Virtual Agent for ServiceNow

Virtual Agent (VA) provides conversational AI capabilities for self-service through chat interfaces.

Virtual Agent Architecture

Topic Structure

Topic: Password Reset ├── NLU Model │ ├── Utterances: "reset my password", "forgot password" │ └── Entities: application_name ├── Topic Blocks (Flow) │ ├── Greeting │ ├── Ask for Application │ ├── Verify User │ ├── Process Reset │ └── Confirmation └── Variables ├── user_email └── application

Key Tables

Table Purpose

sys_cs_topic

Topic definitions

sys_cs_topic_block

Conversation flow blocks

sys_cs_intent

NLU intents

sys_cs_utterance

Training phrases

sys_cs_entity

Custom entities

Topics

Creating a Topic (ES5)

// Create Password Reset topic var topic = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_topic") topic.initialize() topic.setValue("name", "Password Reset") topic.setValue("description", "Help users reset their passwords") topic.setValue("active", true)

// NLU configuration topic.setValue("goal", "I want to reset my password") topic.setValue("nlu_enabled", true)

// Category topic.setValue("category", "IT Support")

var topicSysId = topic.insert()

Topic Variables

// Add variable to topic var variable = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_topic_variable") variable.initialize() variable.setValue("topic", topicSysId) variable.setValue("name", "user_email") variable.setValue("label", "Email Address") variable.setValue("type", "string") variable.setValue("mandatory", true) variable.insert()

Topic Blocks

Block Types

Type Purpose Example

Text Display message "I can help with that!"

Prompt Ask question "What's your email?"

Script Run server code Lookup user, create ticket

Decision Branching logic If VIP then...

Link External link Open portal page

Handoff Agent transfer Connect to live agent

Text Block

// Greeting block var block = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_topic_block") block.initialize() block.setValue("topic", topicSysId) block.setValue("name", "greeting") block.setValue("type", "text") block.setValue("order", 100) block.setValue("message", "Hello! I can help you reset your password. Let me gather some information.") block.insert()

Prompt Block

// Ask for email var promptBlock = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_topic_block") promptBlock.initialize() promptBlock.setValue("topic", topicSysId) promptBlock.setValue("name", "ask_email") promptBlock.setValue("type", "prompt") promptBlock.setValue("order", 200) promptBlock.setValue("message", "What is your email address?") promptBlock.setValue("variable_name", "user_email") promptBlock.setValue("validation_type", "email") promptBlock.insert()

Script Block (ES5)

// Script block to verify user var scriptBlock = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_topic_block") scriptBlock.initialize() scriptBlock.setValue("topic", topicSysId) scriptBlock.setValue("name", "verify_user") scriptBlock.setValue("type", "script") scriptBlock.setValue("order", 300)

// Server-side script (ES5 only!) scriptBlock.setValue( "script", "(function execute(inputs, outputs) {\n" + " var email = inputs.user_email;\n" + ' var user = new GlideRecord("sys_user");\n' + ' user.addQuery("email", email);\n' + " user.query();\n" + " \n" + " if (user.next()) {\n" + " outputs.user_found = true;\n" + ' outputs.user_name = user.getValue("name");\n' + " outputs.user_sys_id = user.getUniqueValue();\n" + " } else {\n" + " outputs.user_found = false;\n" + " }\n" + "})(inputs, outputs);", ) scriptBlock.insert()

Decision Block

// Decision based on user found var decisionBlock = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_topic_block") decisionBlock.initialize() decisionBlock.setValue("topic", topicSysId) decisionBlock.setValue("name", "check_user") decisionBlock.setValue("type", "decision") decisionBlock.setValue("order", 400)

// Decision branches configured separately decisionBlock.insert()

// Add decision branches var branch1 = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_topic_block_branch") branch1.initialize() branch1.setValue("block", decisionBlock.getUniqueValue()) branch1.setValue("condition", "user_found == true") branch1.setValue("next_block", processResetBlockSysId) branch1.insert()

var branch2 = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_topic_block_branch") branch2.initialize() branch2.setValue("block", decisionBlock.getUniqueValue()) branch2.setValue("condition", "user_found == false") branch2.setValue("next_block", userNotFoundBlockSysId) branch2.insert()

Handoff Block

// Transfer to live agent var handoffBlock = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_topic_block") handoffBlock.initialize() handoffBlock.setValue("topic", topicSysId) handoffBlock.setValue("name", "transfer_agent") handoffBlock.setValue("type", "handoff") handoffBlock.setValue("order", 900) handoffBlock.setValue("message", "Let me connect you with a live agent who can help further.") handoffBlock.setValue("queue", liveSupportQueueSysId) handoffBlock.insert()

NLU Training

Adding Utterances

// Add training utterances for intent function addUtterance(topicId, text) { var utt = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_utterance") utt.initialize() utt.setValue("topic", topicId) utt.setValue("utterance", text) utt.insert() }

