--- sourceDocument: Australia Customer Service Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/customer-service-management Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Customer Service Management ft:clusterId : - csm bundleId : - csm workflow : - Customer and Industry --- # Recommended Actions # Recommended Actions {#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 Recommended Actions Recommended Actions in ServiceNow provide agents with relevant, context-driven suggestions to assist in resolving records more efficiently. These actions appear in the workspace side panel or directly within record fields, enabling agents to take guided steps, apply proven resolutions, or receive recommended field values based on the specific record context. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Guidance:** Action cards presenting information or steps agents can take, such as copying resolution notes from solved cases or creating related work orders. * **Field Recommendations:** Suggested values for record fields that can be auto-filled or displayed as messages, helping agents quickly select appropriate values based on case details like short descriptions. * **Decision Trees:** Guided, multi-step question flows that lead agents to relevant guidance based on their responses; requires the Guided Decisions application. * **Playbooks:** Interactive workflows accessible inline within the Recommended Actions panel, guiding agents through complex processes like billing dispute resolution without switching applications. * **Display:** Guidance, decision trees, and playbooks appear as cards in the side panel, while field recommendations manifest in the form fields themselves. ## Configuration Elements * **Context:** Defines when and where recommended actions appear, based on specific record tables and conditions. * **Context Input:** Allows dynamic rule and recommendation updates by incorporating entities beyond the main record table. * **Rules:** Condition sets that determine the visibility of recommended actions within a given context. * **Recommendations:** The actual suggested actions created using guidance, field recommendation, or playbook types. * **Resource Generators:** Use decision tables, flows, scripts, AI, or predictive intelligence to supply content like knowledge articles or field values for recommendations. * **Arbitration Parameters:** Control the priority and frequency of recommendations to ensure agents receive the most critical guidance first. ## Benefits for ServiceNow Customers By leveraging Recommended Actions, agents gain immediate, actionable insights contextualized to their current work, improving resolution speed and accuracy. The ability to configure rich, dynamic recommendations helps organizations standardize best practices and streamline agent workflows, ultimately enhancing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Use Recommended Actions to display relevant actions to agents based on a context of a record or recommend a value for a field. ## Action types in Recommended Actions {#configure-nba__section_jsj_23y_zyb} {#configure-nba__table_bdn_g3y_zyb__entry__3} | Action type | Description | Use cases | |-|-|-| | Guidance | A guidance is an action that an agent can take or information that an agent can share. * Guidances appear as cards in the contextual side panel in a workspace. * Agents can access these cards by selecting the Recommended Actions icon in the side panel. * Agents can perform the action by selecting the button on the card. {#configure-nba__ul_rq3_pmy_g5b} | * Mary created a case to report an issue with a router. The agent assigned to this case is recommended to apply a resolution from a solved case to resolve the customer issue. The resolution notes and a resolution code from the solved case are copied into the Closure Information section of the current case. * Paul, who has an account with StellarVest bank created a case to report a loss of credit card. The agent assigned to this case is recommended to create a work order to dispatch a new credit card for Paul. {#configure-nba__ul_vhb_z4y_zyb} | | Field recommendation | A field recommendation is a value that is recommended for a field. Depending on the configuration, the recommended field values are auto-filled or shown as messages underneath the fields for the new records. The recommended field values are shown as messages only underneath the fields for the existing records. * You can configure the fields with the text and values that appear in the messages. * You can also configure a confidence threshold to auto-fill a recommended value. * You can configure a preference to auto-fill a recommended value. {#configure-nba__ul_rss_54y_g5b} | * An agent wants to reassign the case to a different team who is better equipped to resolve a customer issue. A field recommendation can recommend the assignment group based on the text in the case short description. * While interacting with a customer, an agent creates a case on behalf of the customer. Based on the short description the agent enters in the case form, the values for the fields Product, Assignment group, and Assigned to are recommended to the agent. {#configure-nba__ul_lnf_try_zyb} | | Decision tree | A decision tree is a guided flow for agents to follow. A decision tree is a multi-step process that asks a series of questions. Based on the answers that an agent enters, a guidance is provided. Note: The Guided Decisions application (sn_gd_core) is required to create decision trees. | Rina created a case to report that their phone isn't charging. The agent assigned to the case is recommended to use a decision tree that asks a series of questions to troubleshoot the issue with the phone and provides a guidance in the end. | | Playbook | A playbook is an interactive, step-by-step guided workflow that helps agents make decisions and resolve issues. Playbooks appear as action cards in the Recommended Actions panel. Agents can launch and execute a playbook inline without switching applications. For more information, see [Playbooks in Recommended Actions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/4yPrvGKVaPn6N1jY_JKHcw "Playbooks are interactive, step-by-step guided workflows that help agents make decisions and resolve issues faster. Configure playbooks as recommended actions to deliver contextual guidance directly in the Recommended Actions Contextual Side Panel."). | An agent handling a complex billing dispute is recommended a playbook that walks through verification steps, escalation options, and resolution actions in the Recommended Actions panel. | [ ] {#configure-nba__table_bdn_g3y_zyb} Actions of the type Guidance, Guided Decision Tree, and Playbook are displayed as cards within the contextual side panel.Figure 1. Recommended actions - guidance card Actions of the type Field Recommendation are auto-filled in the fields or appear as messages under the fields on a record form. Agents can follow the recommendations and select these field values.Figure 2. Field recommendation messages in the Incident form For more information, see [Creating guidance and field recommendation in Recommended Actions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ow4_ngVIM52nMCAlC~DMcA "Create guidances and field recommendations that you can use to configure recommended actions."). ## Elements for configuring recommended actions {#configure-nba__section_bzc_lj1_1zb} Configuring a recommended action is a multi-step process that involves: Context : A context enables agents to see recommended actions for a record in that table when certain rules are met. For more information, see [Contexts in Recommended Actions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/4qkE2Ju_jw~LM9Uc_XrUwg "A context enables agents to see recommendations for records from a table when certain rules are met. These recommendations can help agents by suggesting actions to take based on the record context."). Context input : A context input enables you to utilize the entities other than the context table to define rules, recommendations, and resource generators so that recommendations are updated dynamically as the context changes. For more information, see [Context inputs in Recommended Actions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/FMLOGoB7GBMq8mf3SuWuYA "A context input enables you to associate entities beyond just the context table with a context ensuring that recommendations are updated dynamically as the context evolves."). Rule : A rule is a set of conditions that applies to a context and determines when a recommended action appears for records in the context table. For more information, see [Rules in Recommended Actions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/XkjJv235tjTFVmpvXaZz4g "A rule is a set of conditions that applies to a context. A rule shows recommendations to agents with certain roles for records that meet certain conditions."). Recommendation : A recommendation is a way to suggest an action to an agent. You can create recommendations with action types of guidance, field recommendation, and playbook. For more information, see [Recommendations in Recommended Actions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/5gRgeADCxky7jjV54L_1Ew "A recommendation is a way to suggest a helpful action to an agent. A recommendation includes the action and any relevant resources and inputs."). Resource generators : Resource generators provide helpful information for guidance and field recommendations. The resource generators use decision table, flow, scripts, Predictive Intelligence framework, or AI search capabilities to generate resources. For example, a resource generator can provide a knowledge article link that can then be used as a recommended action for a case. For more information, see [Resource generators in Recommended Actions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/868~CZTc89exy3YYLsbg1w "Resource generators in Recommended Actions provide resources that you can use as inputs to actions such as guidances and field recommendations."). Arbitration parameters : Arbitration parameters determine the frequency of issues or the priority order of the recommended actions so that agents get the guidance that they must help resolve customer issues.