search_tools

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-tools.md

WHAT IT DOES

What search_tools does on ServiceNow MCP Server

AI agents call search_tools 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_tools is rated Low

This is a read-only operation that retrieves and returns information from a catalog. It has no capacity to modify, delete, execute, or commit financial changes. The tool serves a discovery/search function analogous to a help system or documentation lookup, making it clearly a Read category risk with minimal security impact.

From the tool's definition Tool performs search/discovery across a tool catalog, returning "matching tool names + descriptions ranked by relevance". The description explicitly states it "discovers" tools without side effects.

Risk signalsBulk/mass operation — affects multiple targets

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

RECOMMENDED RULE

The rule that runs search_tools 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_tools, this is the rule to start with:

search_tools Allowed

search_tools 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_tools": {}
  }
}

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_tools call is checked against it from then on.

FAQ

Questions about search_tools

What does the search_tools tool do? +

Search the full NowAIKit tool catalog (400+ tools) by keyword to discover the right tool without loading every definition. Returns matching tool names + descriptions ranked by relevance. Use this FIRST when you are unsure which tool to call. Especially useful with MCP_TOOL_DISCOVERY=lean, which exposes only a small core set plus this search. 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_tools? +

Register the ServiceNow MCP Server MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for search_tools: 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_tools? +

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

Can I rate-limit search_tools? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the search_tools 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_tools completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for search_tools. 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_tools? +

search_tools 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.

KEEP EXPLORING

More on ServiceNow MCP Server, and thousands of servers like it.

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Across the catalogue

search_torrents on M-Team MCP Server →aiva_search_customers on AIVA MCP Server →search_channel on YouTube MCP Server →search_circuits on 0gzk → The MCP Attack Database →

Guides

Roll out MCP under one policy →Data exfiltration →MCP token cost →