// Training phrases for password reset addUtterance(topicSysId, "reset my password") addUtterance(topicSysId, "I forgot my password") addUtterance(topicSysId, "change my password") addUtterance(topicSysId, "password not working") addUtterance(topicSysId, "can't log in") addUtterance(topicSysId, "locked out of my account") addUtterance(topicSysId, "need to reset password for @application")

Custom Entities

// Create custom entity for applications var entity = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_entity") entity.initialize() entity.setValue("name", "application_name") entity.setValue("description", "Enterprise application names") entity.setValue("type", "list") entity.insert()

// Add entity values var values = ["SAP", "Salesforce", "Workday", "ServiceNow", "Email"] for (var i = 0; i < values.length; i++) { var val = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_entity_value") val.initialize() val.setValue("entity", entity.getUniqueValue()) val.setValue("value", values[i]) val.setValue("synonyms", "") // comma-separated synonyms val.insert() }

Quick Replies

Configuring Quick Replies

// Add quick reply options to prompt var promptWithReplies = new GlideRecord("sys_cs_topic_block") promptWithReplies.initialize() promptWithReplies.setValue("topic", topicSysId) promptWithReplies.setValue("name", "select_application") promptWithReplies.setValue("type", "prompt") promptWithReplies.setValue("order", 150) promptWithReplies.setValue("message", "Which application do you need to reset?") promptWithReplies.setValue("variable_name", "application") promptWithReplies.setValue( "quick_replies", JSON.stringify([ { label: "Email", value: "email" }, { label: "SAP", value: "sap" }, { label: "ServiceNow", value: "servicenow" }, { label: "Other", value: "other" }, ]), ) promptWithReplies.insert()

Integration Actions

Create Incident from VA (ES5)

// Script block to create incident var createIncidentScript = "(function execute(inputs, outputs) {\n" + ' var inc = new GlideRecord("incident");\n' + " inc.initialize();\n" + ' inc.setValue("caller_id", inputs.user_sys_id);\n' + ' inc.setValue("short_description", "Password Reset Request: " + inputs.application);\n' + ' inc.setValue("description", "User requested password reset via Virtual Agent.");\n' + ' inc.setValue("category", "software");\n' + ' inc.setValue("subcategory", "password reset");\n' + ' inc.setValue("priority", 3);\n' + " \n" + " var sysId = inc.insert();\n" + " \n" + ' outputs.incident_number = inc.getValue("number");\n' + " outputs.incident_sys_id = sysId;\n" + "})(inputs, outputs);"

Lookup Records (ES5)

// Script to lookup knowledge articles var lookupKBScript = "(function execute(inputs, outputs) {\n" + " var query = inputs.user_question;\n" + " var articles = [];\n" + " \n" + ' var kb = new GlideRecord("kb_knowledge");\n' + ' kb.addQuery("workflow_state", "published");\n' + ' kb.addQuery("short_description", "CONTAINS", query);\n' + " kb.setLimit(3);\n" + " kb.query();\n" + " \n" + " while (kb.next()) {\n" + " articles.push({\n" + ' number: kb.getValue("number"),\n' + ' title: kb.getValue("short_description"),\n' + " sys_id: kb.getUniqueValue()\n" + " });\n" + " }\n" + " \n" + " outputs.articles = JSON.stringify(articles);\n" + " outputs.article_count = articles.length;\n" + "})(inputs, outputs);"

MCP Tool Integration

Available VA Tools

Tool Purpose

snow_create_va_topic

Create topic

snow_create_va_topic_block

Add conversation block

snow_discover_va_topics

Find topics

snow_send_va_message

Test conversation

snow_get_va_conversation

Get conversation history

snow_handoff_to_agent

Transfer to agent

Example Workflow

// 1. Create topic var topicId = await snow_create_va_topic({ name: "IT Equipment Request", description: "Help users request new equipment", category: "IT Support", })

// 2. Add greeting block await snow_create_va_topic_block({ topic: topicId, name: "greeting", type: "text", order: 100, message: "I can help you request new IT equipment!", })

// 3. Add prompt block await snow_create_va_topic_block({ topic: topicId, name: "equipment_type", type: "prompt", order: 200, message: "What type of equipment do you need?", quick_replies: ["Laptop", "Monitor", "Keyboard", "Mouse"], })

// 4. Test conversation await snow_send_va_message({ topic: topicId, message: "I need a new laptop", })

Best Practices

• Clear Intents - One purpose per topic

• Rich Training - Many varied utterances

• Graceful Fallback - Handle unknown inputs

• Quick Replies - Reduce typing

• Confirmation - Verify before actions

• Handoff Path - Always allow agent transfer

• Test Thoroughly - Many conversation paths

• Persona - Consistent friendly tone