Configuring smart links in Microsoft Teams

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Configuring smart links in Microsoft Teams

    This guide explains how ServiceNow administrators can configure smart links within the Virtual Agent app for Microsoft Teams, allowing links to open in different ways to optimize user experience. Smart links settings in the ServiceNow admin console enable control over how links are opened within Microsoft Teams, leveraging authentication and Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities.

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    Key Features

    • Three Link Opening Options:
      • Microsoft Teams task module/pop-up: Opens links in a pop-up window within Teams, with configurable sizes (Small, Medium, Large). Requires the system property snvateams.viewnonvideomsfttaskmodule to be true.
      • Microsoft Teams tab (Load in Place): Opens links inside a Teams tab. This currently supports only ServiceNow links and requires the MS Teams - App Core plugin, an enabled additional tab (e.g., Employee Center), snvateams.viewmsfttab system property set to true, and active link authentication status.
      • New browser tab: Opens links in a new browser tab outside of Teams, such as Chrome or Safari.
    • Authentication and SSO Integration: Ensures secure rendering of link content within the chosen method.
    • Target Location Configuration: Smart links are configured using the URL navigation system action’s Target Location field, allowing admins to specify the preferred link opening method.
    • Conditional Target Locations: Admins can specify different link behaviors for different channels (e.g., Microsoft Teams vs. chat widget) by setting device type conditions such as 'Teams' or 'mweb'.

    Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

    • Only ServiceNow links are currently supported to open inside Microsoft Teams tabs or pop-ups.
    • Enabling the Teams tab option requires specific plugins and system properties to be active and configured correctly.
    • Pop-up sizes can be customized, with Large as the default, and the pop-up feature can be disabled by setting a system property to false.
    • When no specific conditions are set for Target Location, links behave appropriately per channel, such as refreshing the topmost browser frame in chat widgets or opening in a Teams tab.

    Expected Outcomes

    By configuring smart links appropriately, ServiceNow customers can provide a seamless and secure user experience within Microsoft Teams. Users can open ServiceNow links efficiently in a way that best fits their workflow—whether in a Teams tab, a pop-up, or a new browser tab—enhancing productivity and integration between ServiceNow and Microsoft Teams.

    Configure smart links for your Virtual Agent app in Microsoft Teams to enable different link opening experiences.

    Smart link settings in the admin console enable admins to define one of the three link opening options in Microsoft Teams.
    1. Microsoft Teams task module/pop-up
    2. Microsoft Teams tab
    3. New browser tab

    Through link authentication and Single Sign-On (SSO) support, link content can be rendered in a pop-up, Microsoft Teams tab, or a new browser tab.

    You can configure smart links for Microsoft Teams from the URL navigation system action under Target Location. For more information about configuring smart links, see Create a smart link preference.

    There are three valid link opening options that are applicable to Microsoft Teams and the smart link settings in admin console enables admins to define where to open a link in Microsoft Teams.Valid link opening options applicable to Microsoft Teams. Load in Place, New Browser Tab, and Popup options are highlighted.
    1. Load in Place: Links open inside a Microsoft Teams tab.
      Note:
      • Only ServiceNow links are supported currently.
      • While Load in Place is always an option for admins to choose from, this functionality is only supported when admins have already installed an additional tab within Microsoft Teams (for example, Employee Center tab as part of the ITSM/HR plugins).
      • Admins must ensure that the following steps are complete:
        • MS Teams - App Core (com.snc.msteams.app.core) plugin is installed as part of ITSM/HR plugins and additional tab has already been enabled.
        • The sn_va_teams.view_msft_tab system property is set to true.
        • The link authentication status on your ServiceNow instance is green.
    2. New Browser Tab: Links open in a new browser tab (a new tab in Google Chrome, Safari, etc.).
    3. Popup: Links open in a pop-up/task module in Microsoft Teams. When pop-up is selected, admins also have the option of selecting a pop-up size of Small, Medium, or Large. The default size is Large.​

      Before you start configuring pop-up using Target location, double check that the value of sn_va_teams.view_non_video_msft_task_module system property is true. When the link authentication status is active from the previous step, the value is automatically set to true. When this system property is true, you can use the pop-up. If you want to disable pop-up in Microsoft Teams, you can manually set this property to false.

      Note:
      Only ServiceNow links are supported currently.

    When no conditions are specified on the Target Location record, the valid link opening mechanism applies to both chat widget and Microsoft Teams in a way that makes sense to its host application. For example, if admins specify a URL pattern to be opened using Load in Place without any conditions, the link on chat widget opens by refreshing the topmost browser frame (chat widget's unique behavior). However, the same link opens in a Microsoft Teams tab.

    If both chat widget and Microsoft Teams are valid channels for the customer, then admins can define different target locations for each channel by specifying the device type in the condition field (such as Teams and mweb). If the device type is specified as Teams and no other device types are specified, then that particular target location record will only be applied in Microsoft Teams.