servicenow-mcp-ai — ServiceNow MCP Server
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A Model Context Protocol server that lets an MCP client (VS Code, Claude Desktop, etc.) run commands against a ServiceNow instance through its REST APIs — Table, Aggregate, Attachment, Import Set, Batch and CMDB, plus the Service Catalog, Change Management and Knowledge plugin APIs. Credentials are kept in a local env file and can be updated at runtime through a tool.
Upgrading from 1.x? v2.0 makes writes plan-by-default:
create/update/deleteand the other record-write tools return a non-mutating preview unless you passapply: true(or setSN_WRITE_MODE=applyto restore the v1 "execute immediately" behaviour). See the CHANGELOG → 2.0.0 for the full migration note.
Contents: Quick demo · Features · Requirements · Setup · Configure credentials · Run / debug · Develop · Tools · Resources · Prompts · Project structure · Security notes · Project documentation · Support
Built and maintained in my own time — if it helps, a GitHub Sponsors tip keeps it going. Full Support options are near the end.
Quick demo
Three things the platform makes hard, one call each. Point your MCP client at an instance (Setup) and ask:
1. "Where is this field actually used?" — every script, business rule, client script, UI policy/action and ACL that touches it, as JSON or a Mermaid graph. The IDE-grade find usages ServiceNow has no button for:
// servicenow_where_used
{
"kind": "field", // "table" | "field" | "script"
"name": "u_cost_center",
"mermaid": true, // also render a reference graph
}
2. "What runs when I save this record?" — the full automation chain in execution order (display → before → after → async business rules, then flows, workflows and notifications), each with its condition — a logical test that runs nothing:
// servicenow_trace_table_event
{
"table": "incident",
"operation": "update", // insert | update | delete | query
}
3. "What drifted between dev and prod?" — a Markdown diff of tables, columns, scripts (by SHA-256) and plugins between two configured profiles, with a CI-friendly exit code so a pipeline can block a risky deploy:
servicenow-mcp-ai drift dev prod # report on stdout; exit 1 on drift, 0 if clean
All three are read-only and work against any instance — including a free PDI — with the model and client of your choice.
Features
- Full Table API: query, read, create, update and delete records on any table, with encoded queries, field selection and pagination.
- Extra ServiceNow APIs: Aggregate (Stats), Attachment
(list/upload/download/delete), Import Set, Batch (many REST calls in a
single request), plus table/column metadata (
sys_db_object,sys_dictionary). - Process & plugin APIs: CMDB (class-aware CI CRUD + meta via IRE), Service Catalog (browse/order items), Change Management (typed creation + conflict detection) and Knowledge (article search). Plugin-scoped APIs report clearly when not active on the instance.
- Script intelligence: read and search the instance's own code (business rules, script includes, client scripts, UI policies/actions, scheduled jobs, transform/REST scripts, ACLs) and get a table's full automation picture — all read-only over the Table API.
- Flow tracing & code checking (Phase 8): deterministically trace what a
table operation runs (
flowspackage — business rules, flows, workflows and notifications, in order, with a Mermaid flowchart), read Flow Designer flows and run history, and lint scripts against a local rule set with an aggregate code-health report (codecheck). Run ATF tests via the CI/CD API (atf, opt-in, non-default — the run tools execute on the instance). - Self-documentation: a local Markdown knowledge base (read/write/search) plus deterministic Mermaid generators (ER diagrams from references, record-lifecycle flowcharts from business rules) so the server builds durable, reusable context.
- Prompts: ready-made workflows (incident triage, change impact analysis, document a table) that orchestrate the tools.
- Tool packages: load only the tool groups you need via
SN_TOOL_PACKAGES(default profilecore;allenables everything). - Basic or OAuth 2.0 authentication over HTTPS; the password/token is never echoed back.
- Least-privilege controls: table allow/deny lists and a global read-only mode.
- Resilience: per-request timeout, retry with backoff and
Retry-After, SSRF guard, and a result-size guard. - MCP tool annotations and resources, structured error payloads, and structured logging on stderr.
- Credentials in an env file (project,
~/.config, orSN_ENV_FILE), updatable at runtime viaservicenow_set_credentials.
Requirements
- Node.js 20+ (enforced:
engines+ a runtime guard with a clear message; the project targets the version in.nvmrc).
