--- 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 --- # Configuring Virtual Agent notifications # Configuring Virtual Agent notifications {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Brazil Updated September 10, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 5 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 Configuring Virtual Agent notifications ServiceNow's Virtual Agent notifications enable admins to send direct messages to users through the Virtual Agent chatbot on supported messaging channels such as the chat widget, SMS (Twilio), Slack, Microsoft Teams, and custom chat integrations. These notifications can be simple informational messages or actionable messages with buttons that allow users to perform tasks directly from the notification. The feature is available via the Glide Virtual Agent plugin and Virtual Agent Lite, with the latter supporting only simple notifications. Show full answer Show less ## Notification Types and Behavior * **Simple notifications:** Informational messages, record cards, or image cards delivered immediately, even during active conversations with virtual or live agents. * **Actionable notifications:** Include buttons for users to perform actions (e.g., add comments, request live agent). These are delivered only when users are not in active conversations and remain in a queue for up to 8 hours by default. Actionable notifications require an associated link action and can be customized to remove the skip option to encourage user engagement. ## Dynamic and Advanced Notifications Admins can personalize notifications by incorporating dynamic content using parameter substitution or scripts that pull data from multiple sources, including third-party services. This capability allows for contextual and relevant messaging based on record updates or platform events. ## Notification Variables and Triggering Notifications carry contextual information, such as table names, record IDs, and action IDs, passed via scripts to enable integration with Virtual Agent topics. This allows topics to handle notification-triggered actions and maintain context for processes like surveys or incident updates. ## Processing Controls and Limits * Maximum recipients per notification per channel default to 100,000, adjustable via system properties. * Daily notification limits also default to 100,000, with potential third-party channel restrictions. * Actionable notifications queue lifespan defaults to 8 hours, configurable up to 72 hours. * Access controls exist to limit record content and parameter substitution visibility. Admins receive warnings if recipient counts exceed configured limits to help manage delivery. ## End-User Notification Experience * **Simple notifications** appear immediately without interrupting ongoing chat sessions. * **Actionable notifications** are presented when the user is not engaged with agents, with users able to view, act on, or skip pending notifications after conversations. ## User Subscription Management End users can manage their notification preferences per channel---subscribing or unsubscribing as desired. For example, web channel users toggle subscriptions via the chat menu, while Slack and Microsoft Teams users use Subscribe/Unsubscribe commands within the conversation. Send ServiceNow notifications directly to users via the Virtual Agent chatbot on supported messaging channels. Notifications can be simple informational messages for review, or actionable messages with buttons that users can select to perform certain actions. Notifications are sent to recipients via the Virtual Agent bot in the chat widget, pre-built messaging integrations (for example, SMS Twilio, Slack, Microsoft Teams), and custom chat integrations. Notification functionality is included with the Glide Virtual Agent (com.glide.cs.chatbot) plugin and also with Virtual Agent Lite, which is included with the ServiceNow AI Platform. However, Virtual Agent Lite users can receive only simple notifications, while Virtual Agent users can receive both actionable notifications and simple notifications. Users with no associated ServiceNow profiles in the \[sys_user\] table can receive non-actionable Virtual Agent notifications. ## How Virtual Agent notifications work {#configuring-va-notifications__section_xjg_h12_h4b} As an admin, you can define different types of notifications that have specific layouts and content. You can also customize certain aspects of notification content, such as the message heading and message content. Simple notifications : The content can be a standard informational message, record card, or an image card. Simple notifications are delivered to users immediately, even when they're engaged in a conversation with a virtual or live agent. Actionable notifications : These notifications have buttons that enable the recipient to perform certain actions, such as adding a comment or requesting a live agent. When you create an actionable notification, you associate an action with a published Virtual Agent topic, a scriptable action, or a flow action that handles the action to be performed. To encourage users to act on a notification, admin users can choose to remove the Skip option. If the user still doesn't act, the conversation will be completed as inactive. Note: The notifications are actionable only when there is an associated link action to its content. Actionable notifications are delivered to users when they're not in an active conversation with a virtual or live agent. A queue stores actionable notifications that are waiting to be delivered, for up to eight hours by default. Actionable