MCP Server for ServiceNow

Build 25.0.9440

Establishing a Connection

The CData MCP Server for ServiceNow defines each connection to ServiceNow as a named configuration that Claude can use when sending natural language queries.

You create and manage these configurations using the MCP Configuration Tool. The tool automatically handles formatting, storage, and registration with Claude Desktop.

Understanding Connection Configurations

Each connection configuration is stored in a .mcp file. This file includes the details needed to initialize the connector when Claude starts a session.

  • On Windows, configuration files are stored in "~/AppData/Roaming/CData/ServiceNow Data Provider/".
  • On macOS, configuration files are stored in "~/Library/Application Support/CData/ServiceNow Data Provider/".

The .mcp file is a text file that contains a list of connection properties and a timestamp. For example: 

#Tue May 20 15:48:40 EDT 2025
AuthScheme=Basic
User=myUser
Password=myPassword
Security Token=myToken

The configuration tool handles these settings automatically. Each saved configuration enables Claude to launch a dedicated MCP Server instance with the correct connector and options. Manual file editing is not required.

Connecting to ServiceNow

Prerequisite: All connections require the URL property. (ServiceNow instance URL).

For an authenticating user to connect to ServiceNow they need at least Read permissions to access listing metadata such as:

  • sys_db_object (required for all data)
  • sys_dictionary (required to retrieve ServiceNow schema information)
  • sys_glide_object (required for certain ServiceNow table metadata)

Use a least-privilege pattern: create a dedicated read-only role (for example, x_connector_metadata_reader) and require it on the ACLs below.

To create these ACLs, an admin must temporarily elevate their own session:

  1. In the user menu, click Elevate role.
  2. Check security_admin and click Update.

READ sys_db_object

Requires row-level and field-level permissions. To enable access to sys_db_object:

  1. Navigate to System Security > Access Controls (ACL).
  2. To create a new access control (ACL) object, select New.
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Table [sys_db_object] in the first drop-down and --None-- in the second drop-down. (Table-level read)
    • In the Requires role section, double-click the Insert a new row... text box. Search for and select your custom role (for example, x_connector_metadata_reader).
  3. Click Submit to create the ACL object.
  4. Create a second ACL for field-level read on all fields of sys_db_object:
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Table [sys_db_object] in the first drop-down and * in the second drop-down (that is, sys_db_object.*).
    • In the Requires role section, add the same custom role.

READ sys_dictionary

Requires row-level and field-level permissions. To enable access to sys_dictionary:

  1. Navigate to System Security > Access Controls (ACL).
  2. To create a new access control (ACL) object, select New.
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Table [sys_dictionary] in the first drop-down and --None-- in the second drop-down. (Table-level read)
    • In the Requires role section, double-click the Insert a new row... text box. Search for and select your custom role (for example, x_connector_metadata_reader).
  3. Click Submit to create the ACL object.
  4. Create a second ACL for field-level read on all fields of sys_dictionary:
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Table [sys_dictionary] in the first drop-down and * in the second drop-down (that is, sys_dictionary.*).
    • In the Requires role section, add the same custom role.

READ sys_glide_object

Requires row-level and field-level permissions. To enable access to sys_glide_object:

  1. Navigate to System Security > Access Controls (ACL).
  2. To create a new access control (ACL) object, select New.
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Field class [sys_glide_object] in the first drop-down and --None-- in the second drop-down. (Table-level read)
    • In the Requires role section, double-click the Insert a new row... text box. Search for and select your custom role (for example, x_connector_metadata_reader).
  3. Click Submit to create the ACL object.
  4. Create a second ACL for field-level read on all fields of sys_glide_object:
    • For Type, select record.
    • For Operation, select read.
    • For Name, select Field class [sys_glide_object] in the first drop-down and * in the second drop-down (that is, sys_glide_object.*).
    • In the Requires role section, add the same custom role.

Notes:

  • If your configuration enables database views (for example, using an IncludeDatabaseViews property), create the same pair of read ACLs for sys_db_view, sys_db_view_table, and sys_db_view_table_field.
  • If you surface descriptions or display column names (for example, using ShowDescriptions or UseDisplayColumnNames), create the same pair of read ACLs for sys_documentation.
  • The API and the UI enforce the same security. Users must pass both table-level and field-level ACLs on each target business table to read or write records. If either ACL fails, access is denied.
  • Inherited tables: many application tables extend a parent (for example, incident extends task). Inherited fields are governed by the parent’s ACLs. Ensure the user’s roles satisfy ACLs on the child and any parents.
  • Business tables (e.g., incident) require their own roles/ACLs; metadata ACLs alone do not grant business data access.

Final step (perform once after creating all ACLs above):

  1. Navigate to User Administration > Users > Select authenticating user > Roles > Edit....
  2. Add the custom role you required on the ACLs (for example, x_connector_metadata_reader) to the authenticating user.

Authenticating to ServiceNow

ServiceNow supports Basic authentication, authentication via the OAuth standard, authentication via the PASSWORD grant type, and authentication via an SSO provider.

Basic

To use Basic authentication, you must provide your ServiceNow User and Password.