Setup
From source (for development):
npm install
npm run build
Or run the published package directly, without cloning:
npx servicenow-mcp-ai
Register it with an MCP client (Claude Desktop, VS Code Chat, the Inspector…) by
pointing the server command at npx:
{
"mcpServers": {
"servicenow": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "servicenow-mcp-ai"]
}
}
}
Claude Code plugin (zero-config — installs the server wired up):
/plugin marketplace add IvanBBaev/servicenow-mcp-ai
/plugin install servicenow-mcp-ai
VS Code — install the ServiceNow MCP extension from the Marketplace
(code --install-extension ivanbbaev.servicenow-mcp-ai); it registers the server
in Copilot Chat (agent mode) automatically, no manual mcp.json. Source:
extension/.
Credentials are read from ~/.config/servicenow-mcp-ai/.env (or real environment
variables) — see below.
Quickstart
The fastest path is three lines of Basic auth — set these (in the env file or the real environment) and you are connected:
SN_INSTANCE=dev12345.service-now.com
SN_USER=your.username
SN_PASSWORD=your-password
Everything else is optional tuning; see the full Environment variables reference for the rest.
Past a quick try, prefer OAuth over a stored password. For anything shared or long-lived, run the one-time
npx servicenow-mcp-ai logininstead — it stores a refresh token, not your password. See Configure credentials → OAuth 2.1.
Verify your setup
Once the three variables are set, confirm the connection before you start:
- Run the
servicenow_test_connectiontool — it reads onesys_userrecord and reportsok, HTTP status and latency. - Run
servicenow_check_capabilities— it previews which admin-restrictedsys_*tables the connected user can actually read.
Or do both from the shell in one shot:
npx servicenow-mcp-ai doctor # checks credentials, reachability and capabilities
Configure credentials
Credentials live in .env at the project root (git-ignored):
SN_INSTANCE=your-instance.service-now.com
SN_USER=your.username@example.com
SN_PASSWORD=your-password
SN_INSTANCE accepts dev12345, dev12345.service-now.com or a full https:// URL.
You can also set or change them at runtime by calling the
servicenow_set_credentials tool — the new values are written straight back to the env file.
The env file is resolved in this order: SN_ENV_FILE, then
~/.config/servicenow-mcp-ai/.env (XDG) if present, then the project-root .env.
A global/npx install therefore writes to your user config rather than into
node_modules. Real environment variables always take precedence over the file.
OAuth 2.1 (Authorization Code + PKCE) — recommended
Register an Authorization Code OAuth API endpoint in ServiceNow with a
loopback redirect URL (e.g. http://localhost:53682/callback), set
SN_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID (and SN_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET for a confidential client),
then run the one-time interactive login:
npx servicenow-mcp-ai login
It opens the browser, you approve, and the obtained refresh token is stored in your env file. The server then runs non-interactively (refresh_token grant) — no password is ever stored. PKCE (S256) is always used.
The OAuth 2.0 password grant (ROPC) is deprecated in OAuth 2.1 and disabled on many instances; prefer
login.client_credentialsandrefresh_tokengrants remain supported for service accounts. See .env.example.
Supported authentication methods
Every inbound REST auth method ServiceNow offers is covered:
| Method | SN_AUTH | Set | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | basic | SN_USER / SN_PASSWORD | Default. |
| OAuth 2.1 — Authorization Code + PKCE | oauth | npx servicenow-mcp-ai login | Recommended. Interactive, stores a refresh token. |
| OAuth — Client Credentials | oauth | SN_OAUTH_GRANT=client_credentials | Service-to-service. |
| OAuth — Refresh Token | oauth | SN_OAUTH_GRANT=refresh_token + SN_OAUTH_REFRESH_TOKEN | Set by login. |
| OAuth — JWT Bearer | oauth | SN_OAUTH_GRANT=jwt_bearer + SN_OAUTH_JWT_KEY | RS256 assertion; no password. |
| OAuth — Password (ROPC) | oauth | SN_OAUTH_GRANT=password | Deprecated. |
| API Key | apikey | SN_API_KEY | x-sn-apikey header. |
| Bearer token | token | SN_BEARER_TOKEN | Pre-obtained token, used verbatim. |
| Mutual TLS (client cert) | none (or layered) | SN_TLS_CLIENT_CERT / _KEY | Cert maps to a user; needs optional undici. |
Environment variables
All settings are read from .env (or the real process environment, which takes
precedence). Only the first three are required; the rest are optional tuning knobs.
