---
sourceDocument: Australia Employee Service Management
sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/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 reference

# MCP Server Tools reference {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated August 3, 2026  
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## Summary of MCP Server Tools reference

The MCP Server Tools in the HR Service Delivery (HRSD) module provide a set of server-side utilities to manage HR cases, search knowledge articles, verify eligibility, and handle service lookups.
These tools enable efficient HR case lifecycle management and knowledge retrieval, supporting HR agents and employees with streamlined access to relevant services and information.
Show full answer Show less  

## Key Features

* **Case Management Tools:**
  * `hrsdcaseinitiate`: Opens a new HR case and returns case details.
  * `hrsdcaselookup`: Retrieves status and SLA information for HR cases by various identifiers.
  * `hrsdcasecommentadd`: Adds comments or work notes to existing cases with visibility controls.
  * `hrsdcaseadvance`: Moves cases forward in their lifecycle but enforces state restrictions to prevent invalid progressions.
* **Service and Eligibility Tools:**
  * `hrsdservicelookup`: Lists HR services available to an employee with descriptions and assigned Centers of Excellence.
  * `hrsdeligibilitycheck`: Provides yes/no answers to eligibility queries.
* **Knowledge Search Tool:**
  * `hrsdknowledgesearch`: Retrieves official HR policy text from knowledge articles relevant to a query; it does not compute numeric balances.

## System Properties

Several system properties configure the behavior of these tools, particularly the knowledge search function:

* **Search Profile Configuration:** The `knowledge.searchprofile` property specifies the AI search profile used by `hrsdknowledgesearch`. A valid profile is mandatory for search functionality; otherwise, an error occurs with no fallback option.
* **Applicability Mapping:** The `knowledge.applicabilitymap` property defines which article fields represent applicability dimensions using JSON. This enhances search result narrowing and faceting beyond the default knowledge structure.
* **Authority Tier Mapping:** The `knowledge.authoritytiers` property assigns knowledge bases to authority tiers (1--4) to prioritize results by source authoritativeness and enable filtering by authority level. Without this mapping, ranking is tier-neutral and filtering by authority is unavailable.

## Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

By leveraging these MCP Server Tools, HR agents and system administrators can automate and streamline HR case handling, improve self-service by employees through accurate service eligibility and knowledge searches, and maintain control over case progressions to ensure process compliance. The configurable system properties allow tailoring the knowledge search experience to organizational standards and improve the relevance and authority of search results.  
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. |
| 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]