--- sourceDocument: Australia Employee Service Management sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/employee-service-management Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia Employee Service Management ft:clusterId : - emplsm bundleId : - emplsm workflow : - Employee --- # MCP Server Tools # MCP Server Tools {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated September 10, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of MCP Server Tools The MCP Server Tools provide a suite of functionalities within the HR Service Delivery (HRSD) MCP Server, designed to streamline and automate HR case management and knowledge retrieval processes. These tools enable ServiceNow customers to efficiently handle HR cases, service eligibility, knowledge searches, and case updates programmatically. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Case Initiation:** Automatically open HR cases for employees, including collecting necessary information when services involve record producers. * **Service Lookup:** Retrieve a list of HR services an employee can request, along with service descriptions and associated Centers of Excellence (COEs). * **Case Lookup:** Search and report the status of HR cases by case number, description, or display all cases for an employee, including SLA and last activity details. * **Case Commenting:** Add comments visible to employees or work notes visible only to HR agents on existing cases. * **Case Advancement:** Progress a case from "Work in progress" toward resolution or closure; prevents advancement from inappropriate states such as Draft or Closed. * **Knowledge Search:** Find and return official HR policy text articles related to employee questions. This tool focuses on policy text and does not calculate balances or amounts. * **Eligibility Check:** Provide binary (yes/no) answers to employee eligibility inquiries. ## System Properties These properties configure tool behavior and search capabilities: * **Knowledge Search Profile:** Defines the AI Search profile used by the knowledge search tool. A valid profile is required for operation; otherwise, the search function is disabled with a clear error message. * **Applicability Map:** Specifies which knowledge article fields represent applicability dimensions (e.g., region) via JSON mapping. This enhances search result filtering by enabling dimension-scoped narrowing beyond the standard knowledge hierarchy. * **Authority Tiers:** Maps knowledge bases to authority levels (1--4) to rank and filter search results by source authoritativeness, distinguishing between official policies, process documents, FAQs, and informal content. ## Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers * Automate HR case lifecycle management with precise control over case creation, updates, and progression. * Enable employees and agents to quickly access relevant HR services and case statuses, improving HR responsiveness. * Enhance HR knowledge delivery by tailoring search results through configurable profiles, applicability filters, and authority rankings. * Ensure clear and actionable error feedback when system properties are misconfigured, aiding administrators in maintenance and troubleshooting. Reference for the tools available in the HRSD MCP Server. {#mcp-server-tools-reference__table_tqj_j3z_ckc__entry__2} | Tool name | Description | |-|-| | sn_hr_mcp_server.hrsd_case_initiate | Opens an HR case for an employee and returns the case number and state. For services backed by a record producer, it collects the required answers before creating a case. | | sn_hr_mcp_server.hrsd_service_lookup | Browses the HR services a given employee is eligible to request and returns for each service: name, description, and Center of Excellence (COE). | | sn_hr_mcp_server.hrsd_case_lookup | Finds and reports on the status of HR cases, including service-level agreement (SLA) and last activity. Users can look up cases by number, short description, or see a list of their cases. | | sn_hr_mcp_server.hrsd_case_comment_add | Adds a comment or work note to an existing HR case. Comments are visible to employees; work notes are only visible to agents. | | sn_hr_mcp_server.hrsd_case_advance | Progresses an existing HR case toward resolution or closure. Cases can only be advanced from the Work in progress state. The terminal returns a blocked transaction message if an HR agent attempts to advance a case that is in the following states: Draft, Awaiting Approval, Awaiting User Acceptance, Suspended, or Closed. | | sn_hr_mcp_server.hrsd_knowledge_search | Finds and cites the official knowledge article that answers an HR policy question. This tool returns only the policy text; it does not compute balances or amounts. | | sn_hr_mcp_server.hrsd_eligibility_check | Returns a yes or no answer to eligibility questions. | [Table 1. HRSD tools] {#mcp-server-tools-reference__table_tqj_j3z_ckc} {#mcp-server-tools-reference__entry__18} | | | |-|-| | sn_hr_mcp_server.knowledge.search_profile | Specify the AI Search profile (`ais_search_profile.name`) that `hrsd_knowledge_search` queries use. Default: the profile used by Employee Center HR portal search (`sn_hr_sp_esc_search_result_configuration`) Behavior: * With valid profile: Queries use the specified profile configuration * Unset or invalid: Search is unavailable; an error names this property and describes the issue {#mcp-server-tools-reference__ul_qgh_lwz_ckc} Note: There is no fallback engine. The tool requires an explicit, valid profile to operate. | | sn_hr_mcp_server.knowledge.applicability_map | Declare which article fields encode applicability dimensions using a JSON mapping. This enables the tool to perform dimension-scoped result narrowing and generate facets beyond the knowledge structure hierarchy. Behavior: * With mapping: Result narrowing and faceting use both knowledge structure (bases, categories, taxonomy) and the specified applicability fields * Without mapping (default): Narrowing and faceting use knowledge structure only Note: Invalid or non-existent field references will produce an error that names this property and the offending field. Example: { "region": { "field": "u_region" } } | | sn_hr_mcp_server.knowledge.authority_tiers | Map knowledge bases to authority tiers (1--4) to rank sources by authoritativeness and enable authority-based filtering. 1. Official policy 2. Process documentation 3. FAQ 4. Informal (community, tips, etc.) Behavior: * With mapping: Results rank by tier; users can filter by authority level. * Without mapping (default): Tier-neutral ranking; authority filtering is unavailable. {#mcp-server-tools-reference__ul_d5c_bwz_ckc} Note: Invalid or non-existent field references will produce an error that names this property and the offending field. Example: { "HR Policies": 1, "Onboarding Process": 2, "Common Questions": 3, "Team Tips": 4 } | [Table 2. System properties]