See .env.example for a template.
| Variable | Required | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
SN_INSTANCE | yes | — | Instance name, host, or https:// URL (dev12345, dev12345.service-now.com). |
SN_USER | yes | — | ServiceNow username for Basic auth. |
SN_PASSWORD | yes | — | ServiceNow password. Never logged or returned by any tool. |
SN_TIMEOUT_MS | no | 30000 | Per-request timeout in milliseconds. |
SN_MAX_RETRIES | no | 2 | Retries for transient failures (429/5xx, network errors). Non-idempotent writes are only retried on connect errors. |
SN_MAX_RECORDS | no | 10000 | Hard cap on records returned by a fetchAll query. |
SN_MAX_RESULT_CHARS | no | 100000 | Character budget for a query result before it is truncated for the client. |
SN_ALLOWED_HOSTS | no | — | Comma-separated allow-list of permitted hosts (for custom or sovereign-cloud domains). When set, only matching hosts are contacted. When unset, only *.service-now.com instances are allowed and internal/loopback hosts are blocked (SSRF guard). |
SN_AUTH | no | auto | Auth method: basic, oauth, apikey, token or none (cert-only mTLS). Auto-detected from the keys present (API key → bearer → OAuth → Basic). |
SN_API_KEY | no | — | ServiceNow Inbound API Key, sent as the x-sn-apikey header (enables apikey mode). |
SN_BEARER_TOKEN | no | — | A pre-obtained bearer token, sent verbatim as Authorization: Bearer … (enables token mode). |
SN_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID | no | — | OAuth client id (its presence enables OAuth). |
SN_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET | no | — | OAuth client secret. |
SN_OAUTH_GRANT | no | password | OAuth grant: password (deprecated — ROPC), client_credentials, refresh_token or jwt_bearer. The login command sets this to refresh_token for you. |
SN_OAUTH_JWT_KEY | no | — | PEM private key for the jwt_bearer grant (or SN_OAUTH_JWT_KEY_FILE). Optional claims: SN_OAUTH_JWT_ISS (default client id), SN_OAUTH_JWT_SUB (default SN_USER), SN_OAUTH_JWT_AUD, SN_OAUTH_JWT_KID, SN_OAUTH_JWT_EXP_SEC (default 300). |
SN_OAUTH_REFRESH_TOKEN | no | — | Refresh token for the refresh_token grant. Obtained automatically by npx servicenow-mcp-ai login (Authorization Code + PKCE). |
SN_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI | no | http://localhost:53682/callback | Loopback redirect URL for the PKCE login flow. Must match the redirect registered on the OAuth endpoint. |
SN_OAUTH_SCOPE | no | — | Optional OAuth scope requested during login. |
SN_TLS_CLIENT_CERT | no | — | Client certificate (PEM) for mutual TLS (or SN_TLS_CLIENT_CERT_FILE). With SN_TLS_CLIENT_KEY it presents a client cert; ServiceNow's mutual-auth profile maps it to a user. Needs the optional undici package (npm i undici). |
SN_TLS_CLIENT_KEY | no | — | Private key (PEM) for the client certificate (or SN_TLS_CLIENT_KEY_FILE). |
SN_TLS_CA | no | — | Optional CA bundle (PEM) to trust (or SN_TLS_CA_FILE). SN_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED=false disables verification (not recommended). |
SN_TABLES_ALLOW | no | — | Comma-separated table allowlist; when set, only these tables are reachable. |
SN_TABLES_DENY | no | — | Comma-separated table denylist; always wins over the allowlist. |
SN_READONLY | no | false | When truthy, refuse every create/update/delete. |
SN_WRITE_MODE | no | plan | plan (default) previews a write as a before/after diff without mutating; apply executes; passing apply:true forces a single call. |
SN_REDACT_FIELDS | no | — | DF-5: mask these field values before records reach the model (comma/space-separated). |
SN_REDACT_PII | no | false | DF-5: also mask email/phone/national-id patterns inside string values. |
SN_TRANSPORT | no | stdio | DF-6: stdio (default) or http (Streamable HTTP for remote/agent clients). |
SN_PORT | no | 3000 | DF-6: TCP port for the http transport. |
