Virtual Agent release notes

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated September 4, 2025
  • 4 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    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 Virtual Agent release notes - Zurich Release

    The ServiceNow® Virtual Agent application enhances user assistance by providing a conversational interface to quickly access information and perform common work tasks. The Zurich release introduces significant updates to Virtual Agent, focusing on large language model (LLM) integration, improved administration via Assistant Designer, and enhanced conversational capabilities with third-party platforms like Google Workspace.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Assistant Designer: A centralized experience to create and manage LLM-based chat and voice assistants, consisting of three main areas: Assistants, Asset library (formerly Virtual Agent Designer), and Analytics.
    • Asset library enhancements: Updated UI with tab navigation, ability to manage conversational settings directly, disconnect LLM assistants from assets, and view asset type descriptions and tooltips when managing topics.
    • Google Workspace integration: Enables Google Workspace chat to work seamlessly with Virtual Agent, Natural Language Understanding (NLU), Notifications, and live agents.
    • AI Connector utility: Allows selection and management of AI agents to handle tasks within Virtual Agent Designer.
    • Virtual Agent Designer improvements: Supports starting creation flows for all conversational LLM assets, availability of the Now Assist Panel - Platform assistant, and new controls such as the “Show links for each record” toggle in table bot responses.
    • Surveys support: Pre-chat and post-chat surveys are now supported for Anthropic Claude on AWS and Google Gemini LLMs.
    • UI updates: Introduction of the Coral theme as the default for new portal, web, and mobile experiences with Next Experience or Core UI enabled, including a dark theme option for better readability and reduced eye strain.
    • Microsoft Copilot integration: Custom Engine Agent (CEA) replaces the legacy Microsoft bot framework to enable multi-turn conversations and discovery of Virtual Agent and Now Assist features.

    Changes and Deprecations

    • Table bot response control: A new toggle to activate clickable links for each record in Virtual Agent conversations.
    • Test assistant improvements: The Test button now opens the chat widget directly from the Virtual Agent Designer canvas.
    • Deprecations: Sensitive Data Handler and Sensitive Data Masking features are being phased out and replaced by the Data Privacy application. Microsoft LUIS is no longer supported or enhanced starting with Zurich.

    Activation and Accessibility

    • Virtual Agent is enabled by default as a feature of the ServiceNow AI Platform.
    • The new Coral theme includes a dark mode option available for web and mobile, improving user comfort and accessibility.

    These enhancements enable ServiceNow customers to leverage AI-powered conversational assistants more effectively, integrate with popular collaboration platforms like Google Workspace, and benefit from improved administration and user experience features within the Virtual Agent framework.

    The ServiceNow® Virtual Agent application provides user assistance through a conversational interface to help users to quickly obtain information and to perform common work tasks. Virtual Agent was enhanced and updated in the Zurich release.

    Virtual Agent highlights for the Zurich release

    Zurich Patch 4
    • Create and manage LLM-based chat and voice assistants within Assistant Designer, a centralized assistant administrator experience.
    • Assistant Designer Asset library:
      • View an updated UI for Virtual Agent Designer topics in the new Assistant Designer Asset library page.
      • Navigate between Assistants, Asset library, and Analytics tabs in the Assistant Designer UI.
      • Disconnect an LLM Assistant from a given asset with the Actions on Row icon in the Asset library.
      • See descriptions of each LLM asset type when selecting Create asset in the Asset library.
      • Read a tooltip that appears when you edit an LLM assistant under the Assistans tab and try to promote more than 6 topics associated with an LLM assistant.
    Zurich Patch 1
    • Google Workspace chat now works with the ServiceNow® conversational interface features, including Virtual Agent, Natural Language Understanding (NLU), Notifications, and live agents.
    • Start the create flow for all supported conversational assets directly from Virtual Agent Designer.

    See Virtual Agent for more information.

    New in the Zurich release

    Zurich Patch 4
    Assistant Designer
    Create and manage LLM-based chat and voice assistants within Assistant Designer, a centralized assistant administrator experience. Assistant Designer is comprised of three main areas: Assistants, Asset library (previously Virtual Agent Designer), and Analytics.
    Conversational settings for Assets in the Asset libraryConversational settings
    Manage the settings for an asset directly from the Asset library page.
    Zurich Patch 1
    Integrating with Google Workspace
    Integrate Google Workspace chat with the ServiceNow® conversational interface features, including Virtual Agent, Natural Language Understanding (NLU), Notifications, and live agents.
    AI Connector utility
    Select AI agents to handle tasks in the AI Connector utility. For more information on AI agents in Virtual Agent Designer, see Managing AI agents in Assistant Designer and Using AI agents in Virtual Agent topics.
    Virtual Agent server
    • In chatHandshake, set dynamic_step_loader_enabled to true to send stacked agentic AI messages to the server. Set dynamic_step_loader_enabled to false to avoid sending messages.
    • Pre-chat and post-chat surveys are now available for Anthropic Claude on AWS and Google Gemini large language models (LLMs). For more information on surveys, see Chat surveys.
    Create a Virtual Agent topic
    Start the create flow for all supported conversational LLM assets directly from Virtual Agent Designer.
    Assistants in Virtual Agent Designer
    The Now Assist Panel - Platform (default) assistant is now available in Virtual Agent Designer.
    Integrating Now Assist in Virtual Agent with Microsoft Copilot
    Custom Engine Agent (CEA) is replacing the legacy Microsoft bot framework, allowing Microsoft Copilot to discover Virtual Agent, Now Assist, and use multi-turn conversations.

    UI changes

    Zurich Patch 1
    Next Experience preferences
    Coral is now the default theme for new portal, web, and mobile experiences with Next Experience or Core UI enabled. This theme provides a fresh look and feel, featuring brand-neutral illustrations to enhance your user experience. A dark theme option is available for web and mobile experiences.
    Assistant Designer Asset library
    • Tabs have replaced pills in the Virtual Agent Designer list view.
    • Hover over the tooltip icon () to see information about the assistant you have selected from the drop-down menu.
    • Use the new AI agents and Agentic workflows tabs to select from the types of topics on the home page, along with Topics, Subflows, Actions, and Custom skills.
    Virtual Agent Designer Table bot response control
    Slide the new Show links for each record toggle switch to activate links for each record in the output in your Virtual Agent conversation.

    Changed in this release

    Zurich Patch 1
    Table bot response control
    Use the new Show links for each record toggle switch to activate links for each record in the output in your Virtual Agent conversation.
    Test assistant options
    The Test button in the Virtual Agent Designer canvas directly opens up the chat widget.

    Deprecations

    • Starting with the Zurich release, Sensitive Data Handler and Sensitive Data Masking capability are being prepared for future deprecation. They will be hidden and no longer available for installation but will continue to be supported. For details, see the Deprecation Process [KB0867184] article in the Now Support knowledge base.

      Install the Data Privacy application as a replacement. For more information, see Data Privacy.

    • Starting with the Zurich release, Microsoft LUIS is no longer deployed, enhanced, or supported. For details, see the Deprecation Process [KB0867184] article in the Now Support knowledge base.

    Activation information

    Virtual Agent is a ServiceNow AI Platform feature that is active by default.

    Accessibility information

    Dark theme
    The new Coral theme includes a dark theme option for web and mobile experiences. This option is commonly used to alleviate eye strain and improve readability.