After setting the following connection properties, you are ready to connect:

  1. AuthScheme: BASIC.
  2. User: The BASIC user.
  3. Password: The BASIC user's password.
  4. URL: The base URL of the ServiceNow instance site. For example: https://MyInstance12345.service-now.com/.
  5. InitiateOAuth: OFF, to avoid entering the OAuth Authorization process.

OAuth

ServiceNow supports OAuth authentication for all situations where the user is not logging in via SSO and not using Basic authentication. To enable this authentication from all OAuth flows, you must set AuthScheme to OAuth, and you must create a custom OAuth application. In addition to these OAuth values, you must also specify the URL, User, and Password.

The following subsections describe how to authenticate to ServiceNow from three common authentication flows. For information about how to create a custom OAuth application, see Creating a Custom OAuth Application.

For a complete list of connection string properties available in ServiceNow, see Connection.

Desktop Applications

To authenticate with the credentials for a custom OAuth application, you must get and refresh the OAuth access token. After you do that, you are ready to connect.

Get and refresh the OAuth access token:

When you connect, the server opens ServiceNow's OAuth endpoint in your default browser. Log in and grant permissions to the application.

After you grant permissions to the application, the server then completes the OAuth process:

  1. The server obtains an access token from ServiceNow and uses it to request data.
  2. The OAuth values are saved in the path specified in OAuthSettingsLocation. These values persist across connections.

When the access token expires, the server refreshes it automatically.

Web Applications

Authenticating via the Web requires you to create and register a custom OAuth application with ServiceNow, as described in Creating a Custom OAuth Application. You can then use the server to get and manage the OAuth token values.

This section describes how to get the OAuth access token, how to have the driver refresh the OAuth access token automatically, and how to refresh the OAuth access token manually.

Get the OAuth access token:

  1. Set the following connection properties to obtain the OAuthAccessToken:

  2. Call stored procedures to complete the OAuth exchange:
    • Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. Set the AuthMode input to WEB and the CallbackURL to the Redirect URI you specified in your application settings. The stored procedure returns the URL to the OAuth endpoint.
    • Navigate to the URL that the stored procedure returned in Step 1. Log in and authorize the web application. You are redirected back to the callback URL.
    • Call the GetOAuthAccessToken stored procedure. Set the AuthMode input to WEB. Set the Verifier input to the code parameter in the query string of the redirect URI.

After you obtain the access and refresh tokens, you can connect to data and refresh the OAuth access token automatically.

Automatic refresh of the OAuth access token:

To have the server automatically refresh the OAuth access token, do the following:

  1. Before connecting to data for the first time, set the following connection parameters:
  2. On subsequent data connections, set the following:

Manual refresh of the OAuth access token:

The only value needed to manually refresh the OAuth access token is the OAuth refresh token.

  1. To manually refresh the OAuthAccessToken after the ExpiresIn period (returned by GetOAuthAccessToken) has elapsed, call the RefreshOAuthAccessToken stored procedure.
  2. Set the following connection properties:

  3. Call RefreshOAuthAccessToken with OAuthRefreshToken set to the OAuth refresh token returned by GetOAuthAccessToken.
  4. After the new tokens have been retrieved, set the OAuthAccessToken property to the value returned by RefreshOAuthAccessToken. This opens a new connection.

Store the OAuth refresh token so that you can use it to manually refresh the OAuth access token after it has expired.

Headless Machines

If you need to log in to a resource that resides on a headless machine, you must authenticate on another device that has an internet browser. You can do this in either of the following ways:

  • Option 1: Obtain the OAuthVerifier value.
  • Option 2: Install the server on a machine with an internet browser and transfer the OAuth authentication values after you authenticate through the usual browser-based flow.

After you execute either Option 1 or Option 2, configure the driver to automatically refresh the access token on the headless machine.

Option 1: Obtaining and Exchanging a Verifier Code

To obtain a verifier code, you must authenticate at the OAuth authorization URL. Do the following:

  1. Authenticate from the machine with an internet browser, and obtain the OAuthVerifier connection property.

    Set the following properties:

  2. Call the GetOAuthAuthorizationURL stored procedure. The stored procedure returns the CallbackURL established when the custom OAuth application was registered. (See Creating a Custom OAuth Application.)

    Copy this URL and paste it into a new browser tab.

  3. Log in and grant permissions to the server. The OAuth application redirects you the redirect URI, with a parameter called code appended. Note the value of this parameter; you will need it later, to configure the OAuthVerifier connection property.

  4. Exchange the OAuth verifier code for OAuth refresh and access tokens. On the headless machine, set the following connection properties to obtain the OAuth authentication values:

  5. Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file.

  6. After you re-set the following properties, you are ready to connect:

    • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH.
    • OAuthSettingsLocation: The file containing the encrypted OAuth authentication values. To enable the automatic refreshing of the access token, be sure that this file gives read and write permissions to the server.
    • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your application.
    • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your application.

Option 2: Transferring OAuth Settings

Prior to connecting on a headless machine, you must install and create a connection with the driver on a device that supports an internet browser. Set the connection properties as described above in "Desktop Applications".

