Setting up the Self-configured bot for using Microsoft Copilot

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Setting up the Self-configured bot for using Microsoft Copilot

    This guide explains how to set up a Self-configured Virtual Agent bot to integrate with Microsoft Copilot for enhanced Now Assist conversations within ServiceNow. It highlights the transition from the older Declarative Agent (DA) to the Custom Engine Agent (CEA), which enables better discoverability and multi-turn conversation capabilities with Microsoft Copilot. Customers must meet specific version requirements for the Microsoft Teams plugin to support these features.

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    Key Features

    • Custom Engine Agent (CEA): Replaces Declarative Agent and provides full functionality with Microsoft Copilot and Now Assist in Virtual Agent.
    • Microsoft Teams Plugin Requirements: Version 10.1.1 or higher is required for CEA support; version 10.2 defaults to CEA active and streaming inactive, with streaming enabled by default from October 2025.
    • Bot Options: Use either the default Now Assist Virtual Agent bot (automatic deployment, no customization) or a Self-configured bot for customized integration with Copilot.
    • Shared Configurations: Teams and Copilot share configurations and both link to the assistant for seamless experience.

    Setup Steps for Self-configured Bot

    • Assign a unique name to the Self-configured bot during creation; this name is used by the Custom Engine Agent.
    • Activate the assistant in the Conversational Interfaces configuration page within ServiceNow.
    • Migrate relevant NLU topics to the Now LLM Service to enable large language model (LLM) conversations with Copilot; enabling LLM is required for this.
    • Modify the manifest file downloaded from the Admin experience to update the agent’s description and prompts, emphasizing any unique capabilities or use cases (e.g., booking a hotel desk or ordering food) so Copilot can recognize and process these skills.
    • Activate the Copilot checkbox on the Conversational Interfaces admin page before uploading the updated manifest file.

    Practical Benefits

    By following these steps, ServiceNow customers can leverage a customized Virtual Agent bot fully integrated with Microsoft Copilot, enabling advanced conversational experiences that utilize large language models and support multi-turn dialogues. This setup allows greater control over bot behavior and enables the assistant to handle specialized tasks unique to the customer’s environment, improving user engagement and operational efficiency.

    Using your Self-configured bot with Microsoft Copilot for Now Assist conversations requires you to complete a few additional setup actions.

    Note:
    Custom Engine Agent (CEA) is replacing Declarative Agent (DA), the prior Microsoft Copilot integration. The CEA enables Virtual Agent to be discoverable by Microsoft Copilot, with full functional access to Now Assist in Virtual Agent and multi-turn conversations.

    You must have version 10.1.1 or higher of the Microsoft Teams plugin to have CEA support. In version 10.2 of the Microsoft Teams plugin, streaming is inactive by default and CEA is active by default.

    You can install the default Now Assist Virtual Agent bot from the Microsoft Teams app store. This bot deploys automatically, but you cannot customize its prompts or manifest description. You must still install the ServiceNow Microsoft Teams plugin from the ServiceNow app store.

    For more information on Microsoft Teams and Now Assist in Virtual Agent installation and settings, see .

    As of October 2025, streaming is active by default for both Teams and Copilot. Configurations are shared by Teams and Copilot, and both apps are linked to the assistant.

    You can use the self-configured bot or the default version to install Microsoft Copilot integration. The default bot automatically deploys in Copilot. If you want to use a self-configured bot for Microsoft Copilot, complete the following additional setup:
    • Provide the Self-configured bot a name while creating it. This name is also provided to the Custom Engine Agent (CEA).
    • Activate your assistant in the Conversational Interfaces configuration page. For more information, see Configuring assistants overview.
    • Migrate any relevant topics to the Now LLM Service for Now Assist large language model (LLM) conversations with Copilot. To migrate your topics to LLM, you must enable LLM. For more information, see Migrate NLU topics to LLM topics.
    • Update the following fields within the manifest file that is downloaded from Admin experience to configure the Self-configured bot. You can update your agent's description and update its prompts if it has any unique capabilities.
      Figure 1. Conversational Interfaces Microsoft Teams channel page
      Use the Microsoft Teams channel page in Conversational Interfaces Channels and Integrations to create and manage app settings.
      Update the generic description that ServiceNow provides with a specific use case that you may have in your topics.

      For example, if you have unique LLM skills that accomplish scenarios unique to your environment, such as reserving a hotel desk or ordering food for a meeting, add those skills to your description so that Copilot is able to recognize the skill and process it.

      For more information, refer to App manifest scheme in the Microsoft Teams Developer documentation.

    • Activate the Copilot check box on the Conversational Interfaces admin page before uploading your manifest.