SN_HTTP_HOST | no | 127.0.0.1 | DF-6: bind address for the http transport (loopback by default). |
SN_HTTP_TOKEN | no | — | DF-6: when set, http requests must send Authorization: Bearer <token>. |
SN_LOG_LEVEL | no | info | Log verbosity on stderr: error, warn, info, debug. |
SN_ENV_FILE | no | — | Explicit path to the env file to read/write. |
SN_TOOL_PACKAGES | no | core | Comma/space-separated tool packages or profiles to enable. Profiles: core (default) and all. Packages: table, schema, aggregate, attachment, importset, batch, catalog, change, knowledge, cmdb, scripts, flows, codecheck, docs, instance, email, atf. The admin tools are always on. atf runs tests on the instance — enable it only on a non-production instance. |
SN_PACKAGES_DENY | no | — | Comma/space-separated packages to exclude even if enabled by SN_TOOL_PACKAGES. The only way to block plugin APIs (catalog, change, knowledge…) — the table policy does not see them. |
SN_PACKAGES_READONLY | no | — | Comma/space-separated packages whose write tools are not registered; their read tools stay. Per-package complement to the global SN_READONLY. |
SN_SCHEMA_CACHE_TTL_SEC | no | 300 | TTL for the near-static schema reads cache (list_tables, describe_table, get_cmdb_meta). 0 disables caching. |
SN_MAX_CONCURRENT | no | 4 | Maximum parallel HTTP requests to the instance (simple in-process semaphore). |
SN_INCLUDE_REF_LINKS | no | false | Reference fields come back without their link URLs by default (token savings). Set true to include them. |
SN_RESULT_PRETTY | no | false | Tool results are compact JSON by default (pretty-printing ~doubles tokens). Set true for indented output. |
SN_DOCS_DIR | no | docs/instance | Directory the docs package reads/writes Markdown in. Relative paths resolve against the working directory. |
SN_CODESEARCH | no | false | Opt in to the Code Search API (sn_codesearch) for servicenow_search_code (FT-7). When true and the plugin is active it replaces the LIKE iteration; falls back to LIKE on any failure. |
SN_PROFILE_<NAME>_* | no | — | Named connection profiles: SN_PROFILE_DEV_INSTANCE / _USER / _PASSWORD define profile dev. The bare SN_INSTANCE/SN_USER/SN_PASSWORD keys are the default profile. |
SN_ACTIVE_PROFILE | no | default | Which profile tools use. Switch at runtime with servicenow_use_instance (persisted to the env file). |
Two-axis access policy
Access is controlled on two independent axes, because a table restriction does not reach the plugin-backed APIs (Change, Catalog, Knowledge…). Guard both:
| Axis | Enable / deny / read-only | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tables | SN_TABLES_ALLOW / SN_TABLES_DENY / SN_READONLY | SN_TABLES_DENY=change_request blocks the Table API path only. |
| Packages | SN_TOOL_PACKAGES / SN_PACKAGES_DENY / SN_PACKAGES_READONLY | SN_PACKAGES_DENY=change also blocks the Change Management plugin API. |
So denying the change_request table still leaves the Change Management API
(sn_chg_rest) able to read/write changes — the package axis is why it exists.
See Security notes for the full model (including how the Batch
API obeys both axes).
List syntax: table lists (SN_TABLES_ALLOW / SN_TABLES_DENY) are
comma-separated; package lists (SN_TOOL_PACKAGES, SN_PACKAGES_DENY,
SN_PACKAGES_READONLY) accept commas or whitespace. Surrounding spaces are
trimmed in both, and table matching is case-insensitive — so
SN_TABLES_DENY=Change_Request, sys_user works.
Run / debug
- VS Code: open the Command Palette and start the server defined in .vscode/mcp.json, then use it from Chat.
- MCP Inspector:
npm run inspector - Directly:
npm start
Command-line interface
The published servicenow-mcp-ai binary (run it directly, or via
npx servicenow-mcp-ai) has three invocations. All connection settings come from
environment variables / the env file (see Environment variables);
only drift takes positional arguments.