After completing the instructions in "Desktop Applications", the resulting authentication values are encrypted and written to the path specified by OAuthSettingsLocation. The default filename is OAuthSettings.txt.

Test the connection to generate the OAuth settings file, then copy the OAuth settings file to your headless machine.

To connect to data via the headless machine, set the following connection properties:

  • InitiateOAuth: REFRESH
  • OAuthSettingsLocation: The path to the OAuth settings file you copied from the machine with the browser. To enable automatic refreshing of the access token, ensure that this file gives read and write permissions to the server.
  • OAuthClientId: The client Id assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The client secret assigned when you registered your custom OAuth application.

PASSWORD Grant Type

When there is a trust relationship between the user and the application, the user can authenticate from the Desktop of Web via the PASSWORD grant type.

To authenticate via the PASSWORD grant type, set these properties:

When you connect, the server completes the OAuth process:

  1. Extracts the access token from the CallbackURL.
  2. Obtains a new access token when the old one expires.
  3. Saves OAuth values along with geolocation in OAuthSettingsLocation, which persists across connections.

Single Sign-On Identity Providers

ServiceNow supports single sign-on (SSO) authentication through ADFS, Okta, OneLogin, and PingFederate.

ADFS

To connect to ADFS, set the AuthScheme to ADFS, and set these properties:

To authenticate to ADFS, set these SSOProperties:

  • RelyingParty: The value of the ADFS server's Relying Party Identifier.

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=ADFS;User=username;Password=password;SSOLoginURL='https://sts.company.com';SSOProperties='RelyingParty=https://saml.service-now.com';Url=https://MyInstance12345.service-now.com/;

Okta

To connect to Okta, set the AuthScheme to Okta, and set these properties:

If you are using a trusted application or proxy that overrides the Okta client request OR configuring MFA, you must use combinations of SSOProperties to authenticate using Okta. Set any of the following, as applicable:

  • APIToken: When authenticating a user via a trusted application or proxy that overrides the Okta client request context, set this to the API Token the customer created from the Okta organization.
  • MFAType: If you have configured the MFA flow, set this to one of the following supported types: OktaVerify, Email, or SMS.
  • MFAPassCode: If you have configured the MFA flow, set this to a valid passcode.
    If you set this to empty or an invalid value, the server issues a one-time password challenge to your device or email. After the passcode is received, reopen the connection where the retrieved one-time password value is set to the MFAPassCode connection property.
  • MFARememberDevice: True by default. Okta supports remembering devices when MFA is required. If remembering devices is allowed according to the configured authentication policies, the server sends a device token to extend MFA authentication lifetime. If you do not want MFA to be remembered, set this variable to False.

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=Okta;SSOLoginURL='https://example.okta.com/home/appType/0bg4ivz6cJRZgCz5d6/46';User=oktaUserName;Password=oktaPassword;Url=https://MyInstance12345.service-now.com/;

OneLogin

To connect to OneLogin, set the AuthScheme to OneLogin, and set these properties:

  • User: The OneLogin user.
  • Password: The OneLogin user's password.

To authenticate to OneLogin, set these SSOProperties:

  • OAuthClientId: The OAuthClientId, which can be obtained by selecting Developers > API Credentials > Credential > ClientId.
  • OAuthClientSecret: The OAuthClientSecret, which can be obtained by selecting Developers > API Credentials > Credential > ClientSecret.
  • Subdomain: The subdomain of the OneLogin user accessing the SSO application. For example, if your OneLogin URL is splinkly.onelogin.com, splinkly is the subdomain value.
  • AppId: The Id of the SSO application.
  • Region (optional): The region your OneLogin account resides in. Legal values are US (default) or EU.

The following example connection string uses an API key to connect to OneLogin: 

AuthScheme=OneLogin;User=OneLoginUserName;Password=OneLoginPassword;SSOProperties='OAuthClientID=3fc8394584f153ce3b7924d9cd4f686443a52b;OAuthClientSecret=ca9257fd5cc3277abb5818cea28c06fe9b3b285d73d06;Subdomain=OneLoginSubDomain;AppId=1433920';Url=https://MyInstance12345.service-now.com/;

PingFederate

To connect to PingFederate, set AuthScheme to PingFederate, and set these properties:

  • User: The PingFederate user.
  • Password: The PingFederate user's password.
  • SSOLoginURL: The SSO provider's login url.
  • AWSRoleARN (optional): If you have multiple role ARNs, specify the one you want to use for authorization.
  • AWSPrincipalARN (optional): If you have multiple principal ARNs, specify the one you want to use for authorization.
  • SSOProperties (optional): Authscheme=Basic if you want to include your username and password as an authorization header in requests to Amazon S3.

To enable mutual SSL authentication for SSOLoginURL, the WS-Trust STS endpoint, configure these SSOProperties:

Example connection string: 

AuthScheme=PingFederate;URL='https://dev103586.service-now.com';SSOLoginUrl='https://mycustomserver.com:9033/idp/sts.wst';User=admin;Password=PassValue123;

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Build 25.0.9440