Low Risk

list_workflows

Lists workflow definitions, with options to filter by name or associated table.

How to control list_workflows ↓

What list_workflows does on Snow

AI agents call list_workflows to retrieve information from Snow without modifying anything — typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

Low Risk

Why list_workflows needs a policy

This tool retrieves and queries workflow definition metadata from ServiceNow without creating, modifying, or deleting data. It is a simple informational lookup operation that carries minimal risk if misused by an AI agent, as it only exposes existing workflow configuration information.

From the tool's definition Tool name is 'list_workflows' and description states it 'Lists workflow definitions' with filtering options. The verb 'lists' and passive retrieval of definitions indicate read-only data access with no modification or side effects.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access list_workflows gives an agent:

How to control list_workflows

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Snow, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for list_workflows:

policy.json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "list_workflows": {}
  }
}

list_workflows is read-only, so it stays allowed — but everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

  1. Create a free account and register Snow — nothing to install.
  2. Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
  3. Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.
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Related tools and policies

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Questions about list_workflows

What does the list_workflows tool do? +

Lists workflow definitions, with options to filter by name or associated table. It is categorised as a Read tool in the Snow MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on list_workflows? +

Register the Snow MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for list_workflows: 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 Snow. Nothing to install.

What risk level is list_workflows? +

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

Can I rate-limit list_workflows? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the list_workflows 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 list_workflows completely? +

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

list_workflows is provided by the Snow MCP server (shunyaai/snow-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Snow tool call.

Start from Snow, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

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88 Snow tools catalogued and risk-classified — across an index of 43,000+ MCP servers.

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