This document outlines the current support within Catalog and highlights some limitations to variables, variable attributes, and scripts supported for Conversational Catalog in Now AssistVirtual Agent. This information can help guide customers towards converting catalog to conversational by working around such limitations wherever possible.
Additionally, information around Conversational Catalog Usage and FAQs are also covered in this document.
Reference Links for Conversational Catalog
Below links provide details around Service Catalog as to how it can be configured for Now Assist as well as effectively used within Virtual Agent to be conversational.
Vancouver DOCs
- Configure Now Assist in Conversational Catalog Request
- Service Catalog topic blocks in Virtual Agent powered by LLM
Washington DOCs
- Configure Now Assist in Conversational Catalog Request
- Catalog Conversational Coverage
- Catalog item conversational details page overview
- Service Catalog topic blocks in Virtual Agent powered by LLM
Community
« How to request catalog items in Now Assist in Virtual Agent
Limitations around Some of the Supported Variables
|
Variable Type |
Limitation |
|
Attachment |
|
|
Checkbox |
Cannot be grouped, a variable or container in between must be used. Future release aims to introduce support for group of check box’s |
|
Date |
Current issue where different date time formats submitted by the end user are not accepted by the system. |
|
Date/Time |
Current issue where different date time formats submitted by the end user are not accepted by the system. |
|
|
|
|
IP Address |
|
|
Label |
|
|
List Collector |
· May run into issues if dynamic/scripted filter or at choices/options are being populated using client scripts. |
|
Lookup Multiple Choice |
· Without Pricing Implications · User unable to skip this question type
|
|
Lookup Select Box |
· Without Pricing Implications
|
|
Multiple Choice |
· Without Pricing Implications · User unable to skip this question type
|
|
Multiline text |
· Skip button does not surface user needs to type “Skip”. |
|
Numeric Scale |
· Without Pricing Implications · User unable to skip this question type
|
|
Reference |
· Without Pricing Implications · User needs to modify property to increase return limit. Increasing the limit can cause performance degradation · To increase limit updated property: glide.sc.va.reference_question_choices.limit
|
|
Requested For |
· Without Pricing Implications
|
|
Rich Text Label |
|
|
Select Box |
· Without Pricing Implications · User unable to skip this question type
|
|
Single Line text |
· Skip button does not surface, user needs to type “Skip”. |
|
URL |
|
|
Wide Single line text |
· Skip button does not surface, user needs to type “Skip”. |
|
Yes / No |
· User unable to skip · For conversational use ensure to check the ‘Include None’ option on the variable
|
|
Containers |
· Do not mark container mandatory on the variable form · Improper use of containers may result in an item to be non-conversational |
Some Limitations around some of the Supported Client Script/UI Policy Script Methods
|
Method |
Limitation |
|
GlideAjax |
· Only works under certain client script: If you have an onLoad and onChange Catalog Client Scripts on the catalog with an AJAX call, then the callback function should be written inside the onLoad or onChange function block. If not written inside the callback function it is not detected/executed during Catalog Conversation in VA. |
|
RegExp |
· Consider creating a new record in the question_regex table and leveraging the “Validation Regex” on the variable form under the Type specification tab. This field surfaces for text fields. |
Conversational Catalog Overview Dashboard
With the Now Assist in Virtual Agent plugin installed, the Conversational Catalog Overview dashboard becomes available. This dashboard reports on Conversational Catalog supported vs. Not supported and provides a preview of most requested items by each bucket. The dashboard also provides drill down into each catalog item to help understand why an item is or is not supported.
For items that are non-conversational a list of reasons of why that item is not conversational is presented to the user. Users can review the issues to make the item conversational.
When to make an item conversational
- The item uses any of the variable types mentioned in Variable Limitations table
- The item does not have any pricing implications
- The item has around 15 – 20 variables. It is recommended to stay within this range for User Experience. In the case that more than 15 variables need to be asked to the user, update the sn_now_assist_cr.llm.conversational.request.question.limit in the Now Assist in Conversational Catalog Application scope. If the property does not exist, please create it
When to make an item non-conversational
- The item does not use any of the types mentioned in the Variable Limitations table. Custom variable types are not supported
- The catalog item uses Catalog Client Scripts or Scripted UI Policies that do not use any of the methods mentioned
- Catalog Client scripts that use DOM manipulation should be avoid. If used be sure to set the UI Type of the catalog client script to Desktop
- The Catalog item is a Content Item, Order guide, Wizard Launcher or a Standard Change template will not be supported and rendered as a Window
- If the Catalog item has any form of customization along the lines of widgets, UI Pages or UI Macros are not supported
- The Catalog Item description has a set of instructions or terms and conditions that need to be read by the user will not surface in the conversational catalog, best to exclude these
Conversational Catalog FAQ
- Which ServiceNow release is Conversational Catalog dashboard available?
- Starting Vancouver Patch 7 and Washington Patch 1 if Now Assist in Virtual Agent plugin is installed.
- Can I select which variables surface during a conversational catalog conversation?
- No, catalog developers are unable to select which variables surface during a conversation. Questions which have a default value already presented will not be asked during a conversation. Users will have the option to change the value of this variable in the end when the form summary is displayed to the user.
- What exactly gets captured from the Catalog Item during the conversation?
- The following fields are captured and passed to the LLM during the conversation:
- Item Name
- Description
- Variable Label and Value
- Note: The description / instruction / hints of variables are not passed to the LLM
- The following fields are captured and passed to the LLM during the conversation:
- How can I manipulate the question format?
- Individual questions cannot be manipulated or fixed for a conversation. In the case that a question or majority of questions should be fixed, it is recommended that a custom LLM Topic is used in the Virtual Agent Designer.
- In the case where the above recommendation is not an option, the description of the Catalog Item manipulates the questions generated during the conversation. Ensure that the description of the catalog item is very detailed to include context around relevant questions being asked to the user as part of the conversational item in VA.
- I want to show pictures of items during my catalog conversation. How can I achieve this?
- If you wish to show pictures to the end user during your conversation you can leverage the Rich Text Label variable
- How can I increase the question limit?
- To increase the question limit you can update or create the following variable in the Now Assist in Conversational Catalog Application Scope:
- sn_now_assist_cr.llm.conversational.request.question.limit. Out of the box the limit is defaulted to 15. This property is applicable to Vancouver Patch 7 and onwards.
- To increase the question limit you can update or create the following variable in the Now Assist in Conversational Catalog Application Scope:
- How can I increase the limit of the Reference field type?
- To increase the limit of the reference field, type the following property can be updated:
- glide.sc.va.reference_question_choices.limit. Please note that increasing this property can cause Virtual Agent performance degradation, be sure to apply filter conditions to cause less stress on the system
- To increase the limit of the reference field, type the following property can be updated:
- How can I make my non-conversational items render as a pop-up or window?
- To change the render type of non-conversational catalog items the following property can be updated:
- glide.sc.va.render_type.legacy. This property will allow catalog items to be opened in a new tab.
- To change the render type of non-conversational catalog items the following property can be updated:
- Why are some questions not asked during my conversation?
- Questions with default values specified on the variable form will be skipped during the catalog conversation.
- Users will have the option to change the value of the question when the summary is presented to them. Users will have to type in what question they would like to change in order to re-ask the question.
- How can I change the question value after it has been accepted?
- Users will have the option to change the value of the question when the summary is presented to them. Users will have to type in what question they would like to change in order to re-ask the question.
- Are quantities supported in conversational catalog ?
- Quantities are currently not supported