notifications are best suited for conversational purposes, such as: * Password reset * Incident update * Approval request * Course survey * Service follow-ups and surveys * Employee onboarding follow-ups {#configuring-va-notifications__ul_spl_h2k_yqb} When a topic conversation completes, Virtual Agent automatically prompts the user to view pending notifications (if any). Admins can suppress this prompt by setting the com.glide.cs.show_pending_notifications_prompt property on the System Properties table to false. Notifications with dynamic content : You can personalize Virtual Agent notifications by adding dynamic content to message headers and messages. For record- and event-based notifications, you use parameter substitution to specify the variables that identify the record values (from the notification table) to be included in the content. Advanced notifications with dynamic content : You can create Virtual Agent notifications that use a script to add dynamic content in message headers and messages. The content can come from multiple data sources and include third-party services, such as URL shortening. Variables in notifications : You can pass information to a completed survey when the notification is triggered. Context is defined by the script found in the notification topic. This script cannot be modified. vaVars.global_notification_context = JSON.stringify({ 'tableName': table_name, 'tableSysId': sys_id, 'actionId': actionId, 'eventParm1': eventParm1, 'eventParm2': eventParm2}); Notifications are triggered by records updates or by creating a platform event in the event queue. `actionId` is the ID number for the action. The platform event takes in the `eventParm1` and `eventParm2` parameters. If a notification is triggered, the parameters are passed to the topic. To capture the notification incident number in your topic, use the following script. var notificationContext = JSON.parse(vaVars.global_notification_context); vaVars.sysId = notificationContext.tableSysId; varVars.tableName = notificationContext.tableName; ## Notification processing {#configuring-va-notifications__section_q2n_xyt_hsb} Virtual Agent notifications have certain processing controls and limitations, such as the maximum number of recipients allowed per notification and the number of notifications that can be sent per day. The following table identifies these processing controls and the system properties that can be used to change their default values. {#configuring-va-notifications__table_ly5_b15_hsb__entry__3} | Notification processing control or limitation | Default value | Associated system property | |-|-|-| | Maximum number of recipients per notification per channel | 100,000 recipients | com.glide.cs.per_notification_user_limit Max limit: None Note: * If there are more recipients than the configured number, warning messages are displayed to reduce the recipient list while you're configuring the notification and when the notification is delivered. The warnings are displayed only when there is Virtual Agent content associated with the notification. * Recipient limits may apply to third-party delivery channels based on the level of service or subscription. {#configuring-va-notifications__ul_k5n_z34_vwb} | | Maximum number of notifications per day | 100,000 notifications | com.glide.cs.daily_notification_limit Max limit: None Note: Rate limits may apply to third-party delivery channels based on the level of service or subscription. | | Lifespan of actionable notifications (a queue stores actionable notifications that are waiting to be delivered) | 8 hours | com.glide.cs.idle_actionable_notification_timer Note: You can specify a maximum value of 72 hours. | | Allow access to notification card content and parameter substitutions in notification headings and messages | False (not enabled) | com.glide.cs.notification_record_access_check Note: This property does not apply to advanced notifications. | [Table 1. Virtual Agent notification processing controls and limitations] {#configuring-va-notifications__table_ly5_b15_hsb} ## Notification experience for end users {#configuring-va-notifications__section_okn_c5d_h4b} The notification experience for end users depends on the type of notification that they're receiving. End users can also manage how their notifications are delivered by subscribing to or unsubscribing from notifications. * Simple message notifications - These notifications are delivered immediately to the end user, even when the user is chatting with a bot or live agent. The user sees the incoming message but can continue with the current conversation. * Actionable notifications - These notifications are delivered only when the user is not in an active conversation with a virtual or live agent. When users complete their conversation with a bot or live agent, they can use the Show notification command to view a list of pending notifications, which displays the heading of each notification. Users can select a pending notification to review, then perform the appropriate action for the notification, or skip the action. {#configuring-va-notifications__ul_frc_fzd_h4b} ## User subscriptions for notifications {#configuring-va-notifications__section_myv_45d_h4b} End users can subscribe or unsubscribe to notifications on the channel that they're using. For example, the chat menu provides a toggle switch that users can use to subscribe or unsubscribe to notifications on the web channel. In the conversational integrations for Slack and Microsoft Teams, end users manage their notification subscriptions by using the Subscribe and Unsubscribe commands.