| Command | Positional parameters | What it does | Exit codes |
|---|---|---|---|
servicenow-mcp-ai | (none) | Starts the MCP server. The transport (stdio default, or http) is chosen by SN_TRANSPORT; runs until SIGINT/SIGTERM. | 0 clean shutdown · 1 fatal startup error |
servicenow-mcp-ai login | (none — operates on the active profile) | One-time OAuth 2.1 Authorization Code + PKCE login: opens the browser, captures the loopback redirect, stores a refresh token. | 0 success · 1 login failed |
servicenow-mcp-ai drift <profileA> <profileB> | <profileA>, <profileB> — two configured profile names | DF-3 CI drift gate: compares the two instances and writes a Markdown diff report. | 0 no drift · 1 drift found · 2 usage / error |
login operates on the active profile (SN_ACTIVE_PROFILE, default
default) and reads, for that profile:
SN_INSTANCE— required; the target instance.SN_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID— required; client id of an Authorization Code OAuth API endpoint.SN_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET— optional; for a confidential client.SN_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI— optional; loopback URL, defaulthttp://localhost:53682/callback. Must match the redirect registered on the endpoint.SN_OAUTH_SCOPE— optional; requested OAuth scope.
On success it writes SN_AUTH=oauth, SN_OAUTH_GRANT=refresh_token and
SN_OAUTH_REFRESH_TOKEN back to the env file (profile-prefixed when the profile
is not default). The authorization URL is printed on stderr in case the browser
does not open automatically.
drift takes two positional profile names; each must resolve to a configured
profile (SN_PROFILE_<NAME>_*, or the bare SN_INSTANCE / SN_USER /
SN_PASSWORD keys for default). The Markdown report is written to stdout
(capture it as a CI artifact); a one-line drift summary goes to stderr.
CI drift gate (DF-3)
Compare two configured profiles and fail a pipeline on configuration drift:
servicenow-mcp-ai drift dev prod # report on stdout; exit 1 on drift, 0 if clean, 2 on error
Develop
npm run check # full gate: build, lint, format check, coverage-gated tests, prod audit
npm test # unit tests only (node:test; needs a prior npm run build)
npm run lint # ESLint (flat config + typescript-eslint)
npm run format # format with Prettier
See CONTRIBUTING.md for the conventions (one commit per task, tests ship with the change, generated docs).
Tools
<!-- GENERATED:TOOLS:BEGIN (npm run docs:readme) -->This table is generated from the tool registrations — edit the tool
definitions in src/tools/, then run npm run docs:readme.
| Package | Tool | Read-only | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
table | servicenow_query_table | yes | Read records from any ServiceNow table through the Table API |
table | servicenow_get_record | yes | Read a single record from a table by its sys_id |
table | servicenow_create_record | no | Create a new record in a table with the given field values |
table | servicenow_update_record | no | Update fields on an existing record identified by its sys_id |
table | servicenow_delete_record | no | Delete a record from a table by its sys_id |
schema | servicenow_list_tables | yes | List tables from sys_db_object, optionally filtered by a name or label fragment |
schema | servicenow_describe_table | yes | List a table's columns (name, label, type, mandatory, reference) from sys_dictionary |
aggregate | servicenow_aggregate | yes | Compute server-side aggregates (count, avg, min, max, sum) over a table via the Stats API, with optional gr… |
attachment | servicenow_list_attachments | yes | List attachment metadata, optionally scoped to a specific record (table + sys_id) |
attachment | servicenow_get_attachment | yes | Read a single attachment's metadata by its sys_id |
attachment | servicenow_download_attachment | yes | Download an attachment's bytes, returned as base64 |
attachment | servicenow_upload_attachment | no | Attach a file (provided as base64) to a record identified by table + sys_id |
attachment | servicenow_delete_attachment | no | Delete an attachment by its sys_id |
importset | servicenow_insert_import_set_row | no | Insert a single row into a staging table and run its transform map |
importset | servicenow_get_import_set_row | yes | Read the transform outcome for a previously inserted staging row by its sys_id |
batch | servicenow_batch | no | Execute several ServiceNow REST sub-requests in a single HTTP round-trip via the Batch API |
catalog | servicenow_list_catalogs | yes | List the Service Catalogs available on the instance (Service Catalog API) |
catalog | servicenow_list_catalog_categories | yes | List the categories within a service catalog |
catalog | servicenow_list_catalog_items | yes | Search/list orderable catalog items, optionally by text or category |
catalog | servicenow_get_catalog_item | yes | Get a catalog item, including its order variables, by sys_id |
catalog | servicenow_order_catalog_item | no | Order a catalog item directly ('order now') |
change | servicenow_list_changes | yes | List change requests through the Change Management API |
change | servicenow_get_change | yes | Get a single change request by sys_id |
change | servicenow_create_change | no | Create a normal, standard or emergency change |
change | servicenow_update_change | no | Update fields on a change request by sys_id |
change | servicenow_change_conflicts | no | Read schedule conflicts for a change, or recalculate them (calculate=true) |
