Proactive Action form

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Proactive Action form

    The Proactive Action form is used when creating a Proactive Triggers rule in ServiceNow. It allows you to define specific actions that will be executed proactively based on user interactions and criteria. This form is essential for customizing how and when proactive messages or virtual agent topics are presented to end users, enhancing user engagement and support efficiency.

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    Key Features

    • Name: Assign a unique name to the proactive action for easy identification and association with rules.
    • Description: Provide details about the purpose or effect of the action.
    • Applies to: Specify the user group or criteria this action targets, such as Any Users or Guest Users. This ensures actions are tailored to relevant audiences. If left unspecified, the action applies to all users. User criteria can be created for refined targeting.
    • Model Type: Select the topic type (LLM or NLU/Keyword) related to the action, applicable only if Now Assist is enabled.
    • Topic: Choose from active and published Virtual Agent topics that run when users open the proactive message. System topics are excluded.
    • Active: Enable or disable the action.
    • Order: Define the sequence in which multiple actions are applied; lower numbers execute first.
    • Rule: Link the action to a specific Proactive Triggers rule.
    • Select variables from: Choose variables from either the trigger type or user attributes to dynamically tailor the message content.
    • Message: Customize the text displayed to end users using an HTML editor and variables. Note that support for link buttons is planned for future releases.
    • Tagline: Enter text shown above buttons in messages launching virtual agent topics. Defaults to "Suggested for you."

    Practical Application

    ServiceNow customers can use the Proactive Action form to precisely control how proactive notifications or virtual agent interactions are triggered and presented to specific user groups. This customization improves user experience by delivering relevant, timely assistance and automating engagement based on defined rules and user criteria. The ordering and activation options allow fine-tuning of multiple actions to ensure the most appropriate message is delivered first.

    When creating a Proactive Triggers rule, the Proactive Action form includes the following fields.

    Table 1. Proactive Action form
    Field Description
    Name Name of the action that you want to associate with a rule.
    Description Description of the action to be applied.
    Applies to The set of end users to which this action applies. For example, you can apply an action to any Any Users or Guest Users user criteria. Use the lookup using list icon (Lookup using list con.) to select the user. The Applies to settings must be unique for the actions for each rule.

    To create a user criteria record, see Create a user criteria record for Service Portal.

    Note:
    If you don't specify a user, this rule is applied to all users.
    Model Type Topic type, either an LLM or NLU/Keyword value, that is associated with the Proactive Triggers action. This field is only applicable if Now Assist is installed and enabled.
    Topic List of Virtual Agent topics available. The selected topic runs when end users open the Proactive Triggers message.
    Note:
    Only the topics that are active and published appear in the list. System topics aren't included in the topics list.

    (For Message that launches a virtual agent topic actions only.)
    Active Option to activate the action.
    Order Order of when a Proactive Triggers action is to be applied. If there's more than one action, the actions with lower numbers are applied first.
    Rule Rule to which this action applies.
    Select variables from Option for choosing from a list of variables to use in the message. Choices are:
    • Trigger Type: References the trigger type table selected for the rule.
    • User: References the user table. Uses the attributes in the user table for the Proactive Triggers message.
    Message Text that the end users see when the action is applied. To enter the text, you can:
    • Use the tools and options of the HTML editor.
      Note:
      Support for using the link button may be included in future releases.
    • Use variables (Trigger Type or User).
    Tagline Text that the end users see above the buttons that you've created. The default tagline text is Suggested for you.

    (For Message that launches a selection of virtual agent topics actions only.)