Setting up the Self-configured bot for using Microsoft Copilot

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated June 16, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Setting up the Self-configured bot for using Microsoft Copilot

    This guide explains the essential steps for ServiceNow customers to configure a Self-configured bot to work seamlessly with Microsoft Copilot in Now Assist conversations. Proper setup ensures reliable bot responses and smooth integration between ServiceNow’s Virtual Agent and Microsoft Copilot, enhancing conversational AI capabilities.

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    Key Setup Actions

    • Name the Bot: Assign a unique name to your Self-configured bot during creation. This improves response reliability within Copilot conversations by enabling accurate identification and routing.
    • Enable Copilot Integration: Activate Copilot integration with Now Assist via Virtual Agent. This foundational step allows Now Assist to leverage the bot within Copilot.
    • Migrate Topics to Now LLM Service: For large language model (LLM) conversations with Copilot, migrate relevant NLU topics to the Now LLM Service by enabling LLM. Once enabled, the Self-configured bot becomes discoverable by both LLM and Copilot automatically.
    • Enable AI Search: Turn on AI Search in your Now Assist instance to support enhanced search capabilities in Copilot conversations.
    • Update the Manifest File: Modify the manifest.json file downloaded from the Admin experience:
      • Replace all instances of the bot name in the full description with your Self-configured bot’s name to aid Copilot in routing requests correctly.
      • Customize the generic description with your bot's unique use cases or LLM skills to help Copilot recognize specialized scenarios.
      • Add and update JSON View Prompts with your bot name to ensure utterances work correctly with Copilot. These prompts must be manually added as they are not included by default.
    • Enable Message Extension and Upload Manifest to Microsoft Teams: Since Microsoft Copilot integrates on top of the Message Extension feature, enable Message Extension for your bot, generate a new manifest file, and upload it to Microsoft Teams. This allows users to select your bot from the message extension-enabled apps within Copilot.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Improved bot response reliability and precision in Microsoft Copilot interactions.
    • Seamless topic migration to leverage Now LLM Service for advanced language understanding.
    • Ability to customize bot descriptions and prompts to reflect unique business scenarios, improving Copilot’s contextual recognition.
    • Full integration into Microsoft Teams via Message Extension, enabling easy access and use within Copilot conversations.
    • Flexibility to update and enhance the manifest file to tailor bot orchestration and behavior to your specific organizational needs.

    Using your Self-configured bot with Microsoft Copilot for Now Assist conversations requires you to complete a few additional setup actions.

    However, if you want to use a self-configured bot for Microsoft Copilot, you must complete the following additional setup:
    • Provide the Self-configured bot a name while creating it. Providing a name for the bot improves the reliability of the bot responses within Copilot conversations.
    • Enable Copilot integration with Now Assist in Virtual Agent. For more information, see Enable Now Assist experience in Virtual Agent API.
    • Migrate any relevant topics to the Now LLM Service for Now Assist large language model (LLM) conversations with Copilot. To migrate your topics to LLM, you must enable LLM. For more information, see Migrate NLU topics to LLM topics.
      Note:
      After enabling LLM, you don't need to do anything specific for the Copilot as it pertains to LLM topics. As long as the Self-configured bot is discoverable by the LLM, it's also discoverable by the Copilot and verifies that the plugin or bot responds when it’s used.
    • Enable AI Search on your ServiceNow Now Assist instance to use Now Assist with Microsoft Copilot. For more information about enabling AI Search, see Enable AI Search for Next Experience.
    • Update the following fields within the manifest file that is downloaded from Admin experience to configure the Self-configured bot and use it for the Copilot integration.
      Figure 1. manifest.json changes for Copilot integration
      Update the description, semantic description, and sample prompts on the manifest.json file to reflect your Self-configured bot name.
      • Full Description:
        • Update the bot name in the full description to your Self-configured bot name.
          Note:
          Update the bot name in all the instances in the full description. Updating the bot name helps Copilot to identify the bot that the request must be routed to.
        • Update the generic description that ServiceNow provides with a specific use case that you may have in your topics.

          For example, if you have unique LLM skills that accomplish scenarios unique to your environment, such as reserving a hotel desk or ordering food for a meeting, be sure to add that to your description so that Copilot will be able to recognize the skill and be able to process it.

      • View Prompts: Add the prompts with your bot name.
        Note:
        The JSON prompts aren’t available in the manifest file by default. You must add them yourself and update the bot name with your Self-configured bot name.
        {
"Sana What is our laptop replacement policy?"
},
        Note:
        Updating the bot name on the prompt helps the utterance work with Copilot.
        Figure 2. View Prompts
        Prompts are displayed while you connect with the Copilot using your plugin or bot name.

      For more information, refer to App manifest scheme in the Microsoft Teams Developer documentation.

    • Enable Message Extension for the Self-configured bot, generate the new manifest file, and upload it to Microsoft Teams.
      Message Extension in Microsoft Copilot Integration
      The Microsoft Copilot integration is built on top of the existing Message Extension feature. For more information about enabling Message Extension for your bot on your ServiceNow instance, see Auto-generate the manifest file for uploading on Microsoft Teams.

      When the message extension is enabled, you see the list of message extension-enabled apps when you select the Plugins icon (Plugins icon.). You can select the app of your choice from the list of plugins.

      Figure 3. Message Extension in Copilot
      Microsoft Copilot displaying the Message Extension-enabled apps.
      Note:
      Users can update the manifest file to enhance the Copilot's Orchestration.
    • Edit, customize, and enhance the bot behavior to meet your needs. For more information, see Guidelines to create or upgrade Copilot extensions.