Managing custom skills in Assistant Designer Asset library

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Managing custom skills in Assistant Designer Asset library

    This content explains how ServiceNow customers can view and manage custom skills within the Assistant Designer Asset library, specifically in the Yokohama release. It highlights that custom skills cannot be created directly in the Virtual Agent Designer but must be managed using the Now Assist Skill Kit.

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    Key Features

    • Viewing Custom Skills: Customers with the virtualagentadmin role can view custom skills in the Assistant Designer Asset library after activating the Now Assist Topics skill.
    • Skill Details Displayed: The library shows skill attributes including Name, Type (always Custom skill), Status (e.g., Published), Active status, Last modified timestamp, and Description.
    • Skill Management Actions: Users can toggle visibility settings such as Promoted (suggested in virtual assistant), Discoverable (invoked by matching user utterances), Visible (shown under "Show me everything"), and Active (available in conversations).
    • Deletion Restrictions: Skills cannot be deleted from the Assistant Designer Asset library; deletion is only possible via Now Assist Skill Kit.
    • Opening Skills: Selecting a skill opens it in Now Assist Skill Kit for further editing and management.
    • Deployment Settings: To make custom skills available in the Assistant Designer Asset library, deploy the skill via Now Assist Skill Kit by enabling Platform skills in the Feature list and activating the Now Assist panel card.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    • Customers must use Now Assist Skill Kit for skill creation, testing, and deletion, while Assistant Designer Asset library provides a centralized place for viewing and toggling skill visibility and activation settings.
    • Activating the Now Assist Topics skill is required to access the updated Assistant Designer Asset library UI with custom skill management capabilities.
    • Proper deployment configuration in Now Assist Skill Kit ensures that custom skills appear and function correctly in the Assistant Designer Asset library and the virtual assistant environment.
    • Understanding and managing skill visibility options helps tailor the virtual assistant’s conversational assets to improve user experience.

    View custom skills through Assistant Designer Asset library.

    Note:
    An updated Assistant Designer Asset library user interface is available when you install Now Assist in Virtual Agent and turn on the Now Assist Topics skill. This content assumes that you have activated this skill and can see the list view. If this skill is not activated, you see the legacy UI and topics page. For more information, see Virtual Agent Designer legacy topics page.

    Role required: virtual_agent_admin

    When you select a custom skill, it opens the skill in Now Assist Skill Kit. Custom skills currently can't be created in Virtual Agent Designer. You can only view them in Assistant Designer Asset library. The skills can be created, tested, and deleted only in Now Assist Skill Kit. For more details on creating skills, see Create a skill.

    Figure 1. Custom skills as viewed in Assistant Designer Asset library
    Custom skills pill inAssistant Designer Asset library.
    Column Description
    Name Name of the skill. Select the skill to open it in Now Assist Skill Kit.
    Type Custom skill.
    Status Status type such as Published.
    Active Whether the skill is active or inactive.
    Last modified Time that the skill was last modified.
    Description Description of the custom skill.

    Use the row actions icon to work with visibility settings for Promoted, Discoverable, Visible, and Active:

    Option Description
    Promoted Option to toggle the skill's Promoted status to show as a suggested conversational asset in the virtual assistant.
    Discoverable Option to toggle the skill's Discoverable status. If discoverable, the skill is invoked when matched with a user's utterance.
    Visible Option to toggle the skill's visibility to users. If visible, the skill appears whenever the Show me everything option is selected in the conversation.
    Active Option to toggle the skill's active status. If active, the skill is available within the conversation.
    Delete Delete option for skills is inactive in Assistant Designer Asset library. The skills can only be deleted from Now Assist Skill Kit.

    Custom skills become available in Assistant Designer Asset library based on the deployment settings in Now Assist Skill Kit.

    1. Navigate to Now Assist Skill Kit > Home and select the skill.
    2. Select Skill settings > Deployment settings.
    3. For the skill to become available in Assistant Designer Asset library, the following options should be selected:
      • Select Platform skills in the Feature list.
      • Select the Now Assist panel card to enable the skill through the Now Assist Panel.