Virtual Agent Lite

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Virtual Agent Lite

    Virtual Agent Lite is a limited version of Virtual Agent designed for ITSM standard customers, providing IT service assistance through several pre-built ITSM conversation topics. It is preinstalled in your ServiceNow instance but requires the installation of the ITSM Virtual Agent Conversation Topics Lite plugin to enable keyword-based conversations for common IT support requests. These conversations operate within the web chat client and supported messaging channels, including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Workplace by Facebook, and Facebook Messenger.

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    Key Features

    • Pre-built ITSM conversations: Ready-to-use, keyword-based topics focused on common IT support scenarios.
    • Virtual Agent Designer capabilities: Allows reviewing, duplicating, and publishing pre-built topics with limited editing options.
    • Localization Framework integration: Supports multi-language topic authoring and translations, though translation content is read-only.
    • Topic discovery and visibility control: Admins can enable or disable topic availability and visibility in the All Topics menu.
    • Supported messaging channels: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Workplace by Facebook, and Facebook Messenger are supported for Virtual Agent Lite conversations.

    Limitations

    • Conversation authoring restrictions: Users cannot create new topics, custom controls, or specify conditions; only ITSM self-service and platform setup topics are supported.
    • No Natural Language Understanding (NLU): Only keyword-based conversations are supported; NLU features like topic switching and multi-language NLU models are unavailable.
    • Read-only Virtual Agent tables and localized content: Admins cannot modify these tables or add new translations.
    • Limited channel support: Custom chat integrations are not supported, except for the specified messaging platforms.
    • Notifications: Only simple, non-actionable notifications are available.
    • No Analytics Dashboard: Analytics features are not included in Virtual Agent Lite.

    Next Steps

    To get started, set up and configure Virtual Agent Lite following the provided quick start guide. If your organization requires more advanced features such as full conversation authoring, NLU capabilities, or custom channel support, consider upgrading to the full Virtual Agent by contacting your ServiceNow account representative.

    Virtual Agent Lite is a limited version of Virtual Agent that is available to ITSM standard customers.

    About Virtual Agent Lite

    Use Virtual Agent Lite, to implement a virtual agent that provides IT service assistance using several pre-built ITSM conversations. As with Virtual Agent, you can set up and configure the chat clients for your end users. Use Virtual Agent Designer to review, duplicate, and publish the pre-built conversation topics for your end users.

    Virtual Agent Lite is preinstalled in your instance. To use it, you must install ITSM Virtual Agent Conversation Topics Lite, which provides several pre-built conversations for common IT support requests. These keyword-based conversations run in the web chat client and also in Virtual Agent messaging integrations for the following channels:
    • Slack
    • Microsoft Teams
    • Workplace by Facebook
    • Facebook Messenger

    Virtual Agent Lite features

    For Zurich, the Virtual Agent Designer features available in Virtual Agent Lite include the following:
    • Localization Framework integration.

      The Localization Framework is used in multi-language topic authoring and translations. The Localization Framework is installed automatically with Virtual Agent. Activate the ServiceNow® plugin for each language you want to support. For more information, see Activate a language.

      In Virtual Agent Lite, information in the Languages tab is read-only.

    • Control topic discovery and visibility.
      The Active option of the header includes two options (toggle switches). Admins and topic authors can use these options to do one or both of the following:
      • Enable Virtual Agent to discover topics for use in chats.
      • Include a topic in the All Topics menu. This menu lists all of the topics that are available for use.
      For more information about using these options, see Control topic discovery and visibility.

    After using Virtual Agent Lite, you can upgrade to Virtual Agent to access all of the features. Contact your ServiceNow account representative for upgrade information.

    Virtual Agent Lite limitations

    Virtual Agent Lite has the following limitations:
    • Virtual Agent Designer limitations: Virtual Agent Lite only supports conversation topics in the ITSM self-service category (including related topic blocks) and the platform setup topics. This means you can't do the following:
      • Create new topics, topic blocks, or custom controls.
      • Specify the conditions that control how or when the topics are used.
      • Specify the Live Agent (chat) variables that provide context for conversations.
      • Enable the Available for Agent Autopilot toggle switch.
      Note:
      A lock icon displays next to the Virtual Agent Designer fields that are not available in Virtual Agent Lite.
    • Keyword-based conversations: Virtual Agent Lite only supports keyword-based conversations. Natural Language Understanding (NLU) models and NLU-enabled topics aren't supported. This means that related NLU features, such as topic switching and multi-language NLU models, are also not supported. Language support is available for conversations through ServiceNow AI Platform language internationalization.
    • Virtual Agent tables: Virtual Agent tables are read only for admins and Virtual Agent admins.
    • Localized content: Translated content is read-only. You can't add new translations or localize content. The Languages tab displays a banner asking users to contact their Account Executive for more information about upgrading to the latest release.
    • Custom channels: You can't run Virtual Agent Lite topics in any custom chat channels (created through custom chat integrations), except for the supported Virtual Agent integrations for Slack, Microsoft Teams, Workplace by Facebook, and Facebook Messenger applications.
    • Virtual Agent notifications: You can receive only simple and non-actionable notifications. Actionable notifications are not supported with Virtual Agent Lite.
    • Virtual Agent Analytics Dashboard: This feature is not available in Virtual Agent Lite.

    What to do

    Set up and configure Virtual Agent Lite. For details, see Quick start for Virtual Agent Lite.