How Proactive Triggers work

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of How Proactive Triggers work

    Proactive Triggers in ServiceNow enable administrators to engage users proactively based on their interactions with specific pages or content. By setting up rules tied to keywords or user behavior, organizations can deliver timely assistance through Virtual Agent conversations or live agent support, enhancing user experience and issue resolution efficiency.

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    Key Features

    • Rule-Based Activation: Proactive Triggers activate when users visit pages matching configured criteria, such as Knowledge articles or Service Catalog items containing specific keywords.
    • Trigger Types: Supports both client-side triggers (e.g., web browsing on Knowledge Base, Service Catalog, portal pages) and server-side triggers (e.g., system API calls, search events).
    • Rule Evaluation: Rules are evaluated sequentially by order number and delay time, ensuring the most relevant and timely rule is applied.
    • Custom Actions: Once a rule matches, actions such as opening a chat widget or launching a Virtual Agent topic are executed based on user applicability and configured delay.
    • Multiple Rules and Delays: Admins can configure multiple rules with varied delay times and user criteria to provide tailored user engagement scenarios.

    How It Works

    • When a user navigates to a page, Proactive Triggers checks the page URL or API call to identify applicable rules based on the Trigger Type.
    • It evaluates rules in ascending order while considering delay times to determine which rule applies.
    • For matched rules, associated actions are evaluated to confirm if they apply to the visiting user.
    • After meeting delay time and rule criteria, a configured pop-up message appears on the page prompting user interaction.
    • If the user interacts with the pop-up, the chat widget opens, and if configured, the Virtual Agent topic automatically starts to assist the user.

    Practical Use Cases

    • Triggering a Virtual Agent conversation about VPN connectivity when a user views Knowledge articles containing “VPN.”
    • Connecting users to live agent support when viewing catalog items related to laptops, facilitating immediate assistance with ordering.
    • Designing complex engagement flows using multiple rules and delays to customize the user support experience.

    Explore example use cases and how information flows through the Proactive Triggers process.

    Proactive Triggers use cases

    Proactive Triggers are useful in various scenarios. Explore the following example use cases to determine how to use Proactive Triggers effectively for your organization.

    • An admin creates a Proactive Triggers rule that runs when a user views a Knowledge article containing the keyword “VPN” (or any other keyword that has a matching Virtual Agent topic). The admin configures the rule to run the VPN Connectivity Virtual Agent conversation, which proactively helps the user resolve the VPN issues.

    • An admin creates a Proactive Triggers rule that runs when a user views any catalog item with a short description that includes a specific keyword, such as “laptop.” The admin configures the rule to connect the user to a live agent, using the Live Agent Support topic, which proactively helps the user get assistance in ordering a laptop.

    You can also use Proactive Triggers to engage with customers in more complex scenarios. Admin users can create multiple rules using different delay times and different user criteria to create a customized user experience. For more information about configuring more complex scenarios, see Multiple Proactive Triggers rules and actions.

    Proactive Triggers process

    1. Whenever an end user navigates to a Proactive Triggers enabled page, Proactive Triggers reads the page URL or called API to determine if any Proactive Triggers rules should run.
    2. During this analysis, Proactive Triggers determines the Trigger Type source.
      Web browsing (client side) Trigger type
      Knowledge Base pages Knowledge
      Service Catalog pages Catalog Item
      Portal home pages Portal Home
      All other portal pages URL
      System API (server side) Trigger type
      Search event on portal pages Search Event
    3. Next, Proactive Triggers evaluates all the Proactive Triggers rules for that Trigger Type one by one until a matching rule is found.
      Note:
      Rules are created with the required fields Delay Time and Order. During the rule matching process, rules are analyzed in ascending Order, according to the order number assigned. If the Delay Time is reached before the order number, the Delay Time takes precedent.
    4. After a Proactive rule has been matched, the rule's actions are evaluated one by one. This evaluation proceeds in ascending order, according to the Order field in the associated Proactive actions. As part of this process, the Applies To field is compared with the user visiting the page to determine if the action applies to this user.
    5. After Proactive Triggers identifies at least one rule and action that apply to the visiting user and the Delay Time has been met, a pop-up message appears directly on the web page. The contents of this message are configured by the admin for the matched action.
    6. If the user selects the pop-up message, the chat widget opens. If the matched action is of the type Virtual Agent Topic, the chat widget also runs the topic configured in that action.