Configuring smart links in Microsoft Teams

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Configuring smart links in Microsoft Teams

    This guide explains how ServiceNow administrators can configure smart links within the Virtual Agent app for Microsoft Teams to control how links open, enhancing user experience by choosing between a pop-up, a Teams tab, or a new browser tab. These configurations require proper authentication through link authentication and Single Sign-On (SSO).

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    Key Features

    • Link Opening Options: Admins can define one of three ways links open in Microsoft Teams:
      • Load in Place: Opens links inside a Microsoft Teams tab. Currently, only ServiceNow links are supported. This option requires the MS Teams - App Core plugin installed and an additional Teams tab enabled (e.g., Employee Center tab).
      • New Browser Tab: Opens links in a new browser tab (Chrome, Safari, etc.).
      • Popup: Opens links in a Microsoft Teams pop-up (task module) with configurable sizes (Small, Medium, Large), defaulting to Large. This requires the system property snvateams.viewnonvideomsfttaskmodule to be set to true, which links authentication status controls automatically.
    • Configuration Location: Smart links are configured via the URL navigation system action under the Target Location setting in the admin console.
    • System Property Requirements:
      • snvateams.viewmsfttab must be true for Load in Place functionality.
      • snvateams.viewnonvideomsfttaskmodule must be true for pop-up functionality.
      • Link authentication status must be active (green) for both Load in Place and pop-up features.
    • Device-Specific Target Locations: Admins can define different link opening behaviors per channel (e.g., Microsoft Teams vs. chat widget) by specifying the device type in the condition field (such as Teams or mweb). This enables tailored experiences depending on the client application.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    By configuring smart links appropriately, ServiceNow customers using Microsoft Teams can deliver seamless link opening experiences aligned with their organizational needs and user expectations. Ensuring the required plugins and system properties are correctly set allows links from Virtual Agent to open within Teams tabs or pop-ups, maintaining context and reducing user disruption. Alternatively, links can open in new browser tabs when preferred. Differentiating link behaviors across channels allows flexible and optimized user engagement.

    Configure smart links for your Virtual Agent app in Microsoft Teams to enable different link opening experiences.

    Smart link settings in the admin console enable admins to define one of the three link opening options in Microsoft Teams.
    1. Microsoft Teams task module/pop-up
    2. Microsoft Teams tab
    3. New browser tab

    Through link authentication and Single Sign-On (SSO) support, link content can be rendered in a pop-up, Microsoft Teams tab, or a new browser tab.

    You can configure smart links for Microsoft Teams from the URL navigation system action under Target Location. For more information about configuring smart links, see Create a smart link preference.

    There are three valid link opening options that are applicable to Microsoft Teams and the smart link settings in admin console enables admins to define where to open a link in Microsoft Teams.Valid link opening options applicable to Microsoft Teams. Load in Place, New Browser Tab, and Popup options are highlighted.
    1. Load in Place: Links open inside a Microsoft Teams tab.
      Note:
      • Only ServiceNow links are supported currently.
      • While Load in Place is always an option for admins to choose from, this functionality is only supported when admins have already installed an additional tab within Microsoft Teams (for example, Employee Center tab as part of the ITSM/HR plugins).
      • Admins must ensure that the following steps are complete:
        • MS Teams - App Core (com.snc.msteams.app.core) plugin is installed as part of ITSM/HR plugins and additional tab has already been enabled.
        • The sn_va_teams.view_msft_tab system property is set to true.
        • The link authentication status on your ServiceNow instance is green.
    2. New Browser Tab: Links open in a new browser tab (a new tab in Google Chrome, Safari, etc.).
    3. Popup: Links open in a pop-up/task module in Microsoft Teams. When pop-up is selected, admins also have the option of selecting a pop-up size of Small, Medium, or Large. The default size is Large.​

      Before you start configuring pop-up using Target location, double check that the value of sn_va_teams.view_non_video_msft_task_module system property is true. When the link authentication status is active from the previous step, the value is automatically set to true. When this system property is true, you can use the pop-up. If you want to disable pop-up in Microsoft Teams, you can manually set this property to false.

      Note:
      Only ServiceNow links are supported currently.

    When no conditions are specified on the Target Location record, the valid link opening mechanism applies to both chat widget and Microsoft Teams in a way that makes sense to its host application. For example, if admins specify a URL pattern to be opened using Load in Place without any conditions, the link on chat widget opens by refreshing the topmost browser frame (chat widget's unique behavior). However, the same link opens in a Microsoft Teams tab.

    If both chat widget and Microsoft Teams are valid channels for the customer, then admins can define different target locations for each channel by specifying the device type in the condition field (such as Teams and mweb). If the device type is specified as Teams and no other device types are specified, then that particular target location record will only be applied in Microsoft Teams.