Troubleshoot issues with Topic Recommendations

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Troubleshoot issues with Topic Recommendations

    This guide helps ServiceNow customers identify and resolve common issues encountered with Topic Recommendations in the Zurich release. Topic Recommendations supports Virtual Agent by analyzing conversation data to suggest relevant topics, but certain errors or unexpected behaviors can occur during setup, topic addition, or report generation.

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    Common Issues and Solutions

    • Blank Topic Recommendations page: Occurs when no analysis reports are configured. Customers should configure an analysis report or install the ITSM Virtual Agent Conversations app to add default configurations.
    • Error adding topics to Virtual Agent: Check the system error log for entries from sntopicrecommend to identify specific issues. Note that if model training fails, the topic is still added but the model remains in a draft state.
    • Intent matches found but no pre-built topic matches: Verify that ITSM Virtual Agent Conversations is installed and activated. If installed, it may indicate pre-built topics do not cover the issues detected in analysis reports.
    • Analysis reports unavailable in production: This is expected; analysis reports and Intent Discovery function only within a single instance. Topics and models can be migrated but reports do not transfer.
    • Analysis report stuck on "Analysis in progress": Check the Discovery Report Definitions table for the status of the analysis. If empty, the analysis failed and should be rerun. Use the NLU Workbench > Intent Discovery for troubleshooting.
    • Adding new topics takes longer than expected: Review the status of topic generation in the sntopicrecommendtopicstaging list and check the System Logs for event processing. Setting the status to Error can allow retrying the addition.
    • Report generation limits: Topic Recommendations requires between 10,000 and 300,000 records for analysis to ensure performance and statistical significance.
    • Model not preselected after upgrade: Customers upgrading from Quebec must manually select a model in the app once, after which the selection is preserved.
    • Unmigrated model support: Models do not need to be grouped; grouping is recommended but not required.
    • Unlinked topics: Linking recommendations to existing topics is optional and serves as acknowledgment.
    • Missing Topics/Requests VA Can Handle tab: Ensure the system property glide.ui.escapeallscript is set to True to display this tab properly.

    Practical Guidance

    Customers should regularly check system logs and report statuses to diagnose issues promptly. Installing and activating the ITSM Virtual Agent Conversations app provides essential default configurations that support Topic Recommendations. Understanding the data size requirements and model selection behavior after upgrades helps maintain smooth operation. Setting appropriate system properties ensures full UI functionality.

    Investigate and resolve unexpected behavior with Topic Recommendations, or find answers to common questions.

    For information about using Topic Recommendations, see Quick start for Topic Recommendations.

    Note:
    Topic Recommendations tries to train the model when you add new topics to Virtual Agent. If an error occurs during training, the topic is still added, but the model remains in a draft state.
    Issue Solution

    Topic Recommendations page is blank

    		 No analysis reports have been configured.

    Configure an analysis report. You can also install or activate ITSM Virtual Agent Conversations, which will add default configurations to Topic Recommendations. For more information, see Set up ITSM Virtual Agent.

    Error when adding topics to Virtual Agent

    		 Check the error log for details:
    1. Navigate to All > System Logs > System Log > Errors.
    2. Find the entry that has a value of sn_topic_recommend in the Source column.

      The Message field displays the error.

      Note:
      If model training fails while adding topics, Topic Recommendations will ignore those errors and continue to add your recommendations. In this case, you will be notified that the models are in draft state.
    Reports have intent matches, but no pre-built topic matches

    Make sure ITSM Virtual Agent Conversations is installed and activated for the instance. If the app is installed, then none of the pre-built topics address the issues found in your reports. For more information, see Set up ITSM Virtual Agent.
    Analysis reports are not available in production instances

    This is the expected behavior. Analysis reports and Intent Discovery are designed to live in one instance only. Added topics and NLU models are made available in a "new" instance, but the Topic Recommendations reports do not move between instances.
    Analysis report is stuck and says "Analysis in progress" Check the status in the Discovery Report Definitions table:
    1. Navigate to All > sn_nlu_discovery_report_definition.list.
    2. Sort the table on the Created column, and then find the name of the affected analysis definition.
    3. If the Status column is empty, the analysis failed. Try running it again.

    You can also navigate to NLU Workbench > Intent Discovery to see if something went wrong in the intent discovery process. For more information, see Intent Discovery.
    Adding new topics takes longer than expected Try the following:
    • Navigate to All > sn_topic_recommend_topic_staging.list and view the Status column to see what stage topic generation is in. Training models can take some time.
    • Navigate to All > System Logs > Events to see which event ran last or if the event is queued.
    • If the reason for failure is not clear, navigate to All > sn_topic_recommend_topic_staging.list and change the value of the Status field to Error. You can then try to add the recommendation again.
    Can't generate a report with less than 10,000 or more than 300,000 records

    Topic Recommendations currently supports a minimum of 10,000 records and a maximum of 300,000 records. This is done for performance and to ensure a statistically significant data set.
    Model is not preselected in the app

    If you are upgrading from Quebec and this is your use of the Topic Recommendations app, you must select a model. Once you select a model, Topic Recommendations preserves the selection.
    Unmigrated model support

    While you are encouraged to migrate your models to groups, Topic Recommendations does not require models to be grouped.
    Unlinked topics You don't have to link all recommendations. Topic linking is a way to "acknowledge" a recommendation if you have an existing topic.
    The Topics/Requests VA Can Handle tab is not displayed

    System property glide.ui.escape_all_script is not set to True.

    Navigate to ALL > sys_properties.list (or ALL sys_properties_list.do). Search for and select glide.ui.escape_all_script, then set its Value to True.