---
sourceDocument: Brazil Conversational Interfaces
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/conversational-interfaces

 Release :

    - brazil

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Brazil Conversational Interfaces

ft:clusterId :

    - convint

bundleId :

    - convint

workflow :

    - Platform


---

# Getting started with Virtual Agent Designer

# (Legacy) Getting started with Virtual Agent Designer for NLU {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Brazil  
Updated September 10, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 4 minutes to read  
The Virtual Agent Designer is a diagram tool for creating and managing assets, which are blueprints for conversations between a Virtual Agent and a user. You can design topics that help your users resolve common work issues or guide them through self-service tasks.
Virtual Agent conversations are built using topics. When building an asset, there are various components (controls) that you can use to build the logic of a conversation, as well as the responses
that the user sees.

Virtual Agent can use Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to match the user's request with the appropriate conversation or topic.

With NLU/keyword topic discovery, the topic author associates the topic with an intent within an NLU model. An intent describes what the user wants to achieve. User utterances are matched with intents to determine the most appropriate topic for the user. Associating a topic with a
model and intent is called mapping.

If you're using ServiceNow
NLU/keyword topic discovery, then Virtual Agent Designer integrates with NLU Workbench so that you can map topics to new or existing models and intents without leaving the interface. In addition, you can also modify utterances, test, train, and publish your models
from within Virtual Agent Designer.

## Topic properties {#conversation-designer-virtual-agent-nlu__section_xgg_4bk_spb}

Use the topic Properties tab to identify a Virtual Agent asset and how it's used. The properties you can specify depend on the method of topic discovery used in your instance: NLU or keyword. If you have activated NLU, you can select NLU/keyword from the Type drop-down menu when you create a topic. The Properties tab includes fields for identifying
the NLU model and intent for the topic.  
Use the Properties tab to do the following:

* Specify the name and type of asset, such as [topic](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/BPAFQKNMzNdsOUPkr4av~A "Use Virtual Agent Designer to create and modify Virtual Agent topics (conversations). Build your topic to meet a specific objective or goal, such as fulfilling a user's request or helping a user complete a task."), [topic block](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/2rNScHs1UTi8o0ZkV9A_AA "Topic blocks are reusable components that you can create to run common tasks and conversational elements in Virtual Agent conversations. Topic blocks simplify the topic authoring and maintenance process by enabling you to reuse standard procedures or actions across conversation topics."), [custom control](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/FGllT3gry9tpdbiLZLP2Ww "Custom controls are components that ServiceNow developers can create for use in Virtual Agent topics or topic blocks. Such controls include sliders or video players. Custom controls complement the controls provided in Assistant Designer."), and so on.
* Control who uses the topic and [what channels it can run in](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/6SaBE6FjKJ2VyS~WU5_kIg "Integrate and extend the capabilities of Virtual Agent by connecting to your employees and customers where they already are. They are engaged in web portals, Now Mobile apps, and collaboration tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and any other popular chat or messaging app.").
* Associate [live agent variables](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/i39jB4d0QfKPOIa_nvIipA "Use chat context variables to pass certain information from the topic to share with a live agent or to control how bot conversations are routed to live agents. Virtual Agent includes some default variables, and you can define new ones.") with a topic.
* Add keywords to the topic or map the topic to a ServiceNow NLU model and intent.
{#conversation-designer-virtual-agent-nlu__ul_dyr_1xb_wqb}

For more information, see [(Legacy) Topic Properties tab for NLU](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/W3ZWl~uc5z0HXnu7l9X~JQ "Use the Topic Properties tab to identify a topic and how it's used. You can control who uses the topic and what channels it can run in.").

## Topic flow {#conversation-designer-virtual-agent-nlu__section_x2g_h25_22b}

When you create or update a topic, topic block, or custom control, you build the conversation flow on the Flow tab. In the default view, the flow looks like a diagram. Use the controls for user
inputs, bot responses, and utilities to define the flow. The status of the topic and NLU/Keyword model (if used) appears in the upper-right corner of the window.

The Table View option in Virtual Agent Designer displays the nodes in your conversation flow as a table, rather than as a diagram. Each node is identified in a corresponding row in the table. You can add, change, or
delete nodes using these table rows.

For example, instead of dragging controls and dropping them onto the canvas, you can select Add new node to insert a node into the appropriate row in the table. When you focus on a particular row
(node), the corresponding property sheet for the node is displayed.

