Conversational actions

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated April 2, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read

    • Run a Workflow Studio action from a Now Assist conversation. Create and configure the conversational skill from Workflow Studio.

    Workflow Studio offers a selection of preconfigured actions that are available to run from Conversational Interfaces.

    Automatic skill activation

    This Platform workflow skill is automatically activated when you install a Now Assist product. For more information about Platform workflow skill activation, see Now Assist skills in the Platform workflow.

    User role access

    Give personnel an appropriate role to access conversational subflows. See User roles for conversational subflows and actions.

    Making an action conversation compatible

    To make an action conversation compatible, you must perform the following steps.

    Conversational settings

    You can use the conversational settings menu to manage conversational subflows and actions from Workflow Studio. Options include:
    • Toggle off or on the option to make an action or subflow conversational.
    • See the subflow or action skill name.
    • Select one or more assistants that can discover the action or subflow skill.
    • Select one or more roles users must have to access the action or subflow skill.
    • Set the advanced option to make the action or subflow skill discoverable.
    • Set the advanced option to include the action or subflow skill in the list of topics.
    • Set the advanced option to retain the context of previous conversations so that the users can ask follow-up questions, provide additional details, and continue the conversation.
    • Set the advanced option to include error messages from subflows and actions in the conversation.
    Figure 1. Example conversational settings
    Conversational settings for the preconfigured Send SMS subflow.

    When you set these options in Workflow Studio, the system also sets the corresponding options in Virtual Agent Designer.

    Supported conversational subflows and actions input data types

    Conversational subflows and actions support a limited number of input data types. To be compatible with conversational interfaces, an action or a subflow must only include inputs that use supported data types.

    ServiceNow AI Platform data type name Workflow Studio data type label
    array.string Array of Strings
    boolean True/False
    calendar Calendar Date/Time
    choice Choice
    date Date
    datetime Date/Time
    document_id Document ID
    date_time Date/Time
    due_date Due Date
    email Email
    glide_date Date
    glide_time Time
    glide_date_time Date/Time
    GUID Sys ID (GUID)
    html HTML
    integer Integer
    long Long
    longint Long Integer String
    reference Reference
    schedule_date_time Schedule Date/Time
    string String
    string_full_utf8 String (Full UTF-8)
    table_name Table Name