search_catalog

Search the service catalog for items matching a keyword

SERVERServiceNow MCP Server SOURCE@aartiq/servicenow-mcp

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity verified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/servicenow-mcp-server/search-catalog.md

WHAT IT DOES

What search_catalog does on ServiceNow MCP Server

AI agents call search_catalog 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.

RISK

Why search_catalog is rated Low

This tool queries the service catalog and returns matching items. It is a read-only operation with no capability to create, modify, delete, or execute actions. The blast radius is minimal—worst case, an AI agent might spam searches or learn about available catalog items, neither of which causes harm.

From the tool's definition 'Search the service catalog for items matching a keyword' — returns search results without modifying data. No side effects or state changes.

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs search_catalog safely

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: it sits between your AI agents and ServiceNow MCP Server, and checks every tool call against a rule you set before the call runs. Nothing changes on the server itself. For search_catalog, this is the rule to start with:

search_catalog Allowed

search_catalog is read-only, so it stays allowed. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "search_catalog": {}
  }
}

ALLOW ONLY THIS TOOL → Instant setup, no code required.

The button opens the PolicyLayer dashboard: create your workspace, connect ServiceNow MCP Server, apply this rule, and every search_catalog call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about search_catalog

What does the search_catalog tool do? +

Search the service catalog for items matching a keyword. It is categorised as a Read tool in the ServiceNow MCP Server MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on search_catalog? +

Register the ServiceNow MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_catalog: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches ServiceNow MCP Server. Nothing to install.

What risk level is search_catalog? +

search_catalog is a Read tool with low risk. Read-only tools are generally safe to allow by default.

Can I rate-limit search_catalog? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_catalog rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block search_catalog completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search_catalog. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides search_catalog? +

search_catalog is provided by the ServiceNow MCP Server MCP server (@aartiq/servicenow-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

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