knowledge | servicenow_search_knowledge | yes | Full-text search of knowledge articles (Knowledge API), with optional encoded query and paging |
knowledge | servicenow_get_knowledge_article | yes | Get a knowledge article (content and metadata) by sys_id |
knowledge | servicenow_knowledge_highlights | yes | List featured or most-viewed knowledge articles for the current user |
cmdb | servicenow_list_cis | yes | List configuration items of a CMDB class through the class-aware CMDB Instance API |
cmdb | servicenow_get_ci | yes | Get a CI with its attributes and inbound/outbound relations by class and sys_id |
cmdb | servicenow_create_ci | no | Create a CI via the CMDB Instance API (routed through Identification & Reconciliation) |
cmdb | servicenow_update_ci | no | Update a CI's attributes via the CMDB Instance API (IRE) |
cmdb | servicenow_get_cmdb_meta | yes | Get the schema/metadata of a CMDB class (attributes, relationship rules) from the CMDB Meta API |
scripts | servicenow_list_scripts | yes | List script artefacts of one type as compact metadata (no source code) |
scripts | servicenow_get_script | yes | Read one script artefact in full, including its source code and execution context |
scripts | servicenow_search_code | yes | Search script source for a literal substring across one or all script types |
scripts | servicenow_table_logic | yes | Assemble the automation that runs on a table: business rules (ordered by when+order), client scripts, UI po… |
scripts | servicenow_where_used | yes | Find where a table, field or script is referenced across the instance's code: textual references in every s… |
flows | servicenow_trace_table_event | yes | Deterministically trace what ServiceNow would run for a table operation, in execution order: display/before… |
flows | servicenow_list_flows | yes | List Flow Designer flows (sys_hub_flow) or legacy workflows (kind: 'workflow') as compact metadata |
flows | servicenow_get_flow | yes | Get a structured view of one flow or workflow: its trigger (table/condition/when) and ordered steps |
flows | servicenow_get_flow_runs | yes | Read flow execution evidence from sys_flow_context — by flow sys_id or by the record (document) it ran agai… |
codecheck | servicenow_lint_script | yes | Run deterministic code-quality rules over one script artefact (hard-coded sys_ids/URLs, unbounded or in-loo… |
codecheck | servicenow_lint_table | yes | Lint every active business rule, client script and UI policy of a table (via table_logic), returning per-sc… |
codecheck | servicenow_code_health | no | Aggregate code-health picture: script counts by type, a security scan of the access-control layer (ACL scri… |
docs | servicenow_docs_list | yes | List the Markdown documents in the local instance-documentation folder (SN_DOCS_DIR) |
docs | servicenow_docs_read | yes | Read one Markdown document from the local instance-documentation folder |
docs | servicenow_docs_search | yes | Search the local instance documentation for a substring; returns a snippet per match |
docs | servicenow_docs_write | no | Create or overwrite a Markdown document in the local docs folder and refresh index.md |
docs | servicenow_generate_er_diagram | yes | Build a Mermaid erDiagram from sys_dictionary: an entity per table plus a relationship for every reference … |
docs | servicenow_generate_table_flow | yes | Build a Mermaid flowchart of a record's lifecycle on a table, grouping active business rules by phase (disp… |
instance | servicenow_snapshot_instance | no | Download the instance's structural metadata into the local docs folder (SN_DOCS_DIR/<profile>/): tables.md+… |
instance | servicenow_compare_instances | no | Diff two connection profiles: tables present in only one, common columns whose type/mandatory/reference dif… |
email | servicenow_send_email | no | Send an email through the instance's Email API, optionally associated with a record (table + sys_id) |
email | servicenow_get_email | yes | Read a sent/received email record by its sys_id (Email API) |
atf | servicenow_list_atf_tests | yes | List Automated Test Framework tests (sys_atf_test) as metadata: name, active flag, description |
atf | servicenow_list_atf_suites | yes | List Automated Test Framework test suites (sys_atf_test_suite) as metadata |
atf | servicenow_run_atf_test | no | Run a single ATF test through the CI/CD API |
atf | servicenow_run_atf_suite | no | Run an ATF test suite through the CI/CD API |
atf | servicenow_get_atf_result | yes | Poll an ATF run by its execution id: status, percent complete and message (CI/CD progress API) |
admin | servicenow_set_credentials | no | Save or update the ServiceNow connection credentials |
admin | servicenow_list_instances | yes | List the configured ServiceNow connection profiles (instances): name, host, user, read-only flag and whethe… |
admin | servicenow_use_instance | no | Switch the active ServiceNow connection profile (persisted to the env file) |
admin | servicenow_get_status | yes | Show the configured instance, user, auth mode and access policy, and whether credentials are complete |
admin | servicenow_test_connection | yes | Verify that the configured credentials actually work: reads one sys_user record and reports ok/status/latency |
admin | servicenow_check_capabilities | yes | Preflight which admin-restricted sys_* tables the connected user can actually read, and report which higher… |
All tools carry MCP annotations (readOnlyHint, destructiveHint,
idempotentHint) so clients can apply the right confirmation UX.
