--- sourceDocument: Yokohama Conversational Interfaces sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/yokohama/conversational-interfaces Release : - yokohama ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Yokohama Conversational Interfaces ft:clusterId : - convint bundleId : - convint workflow : - Platform --- # Exploring other Virtual Agent features # Exploring other Virtual Agent features {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Yokohama Updated January 30, 2025 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Exploring other Virtual Agent features This content outlines advanced features of ServiceNow's Virtual Agent beyond basic topic creation. It helps you enhance conversation functionality, streamline maintenance, and improve the end-user experience by leveraging additional capabilities that integrate with other ServiceNow tools and external channels. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Deploy Virtual Agent in multiple channels:** Run Virtual Agent beyond the default chat widget, customizing conversations to suit different channels while accommodating feature limitations like unsupported input controls. * **Link unfurling:** Enable content-rich previews when links are shared in conversations across chat widgets, mobile devices, and supported channels, enhancing message clarity. * **AI Search fallback:** Use AI Search to present relevant search results when user input does not match any keyword or intent, ensuring users receive helpful responses even in ambiguous cases. * **Reusable topic blocks:** Create centralized blocks of common functionality to avoid duplication across multiple topics, simplifying updates and maintenance. * **Custom controls:** Develop your own input and response controls when out-of-the-box Virtual Agent Designer options don't meet your needs, allowing specialized conversation handling. * **Integration with Workflow Studio:** Incorporate Workflow Studio workflows within Virtual Agent conversations, enabling secure input handling (e.g., passwords) and complex business logic execution. * **Agent Chat handoff:** Configure Virtual Agent to transfer conversations to live agents when necessary, improving support flexibility. * **Incident Auto-Resolution:** Automatically initiate Virtual Agent interactions after incident submissions to quickly resolve common issues without manual intervention. * **Localization:** Use the ServiceNow Localization Framework to translate Virtual Agent topics and Natural Language Understanding (NLU) models into multiple languages, supporting global user bases. * **NLU Workbench - Advanced Features:** Enhance and manage your NLU models more effectively by leveraging advanced tools available through the ServiceNow Store. * **Integration with other portals and apps:** Extend Virtual Agent's reach by embedding it into employee and customer platforms where they already engage. * **REST API for multi-bot environments:** Integrate Virtual Agent with various chat interfaces or bots using a REST API provided via the ServiceNow Store, supporting flexible deployment scenarios. ## Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers These features empower you to create more dynamic, responsive, and maintainable Virtual Agent conversations tailored to diverse environments and user needs. By deploying Virtual Agent across multiple channels, integrating with Workflow Studio, and leveraging AI Search and localization, you can deliver consistent and efficient self-service experiences. Custom controls and reusable topic blocks support complex, scalable design, while incident auto-resolution and agent handoff improve operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. Utilize ServiceNow resources such as the Virtual Agent and NLU community forum and Virtual Agent Academy to deepen your expertise and maximize the value of these capabilities. After creating topics with the basic Virtual Agent Designer controls and scripting, you can also enhance conversation functionality and topic maintenance by using additional Virtual Agent features. After learning the basics, here are some other Virtual Agent features that may help you improve your authoring and end-user experience. [Deploy Virtual Agent in other channels](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/lCiPF0Eb8lIxX4J_DsgXLw "When creating a topic or topic block, you can specify the chat channels in which the topic or topic block will run. During conversation design, Virtual Agent Designer provides built-in guardrails to help you tailor your conversations to those channels.") : By default, Virtual Agent runs in a chat widget, but you can also run it in other channels. While some features may not be available in certain channels (such as the carousel user input control), you can customize your conversation flow to accommodate these differences. [Use link unfurling in Virtual Agent](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/wR44GLhOXacxCs_zXuWApw "Virtual Agent supports link unfurling on the chat widget, mobile devices, and various channels. Link unfurling generates a content-rich preview when a supported link is shared in a conversation with a user, a virtual agent, or in a text-based bot response.") : Virtual Agent supports link unfurling on the chat widget, mobile devices, and various channels. Link unfurling generates a content-rich preview when a supported link is shared in a conversation with a user, a virtual agent, or in a text-based bot response. [Improve the user experience with AI Search](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/x~YNIooc6hVuWyEARqixDA "Virtual Agent uses the ServiceNow AI Platform AI Search application to return search results in bot conversations as a fallback when there are no relevant topics to display to end users. Virtual Agent also provides a Run AI Search topic block that topic authors can use to generate search results in a topic.") : What happens when a user utterance isn't matched to a keyword or intent? Enable AI Search as a fallback so that the user sees a list of search results as a response when no other match is found. [Maximize code reuse with topic blocks](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/0PGegQm6SOrZPgSHmv8hkQ "Topic blocks are reusable components that you can create to run common tasks and conversational elements in Virtual Agent conversations. Topic