Virtual Agent features supported in Slack conversations

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Virtual Agent features supported in Slack conversations

    ServiceNow's Virtual Agent offers robust integration with Slack through the Conversational Integration with Slack app, enabling enhanced conversational experiences directly within Slack bot conversations. This integration supports key Virtual Agent capabilities such as AI Search, notifications, and conversation design controls, improving user engagement and productivity. Note that this integration is not supported for on-premises ServiceNow instances.

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    Key Features

    • AI Search Results: Virtual Agent can deliver AI-powered search results displayed as Genius result cards and multi-link outputs within Slack conversations. The default configuration supports searching knowledge base Q&A and catalog items.
    • URL Navigation for Chat Links: Links to ServiceNow records shared in Slack conversations open automatically in the base system portals. Administrators can customize which portals these links open in to fit organizational needs.
    • Trusted Domains: In custom chat integrations, the Trusted media domains specified in the Provider Channel Identities table override settings in the Connections table, ensuring secure and controlled media domain access.
    • Chat Localization: Starting with version 5.0.1, Virtual Agent conversations in Slack localize chat responses into the language selected by the user in the Slack UI. Localization uses ServiceNow’s gs::getMessageLang function, supporting scenarios with available language plugins, fallback language configurations, or defaulting to English when necessary.
    • Virtual Agent Designer Controls: User input and bot response controls designed within Virtual Agent Designer are supported in Slack. This includes interactive elements like table responses and card controls that can display images, enhancing conversation richness.
    • Virtual Agent Notifications: Slack supports delivery of Virtual Agent notifications during conversations, keeping users informed and engaged within the Slack interface.

    Important Considerations

    • This integration is not available for on-premises ServiceNow instances.
    • There are certain Virtual Agent features that are not supported within Slack conversations; customers should review unsupported features to set correct expectations.

    Virtual Agent features, such as AI Search results, Virtual Agent notifications, and Virtual Agent Designer controls for creating Virtual Agent conversations are supported in Slack bot conversations.

    Note:
    Conversational Integration for Slack is not supported for on-prem instances.

    This section highlights key Virtual Agent features that are supported in the Conversational Integration with Slack app.

    AI Search results

    Virtual Agent can generate AI Search results that are displayed as Genius result cards and multi-link outputs in conversations. For details on how Virtual Agent generates AI Search results, see Improving the user experience with AI Search. The default AI Search configuration for Virtual Agent enables search results for Q&A (knowledge base) and catalog items.

    URL navigation for chat links

    In Virtual Agent and Live Agent conversations on the Slack app, links to ServiceNow records open automatically in base system portals—including links displayed in output cards, Virtual Agent notifications, and AI Search results. If needed, admins can change the portals in which these links are opened. For configuration details, see Configure URL navigation for chat links.

    Trusted Domains

    In custom chat integrations, the values specified in the Trusted media domains field of the Provider Channel Identities table [sys_cs_provider_application] takes precedence over the Connections table [sys_cs_provider] and therefore overrides.

    Chat Localization into Conversation Language

    Starting from version 5.0.1, chat gets localized into the customer specified conversation language set in the Slack UI, though the session language is different.

    Translation of responses to the conversation language is done using the function gs::getMessageLang(str, lang), where the language retrieved from Slack is passed through this function as a parameter. The translation process works with the following three use cases, when:
    • The requested language plugin is available in the ServiceNow instance.

      When the requested language plugin is available in the ServiceNow instance then the Session language honors the Conversation language set by the user.

    • The requested language plugin is absent, but fallback is set and enabled​.

      When the requested language plugin is absent, then the fallback language specified in the [sys_language] table is used for the translation process. However, for the fallback mechanism to work, you must enable the glide_i18n.language_fallback_enabled system property. By default, the value of the property is false. Set it to true to enable the fallback mechanism. For more information, see Set a fallback language.

    • The requested language plugin is absent, but fallback is not set/enabled.

      When the requested language plugin is absent and fallback is also not set/enabled, the default translation language will be English.