search_catalog

Search the service catalog for items matching a keyword

SERVERServiceNow-MCP SOURCEtedorigawa001/servicenow-mcp

Low RISK CLASS

Category Read

Parameters 00 required

Recommended Allowedsee the rule below

Registry record Grade F, identity unverified Pull the record →

This record as markdown: /tools/tedorigawa001-servicenow-mcp/search-catalog.md

WHAT IT DOES

What search_catalog does on ServiceNow-MCP

AI agents call search_catalog to retrieve information from ServiceNow-MCP 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 performs a search operation that retrieves catalog items based on keyword matching. It is purely informational—it queries and returns data without side effects, modifications, or irreversible actions. The keyword-based search against a service catalog is a standard read-only retrieval pattern.

From the tool's definition Tool name 'search_catalog' and description 'Search the service catalog for items matching a keyword' indicate a query operation that retrieves information without modifying or executing external actions.

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, 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, 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 MCP Server, which means it retrieves data without modifying state.

How do I enforce a policy on search_catalog? +

Register the ServiceNow 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. 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 (tedorigawa001/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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