Secure Text user input control

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Secure Text User Input Control

    The Secure Text user input control is designed to encrypt sensitive information input by users, particularly in contexts involving large language models (LLM). This control ensures that sensitive data is not transmitted through LLMs, enhancing data security during user interactions.

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    Key Features

    • Node Name: Identifies the control within the topic flow.
    • Prompt: Displays a message to the user, such as "What is your password?", when no default value is set.
    • Input Format: Allows validation of user input with options for text, email, IP addresses, phone numbers, URLs, or custom formats.
    • Hash Function: Implements a digest algorithm as per WS-Security standards.
    • Encryption Salt: Utilizes random data to enhance data hashing.
    • Confirmation Messages: Provides feedback to users upon successful input, customizable through scripts.
    • Default Value: Sets a pre-filled response based on known user information.
    • Conditional Visibility: Controls whether the node appears based on user interaction, allowing users to skip or revisit inputs as necessary.

    Channel Support

    The Secure Text user input control functions across various channels, although some have specific constraints:

    • Web UI: Fully supported.
    • Mobile UI: Fully supported.
    • Slack: Users can edit previously entered text, but edits are not processed by the Virtual Agent.
    • Facebook Messenger and LINE: Both support a maximum character limit of 5000 characters.
    • Apple Messages for Business: Fully supported.
    • Voice Devices (Alexa): Supported with potential character limits.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing the Secure Text user input control, ServiceNow customers can securely handle sensitive user data, ensuring compliance with data protection standards while enhancing user experience through customizable input handling and feedback mechanisms.

    The Secure Text control provides a means to encrypt sensitive information provided as simple text or other formats. Use this control to encrypt sensitive information in topics that use large language model (LLM) discovery.

    Use this control to gather and encrypt user information for topics using large language model (LLM) topic discovery. The Secure Text input also avoids sensitive information from being sent through an LLM.

    Secure Text user input control properties

    Property Description
    Node name Name that identifies this Secure Text user input control node in the topic flow.
    Prompt Text string or script that returns text. This value is used only when the default value isn’t specified. For example: What is your password?
    Input format

    Text format that is validated when a user enters certain text items. When the input isn’t valid, the bot asks the user to reenter the text.

    Choose the format of the text item to be validated:

    • Text: Any text string (no validation).
    • Email: Format that consists of an email prefix (user name), the @ symbol, and domain.
    • IP address (IPV4, IPV6): Data communication delivery format for internet Protocol version 4 or version 6.
    • Phone number (E.164): Internationally recognized standard phone number format.
    • URL: Web address format.
    • Custom: A script that provides a validation rule for a custom text format. The script should include related error messages that are displayed when the expected format isn’t entered.

    For phone and IP address format examples, see E.164 phone formats and IP address field types.
    Hash function The method digest algorithm based on the standard WS-Security specification.
    Encryption salt Random data that is used as an additional input to a one-way function that hashes data.
    Advanced
    Default value A value for the user response to the prompt. For example, if you already know the user name, the default value might be (Script Variables > Last username).
    Confirmation messages
    Input completion confirmation

    Bot response shown to the user when the node interaction is complete. The message can be either a text string or a script that returns text. For example, if you're using dot-walking: Thanks, (Input Variables > Username)! Or if you're using a script, the acknowledgement might be: Thanks, {{vaInputs.username}}!

    Default value confirmation Message that asks the user to verify that the value in the Default value field is correct. This message is used instead of a value in the Prompt field. For example: Are you (Script Variables > Username)?
    Hide or skip this node
    Conditionally show this node

    No-code condition statement or low-code script that specifies a condition for presenting this node in the conversation. The condition must evaluate to true.
    Allow user to skip this node

    No-code condition statement or low-code script that specifies a condition for letting users skip this node in the conversation. The condition must evaluate to true. You can set this field using either the condition builder or a script.
    Skip reprompting No-code condition statement or low-code script that specifies a condition for letting users skip reprompting in the conversation. When a preceding node is revisited through a topic loopback or Dialog Act, the Virtual Agent bypasses this node and automatically retain its original value.

    Example Secure Text user input control

    Input properties Input prompt
    Figure 1. Secure Text input control basic properties
    Secure Text user input basic properties include node name, prompt, input format, hash function, and encryption salt. Advanced options include Default value, Confirmation message, and Hide or skip this node.
    Figure 2. Web UI Secure Text user input prompt
    Secure Text input shown in the web client. The text reads, “What is your first and last name?” and the user response is automatically hidden.

    Channel support

    Note:
    Virtual Agent Designer controls may display and function differently in other channels.
    Table 1. Channel support for the Text user input control
    Channel Support Constraints
    Web UI Supported None.
    Mobile UI Supported None.
    Now Assist panel Supported None.
    Microsoft Teams Supported None.
    Slack Supported Slack users can edit text previously entered in a conversation. However, Virtual Agent processes messages as they’re first entered. If a Slack user edits text input, such as a comment to update a case, then Virtual Agent doesn’t evaluate the edited update.
    Workplace Supported None.
    Facebook Messenger Supported The maximum character limit is 5000 characters.
    SMS Twilio Supported None.
    LINE Supported The maximum character limit is 5000 characters.
    WhatsApp (powered by Twilio) Supported None.
    WhatsApp Not Supported Not applicable.
    Apple Messages for Business Supported None.
    Alexa (Voice) Supported For screen devices, character limits may apply. For more information, see the Alexa developer documentation.