ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent readiness on the ServiceNow AI Platform

ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent has AI-driven capabilities that interpret natural language, guide users through complex tasks, and deliver high-confidence answers without relying on rigid keyword matching or manual configurations.

ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent provides the following features:

AI asset discovery

ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent uses LLMs to automatically discover and match user intents to Virtual Agent topics and other AI assets, including generative AI skills, AI agents and agentic workflows, and subflows and actions.
Simplified deployment

Using LLM-powered Virtual Agent topics, teams can accelerate rollout and improve conversation quality.
AI Search Genius Results

Users receive curated, actionable responses via Genius cards, which contain summarized knowledge with direct actions such as Request this item.
Conversational catalog ordering

Users can request Service Catalog items using natural conversation. Virtual Agent asks clarifying questions and confirms the user's intent before completing the request.

Note: Service Catalog items must be marked as conversational to work with Virtual Agent. For details, see Catalog item conversational details page overview.
Multi-turn Q&A

Follow-up questions are handled automatically, allowing users to refine their queries and get better answers.

Setting up Now Assist in Virtual Agent requires customizing or creating a new LLM assistant. You can assign an assistant to one or more portals. If LLM Virtual Agent topics aren't associated with an LLM assistant, they aren't discoverable.

High-level checklist

1. Install ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent

You can install it from the Conversational Interfaces admin console after you install an AI product such as ServiceNow Otto for IT Service Management (ITSM).

To set up ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent, you configure an assistant.

See: Configure assistants overview
2. Review your Virtual Agent topic inventory

Review your topics and identify high-volume user queries. You can use Assistant Analytics to monitor, evaluate, and optimize the performance of your AI-powered assistants.

Why? This helps you identify the top self-solve opportunities in Virtual Agent.

See:
- Conversational Analytics dashboard in Platform Analytics experience
- Create an Automation Discovery report
3. Review your knowledge base

Identify KB articles that can self-serve any of the top intents you identified.

Why? This simplifies topic management and enables self-service.

See: Knowledge Base readiness for AI on the ServiceNow AI Platform
4. Migrate NLU topics to LLM

Use the topic migration tool in Virtual Agent to convert NLU topics to LLM.

Why? Use existing Virtual Agent topics with minimal effort.

See: Migrating NLU/keyword Virtual Agent topics to LLM topics
5. Review Service Catalog items

Identify self-serve catalog items that can be replaced with existing LLM topics.

Why? To avoid redundancy and eliminate the need to create new Virtual Agent topics.

See: Service Catalog readiness for AI on the ServiceNow AI Platform
6. Review LLM Virtual Agent topics

Use these LLM topics as a starting point for Virtual Agent topic creation.

Why? New LLM versions of older NLU Virtual Agent topics reduce rework.

See: ITSM Virtual Agent pre-built LLM topics

Tips

When migrating legacy NLU topics, optimize topic descriptions so that the topic is clearly described and aligned with the intent and expected results.

For details, see LLM description and instruction guidelines for Virtual Agent topics.
You can customize the look of your assistant and the chat experience during guided setup.

For details, see Brand and personalize an assistant.
You can choose the chat experience you want for each assistant:
You can integrate ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent with Microsoft Teams.

For details, see Integrating ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent with Microsoft Teams.

For more information about conversational catalogs in AI, see the following information from ServiceNow Community and YouTube:

title	ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent readiness on the ServiceNow AI Platform
description	ServiceNow Otto for Virtual Agent has AI-driven capabilities that interpret natural language, guide users through complex tasks, and deliver high-confidence answers without relying on rigid keyword matching or manual configurations.
locale	en-US
canonical_url	https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/intelligent-experiences/sn-ai-impl-nava.html
release	australia
topic_type	concept
last_updated	2026-09-10
reading_time_minutes	3
keywords	Now Assistagentic AIAI readiness
breadcrumb	Application readinessAssessing your AI readinessGetting started with AIEnable AI Experiences