Other Virtual Agent features

After creating topics with the basic Assistant Designer controls and scripting, you can also enhance conversation functionality and topic maintenance by using additional Virtual Agent features.

After learning the basics, here are some other Virtual Agent features that may help you improve your authoring and end-user experience.

Deploy Virtual Agent in other channels

By default, Virtual Agent runs in a chat widget, but you can also run it in other channels. While some features may not be available in certain channels (such as the carousel user input control), you can customize your conversation flow to accommodate these differences.
Use link unfurling in Virtual Agent

Virtual Agent supports link unfurling on the chat widget, mobile devices, and various channels. Link unfurling generates a content-rich preview when a supported link is shared in a conversation with a user, a virtual agent, or in a text-based bot response.
Maximize code reuse with topic blocks

Rather than duplicate common functionality in multiple topics, you can create reusable topic blocks that you can reference in many topics. This allows you to maintain frequently used functionality in one central location.
Customize Virtual Agent with custom controls

If an Assistant Designer control doesn't quite work for what you want to achieve, create a custom control. You can create your own controls to accept input from the conversation, as well as custom response controls to handle the output. Use these controls within topics to handle specialized tasks.
Integrate Virtual Agent with Workflow Studio workflows

If your company is using Workflow Studio to create workflows, you can integrate them into Virtual Agent. You may need to do this if your conversations require you to pass secure inputs, such as a password. Workflow Studio actions and subflows support the password2 data type, which lets you pass the input securely.
Use Virtual Agent with Agent Chat

Customize Virtual Agent to hand off some conversations to a live agent when needed.
Integrate Virtual Agent with other portals and apps

Integrate and extend the capabilities of Virtual Agent by connecting to your employees and customers where they already are.
Use Virtual Agent REST API in a standalone or multi-bot environment

Integrate any chat interface or bot using this REST API that is available in the ServiceNow Store.

Additional resources

Visit the Virtual Agent Academy for more resources.

Deploying Virtual Agent topics in other channels
When creating a topic or topic block, you can specify the chat channels in which the topic or topic block will run. Conversation design in Assistant Designer Asset library provides built-in guardrails to help you tailor your conversations to those channels.
Link unfurling in Virtual Agent
Virtual Agent supports link unfurling on the chat widget, mobile devices, and various channels. Link unfurling generates a content-rich preview when a supported link is shared in a conversation with a user, a virtual agent, or in a text-based bot response.
Integrating Virtual Agent with Workflow Studio workflows
The workflows of ServiceNow® Workflow Studio can be integrated within ServiceNow Virtual Agent topics. You can then use these workflows in Virtual Agent conversations.
Login to transfer guest chat history to an authenticated Virtual Agent session
Elevate guest users to an authenticated session by logging in, and without losing chat context or history.

Parent Topic:Build conversations in the Asset library in Assistant Designer

title	Other Virtual Agent features
description	After creating topics with the basic Assistant Designer controls and scripting, you can also enhance conversation functionality and topic maintenance by using additional Virtual Agent features.
locale	en-US
canonical_url	https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/conversational-interfaces/virtual-agent/exploring-other-vad-features.html
release	brazil
product	Virtual Agent
classification	virtual-agent
topic_type	concept
last_updated	2026-09-10
reading_time_minutes	4
keywords	Virtual Agentfeatureslink unfurlingcode reuseWorkflow studioAgent Chat
breadcrumb	Build conversationsVirtual AgentConversational Interfaces