Assistant Designer user input controls

Use the collection of input controls provided by Assistant Designer to prompt and capture information from the user in a conversation.

Common input control properties

In addition to data pills and condition controls, each input control has the following common properties:

Input variable for the user response

Each control stores the user response in an input variable that is accessible from other controls within the same topic using the getValue and getDisplayValue methods. The variable name is based on the name that you assign to the input control. For example, if you assign the name First prompt to an input control, the variable name is first_prompt. The variable name is lowercase, with an underscore character instead of a space. For more information on these methods, see Virtual Agent scripts.

[Omitted image "va-text-input-node-var-name.png"] Alt text: The Variable name field is populated automatically under Text input.

Large language model (LLM) user input controls

The following user input controls are supported in LLM topics when you create an LLM Virtual Agent topic. LLM user inputs include the following.

Note: Avoid placing more than five user input controls in a single LLM topic, or more than five in a single Input Collector. Excessive user input controls can overwhelm the LLM and may lead to inaccurate or unexpected responses.

Input Collector user input control
Use the Input Collector control to gather data for use by ServiceNow Otto in conversations that use large language model (LLM) topic discovery.
Text user input control
The Text user input control in a Virtual Agent topic prompts the user for a text string.
Static Choice user input control
Use the Static Choice user input control in a Virtual Agent topic to list predefined choices available to the user. You can select only one item from a choice list.
Grouped Choice user input control
Use the Grouped Choice user input control in a Virtual Agent topic to list multiple groups of choices in one message.
Dynamic Choice user input control
Use the Dynamic Choice user input control in a Virtual Agent topic to dynamically create a list of available choices for your users. Create these choices by querying a table or by using a script to dynamically create them.
Boolean user input control
Use the Boolean user input control in a Virtual Agent topic to present a Yes/No prompt to the user.
Date Time user input control
Use the Date Time user input control in a Virtual Agent topic to enable the user to select a calendar date, time (hours and minutes), or both.
File Picker user input control
Use the File Picker user input control in a Virtual Agent topic to prompt a user to upload an image or any file type. After the user uploads an image file, the image appears immediately in the Virtual Agent client.
Carousel user input control
Use the Carousel user input control in a Virtual Agent topic to present a prompt and a horizontal series of labeled images. The user can select a single item from the carousel.
Secure Text user input control
The Secure Text control provides a means to encrypt sensitive information provided as simple text or other formats. Use this control to encrypt sensitive information in topics that use large language model (LLM) discovery.

Parent Topic:Assistant Designer interface reference

title	Assistant Designer user input controls
description	Use the collection of input controls provided by Assistant Designer to prompt and capture information from the user in a conversation.
locale	en-US
canonical_url	https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/conversational-interfaces/virtual-agent/va-user-inputs.html
release	australia
product	Virtual Agent
classification	virtual-agent
topic_type	reference
last_updated	2026-09-10
reading_time_minutes	4
breadcrumb	Assistant Designer interface referenceReferenceVirtual AgentConversational Interfaces