As you create or update your design, you might find it helpful to switch between the diagram view and the Table View using the Table View option. If your conversation contains many nodes, the
Table View lets you review all the nodes in your conversation quickly. You can use the Search table option to quickly find a particular node or control.  
Use the Flow tab to do the following:

* Design your topic flow. For more information, see [(Legacy) Designing a Virtual Agent NLU topic](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/exNgccIGVLWq5VRntMQV_Q "Walk through the design of an example Virtual Agent topic that enables users to view incidents they submitted. The example highlights various design controls that can be used to build the conversation flow.").
* Add script variables. For more information, see [Define script variables for a topic](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/jmCLVCkU~MGtoEbNXTH_zA "Use the Variables sidebar to define script variables for a topic. Script variables can store information that is not found in ServiceNow tables. This information can then be shared elsewhere in a topic.").
* Add entities to your topic. For more information, see [Use system-derived entities in your topic](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/XceNtw3x5qlK2gC819wZ2Q "Associate system-derived entities such as such as date, time, duration, or location with a node in a topic.").
* Add nodeless entities, if you're creating a topic for [Add nodeless NLU entities to your topic flow](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/iE4nNSsF_hX9sQC8euXpvQ "You can add nodeless NLU entities as input variables to a topic if NLU is enabled for Virtual Agent. These variables can be slot-filled from NLU service provider predictions or provided outside of the scope of the topic.").
{#conversation-designer-virtual-agent-nlu__ul_u5b_hwx_prb}

For more information, see [Topic Flow tab](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/5bJ_wxAP7MWma7cLwCXfQQ "Use the topic Flow tab to build the conversation flow. Use the controls for user inputs, bot responses, and utilities to define the flow.").

## NLU model and intent mappings {#conversation-designer-virtual-agent-nlu__section_zx4_lvb_wqb}

If you activated NLU on your instance, the NLU Intent tab is available for your topics in Virtual Agent Designer. Once you have bound the topic to a model and intent on the Properties tab, you can use the NLU Intent tab to do the following:

* Review utterances used in your topic. For more information, see [Review and edit utterances and associated entities](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/vAuPGUL2r2kLT3HqFKh0iw "View, test, and modify NLU utterances for a Virtual Agent topic on the NLU Intent tab in Virtual Agent Designer.").
* Train your NLU models. For more information, see [Train, test, and publish your NLU model](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/AWl4IhQG0IJLD30chuSUBQ "Use the NLU Intent tab to train and try a Natural Language Understanding (NLU) model that is mapped to a topic without leaving Virtual Agent Designer.").

  Test the topic model with user utterances to see if it triggers the appropriate intent and
  topic. You can also test entity recognition.
{#conversation-designer-virtual-agent-nlu__ul_gtg_frq_3pb}  
Note:  
The virtual_agent_admin role includes the nlu_admin role, which enables topic authors to work on ServiceNow models.

For more information about this tab, see [(Legacy) Topic NLU Intent tab](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/C3xfSL2Aen5rcQT8OXzokQ "You can edit and refine ServiceNow NLU models from within Assistant Designer. When a conversation topic is bound to an associated NLU model and intent, use the NLU Intent tab to review and edit utterances and associated entities.").

## Topic languages {#conversation-designer-virtual-agent-nlu__section_zq1_qvb_wqb}

The Languages tab displays the topic's translation status for languages that have been activated on the instance for both LLM and NLU conversations. If you're using NLU/keyword, you can also review the language mappings for that topic.  
Use the Languages tab to do the following:

* View translation status for activated language plugins.
* Test your topic with a given language. For more information, see [View and test the topic in a specific language](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/mbEYsPF~9hLIag_b_4izpg "Test a translated Virtual Agent topic and the localized NLU model to ensure that it works as expected in a conversation.").
* Edit translations. For more information, see [Edit the topic translations](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/fapqtgzU8VwXZq3A7~58ew "A Virtual Agent admin user can edit and publish translations directly in Virtual Agent Designer.").
* Request translations. For more information, see [Request topic translations in additional languages](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/LZCDWjGub3ODsfGGrSGwnA "Use the ServiceNow Localization Framework to manage the process of localizing Virtual Agent conversations and keywords.").
* View and update NLU language and entity mapping. For more information, see [View or modify NLU language mappings and entity mapping](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/X~FMIzPj60IWBm9jUyafPw "Map a Virtual Agent topic to a secondary model in the model group or to a standalone, single-language NLU model for each supported language.").

  For more information, see [(Legacy) NLU model mapping in Virtual Agent Designer](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/tqu7mqx885kNteljvD6_3A "ServiceNow model groups help you to manage the localization of both topics and Natural Language Understanding (NLU) models more easily. You can map Virtual Agent topics to a new or existing model group directly from Virtual Agent.").
{#conversation-designer-virtual-agent-nlu__ul_pkl_3tw_wqb}

For more information about this tab, see [(Legacy) NLU Topic Languages tab](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/tvdmQoRPoRrp_zQistZIkQ "Use the Languages tab to view the topic's translation status for languages that have been activated in Virtual Agent. If NLU is enabled on your instance, you can also view model mappings for each language.").