Using virtual window for picture in picture

You can set up and configure attended bots to run in a virtual window [picture in picture (PIP) mode] in Automation Co-Pilot.

What is virtual window?

Virtual window is a feature in Automation Co-Pilot where you can configure your bots to run in a virtual window. This feature uses the Microsoft child sessions feature to render a second window (picture-in-picture mode) on your desktop. When you use this feature with Automation Co-Pilot, you can view a small window of your automations on your desktop, enabling you to interact or reference it as you work on other important tasks.

Note: Child sessions is a feature built by Microsoft to enable the picture-in-picture mode in Windows. Automation Co-Pilot uses the virtual window option to access this Microsoft child sessions feature. The automation experience remains the same and is maintained by Automation Co-Pilot for Business Users. To learn more about Microsoft child sessions, see Microsoft Child Sessions.

Why is virtual window important?

An Co-Pilot Admin can select virtual window to configure their bots and assign their teams to use. Team members can simply run their bots and the virtual window will automatically start the automation process. As an Co-Pilot Admin, you can automate while maintaining control and the ability to multitask without having to remain on a bot page or application, and waiting for the automation progress to complete.

While you automate with virtual window, your computing devices (such as your mouse and keyboard) remains available to use without blockers.

Virtual window scenario

A small but busy customer success team at a large service company wants to address and automate hundreds of support tickets that are submitted each day.

With the proper configuration, Jake (an Co-Pilot Admin for the customer success team) can configure bots for each customer agent of his team to automate tasks and manage their multitasking duties to resolve other issues.

Jake is an Co-Pilot Admin
  • He is an admin of a team and can manage bots and team assignments for members of his team.
  • He plays the vital role of bots and teams configuration in Automation Co-Pilot for Business Users.
  • He can select the virtual window option when configures bots for his team.

When Zoe (an Co-Pilot User and customer success agent) automates a customer request, would typically need to verify a lot of time-consuming customer information on one automation page. However, if Zoe could automate using a virtual window in Automation Co-Pilot, she would be able to multitask while the bot runs in her desktop background.

Zoe is an Co-Pilot User.
  • She is a member of a team.
  • She can run bots in a virtual window to automate her tasks.
  • Her goal is to run bots and ensure her tasks are completed.
Zoe would be able to automate these daily operations:
  • Customer requests
  • Refund policy
  • Updating customer information.

For details on each user roles and function, see Users and roles for Automation Co-Pilot.

For details on teams and functions, see Team management.

How to use virtual window

The following video provides a sample walk through of configuring bots and running in a virtual window, showing two personas (Co-Pilot User and Co-Pilot Admin) and their key tasks.

For a detailed procedure, follow these steps:
  1. Create a bot for a virtual window.
  2. Configure a bot to use virtual window.
  3. Run your bot with virtual window.
    Important: In some cases when you deploy your bot using virtual window, the user credential window will prompt you to log in every time. As a workaround, you must log in to the user credential window and authenticate only one time, then log out or restart your system. When you log in again and run your bot, the window does not prompt again. This is a known behavior for the Microsoft child sessions feature.
Triggers is not supported
The virtual window does not support triggers and does not work if bots contain triggers.
Solution to server manager error
When you encounter a server manager error when you run bots in virtual window, see Solution for server manager error.