--- sourceDocument: Australia Conversational Interfaces sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/conversational-interfaces Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Conversational Interfaces ft:clusterId : - convint bundleId : - convint workflow : - Platform --- # Agent Whisper # Agent Whisper {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 4 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Agent Whisper Agent Whisper enables private communication between agents and chat managers during live chat interactions without the requester's knowledge. This feature supports scenarios such as agent training, escalation, or assistance by allowing agents to request help and converse with managers privately while continuing a public chat with the requester. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Private Messaging:** Agents and chat managers can exchange messages visible only to each other using separate Public Chat and Private Chat tabs, with private messages highlighted in yellow. * **Help Quick Action:** Agents can request manager assistance by typing `/help` or using the Quick Action menu, optionally including a private note to explain their needs before the manager joins. * **Manager Views for Help Requests:** * **Interactions List View:** Managers can add a "help requested" column to quickly identify chats needing assistance and join conversations directly. * **Manager Dashboard:** With Workforce Optimization for Customer Service enabled, managers see a "Help requested" tile for monitoring. * **Help Requested List:** Managers can view all chats with help requests via Conversation Monitoring. * **Joining Public Conversations:** When a manager switches from private to public chat, a confirmation dialog notifies them that the requester will see their participation. * **Attachments in Private Chat:** Files shared privately are only available to agents and managers. * **Chat Transcripts:** After a chat ends, two transcripts are generated: * **Public transcript:** Available to the requester without private messages. * **Internal transcript:** Includes private messages marked with "\[PRIVATE\]" and is accessible on the interaction record. * **Custom Reporting:** Administrators can create reports to track help requests made during chats. ## Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers * Enhances agent collaboration and training without disrupting the customer experience. * Enables quick escalation and expert involvement to improve issue resolution and customer satisfaction. * Maintains transparency and auditability with separate transcripts for requester and internal use. * Provides managers with multiple views to efficiently monitor and respond to help requests. Agent Whisper lets agents and chat managers have a conversation without the requester knowing. During a chat between a requester and an agent, the agent may need to privately ask a chat manager for assistance or a chat manager and an agent may need to converse without the requester knowing. Using Agent Whisper, the agent can request help and the chat manager and agent can send messages to each other without the requester knowing. For example, if an agent is newly hired, still in training, or unsure about how to proceed with a requester's request, the agent can ask a chat manager to join the conversation to help walk the agent through the steps of the procedure privately. Another scenario is if an agent needs to escalate a customer conversation to a chat manager. Agents can request help and chat managers can join the chat conversations publicly to communicate directly with the customer to help de-escalate the situation. You activate Agent Whisper in Agent Chat settings. For details, see [Set up Agent Chat](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/SE890aioSqFB3n6_P4gOkg "Configure Agent Chat to enable live agents to chat with customers and manage various conversation features for agents and end users. Through Agent Chat, agents interact with end users, create incident or case records, or transfer chats to another agent or queue."). ## Using the Help quick action {#ci-agent-whisper__section_mgb_hmf_ssb} Agents can ask chat managers to join chat conversations with requesters by raising the help flag. Agents can open the Quick Action menu or enter /help to request help. When using the help quick action, agents can also type a brief private message explaining what they need help with. This way, when a chat manager enters the conversation, they already know what the agent needs. Chat managers can view the conversations with help requested from different views: interactions list view, manager dashboard, and lists. * Interactions list view: Agents can navigate to the interactions list view and add in the help requested column to see which conversations agents have requested help in. From here, managers can select directly into the interaction record and join the conversation with the agent and requester. * Manager dashboard: With the Workforce Optimization for Customer Service (com.snc.wfo.csm) plugin installed, managers can see that the Help requested tile on the manager dashboard homepage. * Lists: From Conversation Monitoring \> Help Requested, managers can view a list of chat interactions in which agents have requested help. {#ci-agent-whisper__ul_ep5_l13_kpb}To learn more about Workforce Optimization for CSM, see [Workforce Optimization for Customer Service](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=configurable-wfo-cs&version=australia&pubname=australia-customer-service-management&ft:locale=en-US). ## Sending and receiving messages in Private Chat {#ci-agent-whisper__section_a3k_1nf_ssb} The agent and chat manager can converse without the requester knowing that they are having a conversation. Messages that only the agent and chat manager see are private messages. The requester does not see private messages. The agent and chat manager can toggle between the public and private messages using the Public Chat and Private Chat tabs. The Private Chat tab has a yellow background with "Message only visible internally" and private messages appear on the yellow background. When someone types in the Private Chat tab, the typing event indicator does not display. For example, when the chat manager types in the Private Chat tab, the agent's and requester's screen do not display the typing event indicator. The tab that the agent types on and sends the message from determines whether a message is posted privately or publicly. If an agent starts typing a message on the Public Chat tab and then switches to the Private Chat tab, the Private Chat tab does not display the message. If the agent then goes back to the Public Chat tab, the message is still there. However, agents can see private messages regardless of whether they are on the Private Chat tab or the Public Chat tab. {#ci-agent-whisper__table_vnt_kb3_kpb__entry__2} | Example of Public Chat | Example of Private Chat | |-|-| | | | [Table 1. Public vs. Private chat] {#ci-agent-whisper__table_vnt_kb3_kpb} Figure 1. Example of public and private messages ## Joining a chat conversation in Private Chat {#ci-agent-whisper__section_yx4_knf_ssb} The first time a chat manager switches from a private conversation (on the Private Chat tab) to a public conversation (on the Public Chat tab), a dialog box displays. The dialog box informs the chat manager that they are about to join the public conversation and the requester will be notified that the chat manager is joining the conversation. The chat manager can select Yes, I'm sure to join the public conversation or select Cancel to remain in the private conversation. ## Sharing attachments in Private Chat {#ci-agent-whisper__section_fyt_prf_ssb} If agents send an attachment while on the Private Chat tab, the attachment is sent only to the agent and chat manager. Message Sent confirmation messages do not display for private message conversations. ## Private messages stored in internal chat transcripts {#ci-agent-whisper__section_t3g_vrf_ssb} After the conversation ends, one external transcript and one internal chat transcript are generated. The public chat transcript does not include private messages and is accessible for the requester to download if the Download Transcript capability has been enabled. The private chat transcript is shown on the interaction record by default and does include private messages exchanged between agents and managers. Private messages are prefixed with the word \[PRIVATE\] to clearly indicate when a message came through the Private Chat. To learn more about downloading the chat transcript, see [Chat transcript downloads for requesters](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/TUmtbswF9zMf4BnL0ntKoA "After a conversation between a requester and a live agent ends, the requester can download a transcript of the conversation."). ## Custom report {#ci-agent-whisper__section_ikc_2sf_ssb} Admins can build a custom report to track the number of help requests, see [Build a report to track the number of help requests](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/~0s4eAo8eMAKZZ~N4XnQKw#ac-report-help-requests "Create a report that tracks the number of help requests.") for instructions.