Configuring the Portable Virtual Agent Web Client

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Configuring the Portable Virtual Agent Web Client

    The Portable Virtual Agent Web Client is a versatile chat widget that can be integrated into third-party web pages, ServiceNow's service portal, or UI Builder portals. This component enhances ServiceNow's AI capabilities by enabling easy access to Virtual Agent chat, simplifying the configuration process for users.

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    Key Features

    • Simple Configuration: The web client is designed for easy setup and integration.
    • Single Sign-On (SSO): Offers a streamlined SSO authentication flow for users.
    • Compatibility: System parameters and context variables function as they do in previous versions.

    Prerequisites

    To successfully implement the Portable Virtual Agent Web Client:

    • The web client must be used within the same parent domain as your ServiceNow instance.
    • If using a different subdomain, a custom instance URL is necessary.
    • Activate the custom URL plugin (com.snc.customurl) and register your custom URL with your instance.

    Using SSO Authentication

    For instances set up with an external SSO provider, you can trigger SSO authentication from the Portable Virtual Agent web client. Ensure your hosting site uses the same SSO provider. This requires creating a JavaScript script for authentication conditions and managing allowed URLs with specific system properties.

    Configuration Steps

    To embed the Portable Virtual Agent web client:

    • Add the required code to your external web page.
    • Utilize an inline frame element (iframe) for loading the Virtual Agent web client.
    • Optionally enable automatic SSO authentication for guest users.

    Note: The Content Management System (CMS) application does not support the Virtual Agent, which is important for those creating custom interfaces.

    The Portable Web Client is a chat widget that can run on third-party web pages, in the service portal, or in UI Builder portals.

    The Portable Web Client is a new Seismic component that makes it easy to add Virtual Agent chat to your page. It simplifies configuration and provides the following features:
    • Easily configurable
    • Simpler single sign-on (SSO) authentication flow
    • Connect to Service Portal Agent Chat
    • System parameters and context variables work the same as before

    Prerequisites for using the Portable Virtual Agent web client

    The Portable Web Client uses an inline frame element (iframe). The third-party website must be under the same parent domain as your ServiceNow® instance. For example, site1.company.com and site2.company.com share the same parent domain. If you're embedding the web client on any subdomain that is not shared with your ServiceNow instance, the URL must be a custom instance URL. Due to increased browser security, the web client may fail to load if you don't use a custom URL.

    Before you begin, do the following:
    1. Activate the custom URL plugin (com.snc.customurl) in your instance.
    2. Add the custom URL (that you previously purchased and registered) to your instance.
    Note:
    To learn more about using custom URLs, see Associating custom URLs to your instance.

    Using SSO authentication with the Portable Virtual Agent web client

    After you embed the Virtual Agent client, you can optionally trigger SSO authentication from the web client, but only when your instance is set up to use an external SSO provider. Your hosting site must also use the same SSO provider as your instance. For details on setting SSO providers, see External single sign-on (SSO).

    To trigger SSO authentication, create a JavaScript script that defines conditions for running authentication and redirects users to a web client page that you specify. You also specify the allowed URLs that can be passed in this script, by identifying them in the com.glide.cs.web_client_login_redirect_urls system property. Specify the full redirect URLs or the host part of the URL, such as https://example.com.

    This procedure requires that you set values for the following two system properties:
    • com.glide.cs.embed.csp_frame_ancestors
    • com.glide.cs.embed.xframe_options (IE 11 only)
    These properties determine the security policy for the embedded web client, namely how browsers render and secure HTML content for Virtual Agent and Live Agent chat, in an iframe, before you embed the web chat client. The HTTP header directives that you specify tell the browser whether a page can be embedded on certain domains to mitigate clickjacking attempts. Setting both properties ensures that there are security directives for major browsers and also older browsers, such as Internet Explorer.
    Note:
    If you're using the Content Management System (CMS) application to create custom interfaces for the ServiceNow AI Platform and ServiceNow® applications, be aware that it does not support Virtual Agent.