Closing idle bot-to-bot conversations

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of Closing idle bot-to-bot conversations

    In ServiceNow's Virtual Agent API bot-to-bot integrations, conversations that remain idle or abandoned for over one hour are automatically closed by the scheduled job namedTime Out Abandoned B2B Conversations. This job runs hourly by default, ensuring that inactive bot-to-bot conversations do not remain open indefinitely.

    Show full answer Show less

    Configuring Idle Timeout

    Administrators can customize the idle timeout period for bot-to-bot conversations by creating or modifying the system property com.glide.cs.b2bconversationidletimeout. This property specifies the duration in seconds that an abandoned conversation remains open after the last user response before being closed by the scheduled job.

    • To set this property, navigate to sysproperties.list and create a new entry with:
      • Name: com.glide.cs.b2bconversationidletimeout
      • Description: Explanation of the property’s purpose (e.g., Idle timeout period in seconds for bot-to-bot conversations)
      • Type: Integer
      • Value: Number of seconds to keep conversations open (e.g., 1800 for 30 minutes)
    • Once set, the scheduled job will close any bot-to-bot conversations idle beyond this specified period.

    Adjusting the Scheduled Job

    To modify when or how often the Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations job runs, administrators can:

    • Navigate to System Definition > Scheduled Jobs and open the job record.
    • Change the scheduled execution time or frequency by editing the fields, such as setting the job to run periodically with a custom repeat interval.
    • Update the job to apply changes.

    This flexibility allows tailoring the cleanup process to your organization's operational needs, ensuring efficient management of idle bot conversations.

    In bot-to-bot integrations (Virtual Agent API), abandoned conversations that are "idle" for more than an hour are automatically closed by the scheduled job, Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations. This job runs hourly each day.

    The default timeout period for abandoned bot-to-bot conversations is one hour (3600 seconds). The Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations job closes any bot-to-bot conversations that have been open longer than one hour (3600 seconds). You (admins) can change the default timeout period for idle bot-to-bot conversations by adding the system property com.glide.cs.b2b_conversation_idle_timeout.

    The timeout value that you specify in this property applies to all bot-to-bot conversations involving the Virtual Agent.

    Change the timeout period for idle bot-to-bot conversations

    Add the com.glide.cs.b2b_conversation_idle_timeout property to the System Property [sys_properties] table to specify the length of time that an abandoned bot-to-bot conversation remains open (idle). When the Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations job runs hourly, it closes any bot-to-bot conversations that have been idle longer than the specified time.
    1. Navigate to All, and then enter sys_properties.list in the navigation filter.
    2. Select New.
    3. On the form, fill in the fields.
      Field Value
      Name Enter the system property name:com.glide.cs.b2b_conversation_idle_timeout
      Description Enter an explanation for this property: Idle timeout period (in seconds) for all bot-to-bot conversations
      Type Select integer.
      Value Enter the number of seconds that the abandoned bot-to-bot conversations remain open, after the requester's last response.

      For example, a value of 1800 seconds (30 minutes) means that an abandoned bot-to-bot conversation remains open for 1800 seconds (30 minutes). When the Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations job runs, it closes any conversations that have been idle longer than 1800 seconds.
    4. Select Submit.

    Change the Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations scheduled job

    To change the time that this hourly scheduled job runs or to make other adjustments to the scheduled job:
    1. Navigate to All > System Definition > Scheduled Jobs and open the Time Out Abandoned B2B Conversations record.
    2. In the Scheduled Script Execution form, change the Time at which the scheduled job runs. Or, depending on how you want to adjust the timing, change other fields in the form as needed.

      For example, to change the interval at which the job runs, in the Run field, select Periodically. You then specify the Repeat Interval (Days and Hours) that the job runs and the Starting date for the interval. For a description of the other fields that you can change in this form, see Automatically run a script of your choosing.

    3. Select Update.

      The job runs at the specified time and frequency.