blocks simplify the topic authoring and maintenance process by enabling you to reuse standard procedures or actions across conversation topics.") : Rather than duplicate common functionality in multiple topics, you can create reusable topic blocks that you can reference in many topics. This allows you to maintain frequently used functionality in one central location. [Customize Virtual Agent with custom controls](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/XbcJcr_1h_HwErkvfHUogQ "Custom controls are components that ServiceNow developers can create for use in Virtual Agent topics or topic blocks. Such controls include sliders or video players. Custom controls complement the controls provided in Virtual Agent Designer.") : If a Virtual Agent Designer control doesn't quite work for what you want to achieve, create a custom control. You can create your own controls to accept input from the conversation, as well as custom response controls to handle the output. Use these controls within topics to handle specialized tasks. [Integrate Virtual Agent with Workflow Studio workflows](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/A2w1FBkERShL9xQrqIklMA "The workflows of ServiceNow Workflow Studio can be integrated within ServiceNow Virtual Agent topics. You can then use these workflows in Virtual Agent conversations.") : If your company is using Workflow Studio to create workflows, you can integrate them into Virtual Agent. You may need to do this if your conversations require you to pass secure inputs, such as a password. Workflow Studio actions and subflows support the password2 data type, which lets you pass the input securely. [Use Virtual Agent with Agent Chat](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/yw6T~evKd4dZlChL8wrHRg "Sometimes a conversation requires human intervention. When this occurs, you can transfer the user to a live agent in Agent Chat.") : Customize Virtual Agent to hand off some conversations to a live agent when needed. [Use Virtual Agent for Incident Auto-Resolution](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/3ARNncXDmwVsJC0S2Jh03Q "You can proactively deflect issues and expedite the resolution process for your agent and user with the Issue Auto Resolution (IAR) application. Through machine learning and Natural Language Understanding (NLU), users get immediate self-service and can access Virtual Agent topics, Knowledge articles, and catalog items.") : Initiate a Virtual Agent conversation with an end user after they submit an incident through email or the ServiceNow® Service Portal if an existing Virtual Agent topic can resolve the issue. [Localize Virtual Agent topics](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/jxlvhrkNiSMWC1iYlFcJpg "The ServiceNow platform provides several methods for localizing Virtual Agent conversations, depending on your needs. Use the Localization Framework to manage all aspects of the translation process, whether you are using machine translation, a third-party provider, or both.") : Use the ServiceNow Localization Framework to translate topics and NLU models into other languages. NLU Workbench - Advanced Features : Expand the functionality of NLU Workbench to help you manage and improve your models. NLU Workbench - Advanced Features is available from the ServiceNow Store. [Integrate Virtual Agent with other portals and apps](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/EmU9gUH38ELSNDx~LuSazA "Integrate and extend the capabilities of Virtual Agent by connecting to your employees and customers where they already are. They are engaged in web portals, Now Mobile apps, and collaboration tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Facebook Messenger consumer app, Workplace enterprise messaging app, and any other popular chat or messaging app.") : Integrate and extend the capabilities of Virtual Agent by connecting to your employees and customers where they already are. [Use Virtual Agent REST API in a standalone or multi-bot environment](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/GLg0dpQKkftqNIcRVeTl9g "Use the ServiceNow Virtual Agent API app to integrate any chat interface or a bot with ServiceNow Virtual Agent or Agent Chat. The app is available from the ServiceNow Store.") : Integrate any chat interface or bot using this REST API that is available in the ServiceNow Store. ## Additional resources {#exploring-other-vad-features__section_hwm_1f5_xrb} Take advantage of the following ServiceNow® resources to help you customize your Virtual Agent: * [Virtual Agent and Natural Language Understanding (NLU) community forum](https://community.servicenow.com/community?id=community_forum&sys_id=bf5abf94db54e3c42be0a851ca961915) * [Virtual Agent Academy](https://community.servicenow.com/community?id=community_event&sys_id=be9b3a771ba680d4d01143f6fe4bcbda&view_source=featuredList) * **[Deploying Virtual Agent topics in other channels](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/lCiPF0Eb8lIxX4J_DsgXLw)** When creating a topic or topic block, you can specify the chat channels in which the topic or topic block will run. During conversation design, Virtual Agent Designer provides built-in guardrails to help you tailor your conversations to those channels. * **[Using link unfurling in Virtual Agent](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/wR44GLhOXacxCs_zXuWApw)** Virtual Agent supports link unfurling on the chat widget, mobile devices, and various channels. Link unfurling generates a content-rich preview when a supported link is shared in a conversation with a user, a virtual agent, or in a text-based bot response. * **[Improving the user experience with AI Search](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/x~YNIooc6hVuWyEARqixDA)** Virtual Agent uses the ServiceNow AI Platform® AI Search application to return search results in bot conversations as a fallback when there are no relevant topics to display to end users. Virtual Agent also provides a Run AI Search topic block that topic authors can use to generate search results in a topic. * **[Integrating Virtual Agent with Workflow Studio workflows](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/A2w1FBkERShL9xQrqIklMA)** The workflows of ServiceNow® Workflow Studio can be integrated within ServiceNow Virtual Agent topics. You can then use these workflows in Virtual Agent conversations.