Account linking in pre-built messaging integrations
Summarize
Summary of Account linking in pre-built messaging integrations
Account linking in ServiceNow Virtual Agent integrates users from supported chat or messaging applications with their ServiceNow user profiles. This authentication enables seamless access to Virtual Agent topics that involve ServiceNow records, improving user experience by reducing manual account linking steps.
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Key Features
- Account auto-linking: Available for Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Workplace from Facebook integrations. When enabled, users who have matching email addresses in their messaging and ServiceNow accounts are automatically linked without manual prompts.
- Manual linking and unlinking: Users can manually link or unlink their ServiceNow accounts during Virtual Agent conversations using commands like logout. Upon unlinking, the system will prompt users to link their accounts again in future sessions.
- Configuration: Account auto-linking is enabled via the
syscsprovider.listby selecting the connection record, enabling "Allow account linking," and checking "Auto link users' ServiceNow profiles." A script defines the automatic linking action, typically matching users by email. - Domain considerations: For Microsoft Teams, account linking works only within the same domain used during installation. To auto-link users from other domains, installation must use the global domain.
Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers
By enabling account auto-linking, administrators can streamline user authentication in Virtual Agent messaging integrations, reducing friction and improving user engagement with ServiceNow-related topics. Customers should ensure email addresses are consistent across messaging platforms and ServiceNow profiles for automatic linking to work seamlessly. Additionally, providing users with the ability to unlink accounts maintains control and security during chat interactions.
This functionality supports better security and personalized Virtual Agent experiences by linking conversations to authenticated ServiceNow users, enabling access to non-public records and tailored workflows.
In Virtual Agent, account linking maps the users of a supported chat or messaging application to their ServiceNow user profile. Account auto-linking authenticates your messaging users, which enables users to automatically access Virtual Agent topics that involve ServiceNow records. If needed, users can also manually unlink from or link to their ServiceNow accounts.
How account auto-linking works
In the Conversational Integrations for Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Workplace from Facebook, you have the option to enable account auto-linking, which automatically links messaging users to their ServiceNow accounts. If you enable the account auto-linking feature on the Messaging Apps Integration page, your users are not prompted to link to their ServiceNow accounts when they engage with the virtual agent.
In earlier releases, messaging users were prompted to link to their ServiceNow accounts or continue as guests. However, for the Conversational Integrations for Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Workplace, if you enable account auto-linking, your users do not manually link their messaging accounts to their ServiceNow accounts, provided that they use the same email account for their messaging and ServiceNow accounts. During auto-linking, Virtual Agent maps the email accounts of messaging users to their email accounts defined in their profiles in the Users [sys_user] table. When the email accounts match, the user is automatically linked (authenticated) and they do not see the Link to ServiceNow button when they begin a bot conversation.
In messaging integrations, your users can still use the logout command during bot conversations to unlink from their ServiceNow accounts. However, in all subsequent conversations after unlinking, Virtual Agent prompts them to link their accounts. When they engage with the virtual agent, they are prompted to link to their ServiceNow account or continue as a guest user.
Account auto-linking
You can allow a user's 3rd party accounts to be auto-linked to their ServiceNow® profile.
In the navigation filter type sys_cs_provider.list. Select the connection record you wish to link. Check the Allow account linking box, then check the Auto link users' ServiceNow profiles box that appears. Fill in the Automatic link action field with the corresponding account linking script.
var response_body = inputs['response_body'];
var status_code = inputs ['status_code'];
var email_id = '';
if(status_code>200 && status_code<=210){
email_id = response_body && JSON.parse(response_body).userPrincipalName;
}
var sysUserId = null;
if(email_id){
var gr = new GlideRecord("sys_user");
gr.addQuery("email",email_id);
gr.query();
while(gr.next()){
sysUserId = gr.getUniqueValue();
}
}
if(sysUserId){
outputs['status'} = 'Success';
outputs['userid'] = sysUserId;
}
else{
outputs['status'] = 'Failure';
}
})(inputs,outputs);