# list_instances

List all configured ServiceNow instances (multi-instance / multi-customer support)

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `list_instances`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/list-instances

## Facts

- Tool: `list_instances`
- Server: ServiceNow MCP Server (`@aartiq/servicenow-mcp`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server.md
- Install: `npx -y @aartiq/servicenow-mcp`
- Homepage: https://github.com/aartiq/servicenow-mcp
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity verified
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 0
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "list_instances",
    "arguments": {}
  }
}
```

## Why list_instances is rated Low

This tool retrieves metadata about configured ServiceNow instances without creating, modifying, or deleting data. It has no side effects and poses minimal security risk unless instance details themselves contain sensitive information, but the listing itself is a basic enumeration operation typical of Read category tools.

From the tool's own definition: "Tool name is 'list_instances' and description states it 'List all configured ServiceNow instances'. The verb 'list' and the action of retrieving configuration information with no modification capability indicate this is a read-only operation."

## Use case

AI agents call list_instances to retrieve information from ServiceNow MCP Server without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches ServiceNow MCP Server:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_instances": {}
  }
}
```

## Other tools on ServiceNow MCP Server (364)

- `delete_attachment` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/delete-attachment.md
- `delete_system_property` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/delete-system-property.md
- `delete_uib_page` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/delete-uib-page.md
- `remove_user_from_group` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/remove-user-from-group.md
- `rollback_deployment` — Destructive — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/rollback-deployment.md
- `commit_changeset` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/commit-changeset.md
- `create_business_rule` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/create-business-rule.md
- `create_flow_action` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/create-flow-action.md
- `create_scheduled_job` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/create-scheduled-job.md
- `create_script_include` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/create-script-include.md
- `create_ui_action` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/create-ui-action.md
- `execute_background_script` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/execute-background-script.md
- `fire_event` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/fire-event.md
- `ml_detect_anomalies` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/ml-detect-anomalies.md
- `ml_train_anomaly_detector` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/ml-train-anomaly-detector.md
- `ml_train_change_risk` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/ml-train-change-risk.md
- `ml_train_incident_classifier` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/ml-train-incident-classifier.md
- `publish_changeset` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/publish-changeset.md
- `run_aggregate_query` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/run-aggregate-query.md
- `run_atf_suite` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/run-atf-suite.md
- `run_atf_test` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/run-atf-test.md
- `run_discovery_scan` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/run-discovery-scan.md
- `run_security_playbook` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/run-security-playbook.md
- `run_transform_map` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/run-transform-map.md
- `scan_vulnerabilities` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/scan-vulnerabilities.md
- `switch_update_set` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/switch-update-set.md
- `test_flow` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/test-flow.md
- `trigger_agentic_playbook` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/trigger-agentic-playbook.md
- `trigger_flow` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/trigger-flow.md
- `trigger_scheduled_job` — Execute — https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server/trigger-scheduled-job.md
- …and 334 more: https://policylayer.com/tools/servicenow-mcp-server.md

## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

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Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=servicenow-mcp-server · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/servicenow-mcp-server