Tool packages
Tools are grouped into packages so you can expose only what a given client needs
(fewer tools keep the model focused). Set SN_TOOL_PACKAGES to a comma/space
separated list of profiles or package names:
core(default) —table,schema,aggregate,attachment.all— every package below.- Individual packages:
table,schema,aggregate,attachment,importset,batch,catalog,change,knowledge,cmdb,scripts,flows,codecheck,docs,instance,email,atf.
The admin tools (servicenow_set_credentials, servicenow_get_status) are
always registered, regardless of the active packages. Unknown names are ignored.
servicenow_get_status reports the resolved enabledPackages.
# Only table + batch tools (plus the always-on admin tools)
SN_TOOL_PACKAGES=table,batch
Presets
If you would rather not curate the list yourself, three named presets cover the
common roles. The admin tools are always on, so they are not listed. Each preset
also has a one-word alias — SN_TOOL_PACKAGES=reader|developer|admin — that
expands to the same package set.
| Preset | SN_TOOL_PACKAGES=… | For whom |
|---|---|---|
reader | table,schema,aggregate | First contact, analysts, a PDI play — read and query only. |
developer | table,schema,aggregate,scripts,flows,codecheck,docs | The core segment: script intelligence, flow tracing, linting, docs and diagrams. |
admin | all | Everything, including the plugin and write-heavy packages. |
The developer preset builds on the reader set; the docs package includes the
Mermaid diagram generators. Use the alias for brevity or spell the packages out to
add or drop one.
Examples
Query the 5 most recent active incidents:
// servicenow_query_table
{
"table": "incident",
"query": "active=true^ORDERBYDESCsys_created_on",
"fields": ["number", "short_description", "priority", "state"],
"limit": 5,
}
Create an incident:
// servicenow_create_record
{
"table": "incident",
"fields": {
"short_description": "Printer on 3rd floor is down",
"urgency": "2",
"impact": "2",
},
}
Update credentials at runtime:
// servicenow_set_credentials
{
"instance": "dev98765.service-now.com",
"user": "admin",
"password": "••••••",
}
Resources
Read-only metadata is also exposed as MCP resources, so clients can attach it declaratively instead of calling a tool:
| URI | Description |
|---|---|
servicenow://status | Connection status, auth mode, access policy. |
servicenow://tables | List of tables from sys_db_object. |
servicenow://schema/{table} | Columns of a table from sys_dictionary. |
servicenow://docs/{path} | A Markdown document from the local docs store. |
Prompts
Ready-made workflows are exposed as MCP prompts; they orchestrate the tools and insist on reading real values from the instance:
| Prompt | Argument | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
servicenow_incident_triage | incident | Summarize, assess priority, categorize and recommend next steps. |
servicenow_change_impact_analysis | change | Affected CIs, schedule conflicts and a go/no-go call. |
servicenow_document_table | table | Schema + automation + diagrams → saved Markdown doc. |
Project structure
.
