Agent initiated SMS conversation

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Agent initiated SMS conversation

    ServiceNow Customer Service Management now supports initiating SMS conversations between agents and customers, enabling agents to send and receive SMS messages directly within the interaction screen. This feature enhances communication flexibility by integrating SMS as an additional messaging channel.

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    Requirements

    • A configured messaging provider channel is necessary to enable the "Compose SMS" option for agents.
    • Phone numbers must be validated and formatted according to the E.164 standard using the provided REST endpoint, ensuring consistent and accurate number formatting.
    • Customer profiles are validated via a dedicated REST endpoint to manage associations between phone numbers and consumers accurately, preventing conflicts when a phone number is linked to multiple consumers.

    Agent Initiated SMS Conversations

    Agents can start SMS conversations by selecting or entering a provider phone number. The system manages SMS interactions intelligently based on current activity:

    • No active SMS interaction: A new SMS interaction is created and assigned to the agent.
    • Active interaction with the same agent: The message is added to the existing conversation without reassigning the interaction.
    • Active interaction with a Virtual Agent (VA): The existing interaction is closed, and a new one is created and assigned to the agent.
    • Active interaction with a different consumer or user: The current interaction is closed, the existing channel user profile is deactivated, a new channel user profile is created, and a new interaction is assigned to the agent.

    Customization

    ServiceNow provides the AgentInitiatedConversationUtil extension point, allowing customers to customize the behavior of the "Send from" and "Send to" phone number fields. This flexibility lets organizations implement specific logic to meet their communication requirements. For this Store application, the AgentInitiatedMessagingUtilExtPointImpl extension point is configured to manage fetching the appropriate phone numbers for SMS interactions.

    Customer Service Management supports additional messaging channel such as SMS which tracks interactions between the agent and customer.

    Requirements

    At least one provider configuration for messaging type channel must be available to view the Compose SMS option in the agent interaction screen. For more information about provider sys_cs_provider_application.list, see Create a channel identifier.

    Phone number validation

    REST endpoint /api/now/initiate_message/validate_phone_number is used to validate if the phone number is in the E.164 format. If the number of a known consumer is not in the E.164 format, the system converts it to the E.164 format based on for example, the location of the consumer. If the location is not found, it will by default convert the number to an E.164 format. For more information about E.164 formats and validation, see Phone number field type.

    Customer profile validation

    REST endpoint /api/now/initiate_message/validate_profile is used to validate the channel user profile. When you send an SMS in reply to an interaction of type phone, the message is sent to a consumer originally associated with the interaction. If the same phone number is associated to a different consumer, and you send an SMS, you will get a message that the phone number is currently associated to another consumer and sending the new message will associate the phone number to the current user.

    A phone number is associated to consumer A and an interaction has occurred after which the phone number was disconnected for consumer A. There is a new interaction with consumer B and you select the same phone number that was associated with consumer A. A message appears that the phone number is currently associated to consumer A, and sending a new message will associate consumer A's phone number to consumer B who is the current user.

    Agent initiated SMS conversations

    To initiate an SMS conversation with a requester, agents can select a provider number for an outbound service or manually enter a provider number. If there is a current ongoing SMS conversation, it automatically appears. When an agent initiates an SMS conversation:

    If Then
    There is no active SMS interaction​
    • Create a new SMS interaction​
    • Assign interaction to agent​
    There is an active interaction involving an agent​
    • Inject the message into existing conversation​
    • Add agent to live group profile​
    • No reassignment​
    There is an active interaction involving VA​
    • Close existing interaction​
    • Create a new interaction and assign to agent​
    There is an active interaction involving a different contact/consumer/user​
    • Close existing interaction​
    • Create a new channel user profile and deactivate the existing channel user profile​
    • Create a new interaction and assign to agent​

    Customize the behaviour of send from and to numbers

    The AgentInitiatedConversationUtil extension point is added to implement a customers' logic to change the default behaviour of the Send from and Send to fields. For more information, see Associating user profiles on messaging interactions. For this store application, AgentInitiatedMessagingUtilExtPointImpl extension point is configured for fetching the from and to numbers.