now Assist skill virtual_agent_admin or admin
    Deploy ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent on multiple portals using the chat widget, the mobile app, and Microsoft Teams. Configuring assistants overview virtual_agent_admin or admin
    Generative AI enhances the user search experience with the ability to generate answers and enabling the user to select the Show more results option for a new search. ServiceNow Otto Q&A Genius Results skill requesters
    Give users in-chat access to available options in the Service Catalog. ServiceNow Otto Multi-Turn Catalog Ordering skill requesters
    ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent switch easily between requests, using plain language when new queries are made in the same conversation. Mid-topic switching during ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent conversations requesters
    Monitor performance metrics for ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent from the Conversational Interfaces console. Conversational Interfaces console virtual_agent_admin or admin
    Monitor value metrics (ServiceNow Otto usage versus ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent) from the ServiceNow Otto admin console. Overview tab in Now Assist Admin virtual_agent_admin or admin