├── .env # credentials (git-ignored; or ~/.config/servicenow-mcp-ai/.env)
├── .env.example # template
├── .github/workflows/ # CI: build + lint + test
├── .vscode/mcp.json # VS Code MCP server registration
├── eslint.config.js # ESLint flat config
├── .prettierrc.json # Prettier config
├── src/
│ ├── index.ts # bootstrap: load env, register, connect stdio
│ ├── registry.ts # registers all tool groups
│ ├── resources.ts # MCP resources (status, tables, schema, docs)
│ ├── prompts.ts # MCP prompts (triage, change impact, document table)
│ ├── http.ts # shared REST client (auth, retry, SSRF)
│ ├── auth.ts # Basic + OAuth 2.0 providers
│ ├── host.ts # host resolution + SSRF guard
│ ├── policy.ts # table allow/deny + read-only guards
│ ├── settings.ts # numeric env settings
│ ├── logging.ts # structured stderr logger
│ ├── result.ts # tool results + structured errors
│ ├── servicenow.ts # Table API client
│ ├── config.ts # env file read/write + location
│ ├── api/ # aggregate, attachment, import set, batch, catalog, change, knowledge, cmdb, scripts, diagrams, docs, meta
│ └── tools/ # tool registration per API group
├── test/ # node:test unit + mock-fetch tests
└── build/ # compiled output (after npm run build)
Note on names: the npm package and the GitHub repository are both
servicenow-mcp-ai(the unscopedservicenow-mcpwas already taken on npm); the local working folder isservicenow-mcp. The difference is cosmetic and does not affect the build or runtime.
Security notes
- The env file is git-ignored — do not commit real credentials.
- The env file is written owner-only (
0600) — it holds a plaintext password. - The server uses the stdio transport and only logs to
stderr; secrets and raw encoded queries are never logged. - The password/token is never returned by any tool.
- Hosts are restricted: without
SN_ALLOWED_HOSTS, only*.service-now.cominstances are contacted (internal/loopback always blocked), so a redirected or mistyped host cannot silently receive credentials. SetSN_ALLOWED_HOSTSto opt in a custom or sovereign-cloud domain. - Prefer OAuth 2.0 over Basic where possible (
SN_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID). - Apply least privilege with
SN_TABLES_ALLOW/SN_TABLES_DENYandSN_READONLY=truefor read-only deployments. - Table policy does not cover plugin APIs.
SN_TABLES_DENY=change_requestblocks the Table API path, but the Change Management API (sn_chg_rest) can still read/write changes. To restrict the plugin-backed surfaces useSN_PACKAGES_DENY(drop the whole package) orSN_PACKAGES_READONLY(register only its read tools). The Batch API obeys both axes too: a sub-request to a denied package's path is refused, and writes to a read-only package are blocked — a batch cannot be used to bypass the package policy.
Project documentation
| Document | Contents |
|---|---|
| ARCHITECTURE.md | Layered architecture, Mermaid diagrams (modules, request lifecycle, security model, auth, packages), condensed ADRs |
| PRODUCT-STATE.md | Current product state: API coverage map, quality status, history timeline, roadmap |
| ROADMAP.md | Forward plan: ship 1.0.0, Phase 8 (flow testing + code analysis), Phase 9 (competitive differentiators), optional and deferred items |
| COMPETITIVE-ANALYSIS.md | Positioning vs the official ServiceNow MCP Server Console: comparison, where it structurally lags, the Phase 9 boost plan, and platform risks |
| IMPLEMENTATION-PLAN.md | Detailed specs for the upcoming phases (harness 2.0, multi-instance, flow testing) |
| DONE.md / TODO.md | Completed work with commit refs / remaining decisions |
| WORKLOG.md / CHANGELOG.md | Detailed work journal / user-facing changelog |
| CONTRIBUTING.md / SECURITY.md | Dev setup, gates and conventions / security model and reporting |
Support
This project is built and maintained in my own time. If it saves you or your team time, please consider supporting its continued development — sponsorship directly funds new tools, bug fixes and keeping pace with ServiceNow's REST surface.
- GitHub Sponsors — one-off or recurring, with no platform fee taken out (the preferred option).
- Ko-fi — quick one-off support; it also accepts PayPal, so it's the fallback for anyone without a GitHub account.
- Donate (Donatree) — a no-account donation page (card, PayPal and more) for a one-off tip.
Trademark
servicenow-mcp-ai is an independent, community-built project. It is not
affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ServiceNow, Inc.
"ServiceNow", the ServiceNow logo, "Now", and related marks are trademarks or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc. in the United States and other countries. They are used in this project's name and documentation only nominatively — to identify the platform this software interoperates with — and no affiliation or endorsement is implied. All other product names and marks are the property of their respective owners.
This project is licensed under the MIT License; that license covers the source code and does not grant any rights to use the ServiceNow trademarks.