Connect Claude Desktop to the Service Mapping MCP Server

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated May 20, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read

    • Add the Service Mapping MCP Server as a custom connector in Claude Desktop so you can query application service data from your ServiceNow® instance in natural language.

    Before you begin

    Before connecting Claude Desktop to the Service Mapping MCP Server, confirm the following requirements are met.

    • Claude Desktop is installed on your computer.
    • You have a Claude account with permission to add custom MCP connectors. If your organization manages Claude through an Enterprise or Team plan, verify that custom connectors are enabled in your organization's settings.
    • The Service Mapping MCP Server is active, and you have the following details:
      • MCP Server URL
      • OAuth Client ID
      • OAuth Client Secret
      For more information, see: Activate the Now Assist CMDB MCP Server for Service Mapping tools
    • Verify that you have the required role configuration. For more information, see Configure roles for the Service Mapping MCP tools.

      Role required: service_mapping_user assigned with the sn_sm_gen_ai.sm_mcp_user role

      Figure 1. The role containment chain
      service_mapping_user contains sn_sm_gen_ai.sm_mcp_user, which contains sn_mcp_server.viewer. The sn_sm_gen_ai.sm_mcp_admin role separately contains sn_sm_gen_ai.sm_mcp_user.

    About this task

    Claude Desktop supports custom MCP connectors that let Claude query external data sources on your behalf. After you add the Service Mapping MCP Server as a connector and authorize it with your ServiceNow credentials, Claude can call the Service Mapping MCP tools whenever you ask a question about application services in a chat.

    For detailed information, see Service Mapping MCP tools

    Procedure

    1. Open Claude Desktop on your computer.
    2. Open Settings.
    3. Select the Connections tab.
    4. Select Add custom connector.
    5. Fill in the connection details on the form.
      1. In the Name field, enter a name for the connector, for example ServiceNow Service Mapping.
      2. In the Remote MCP server URL field, enter the MCP Server URL.
      3. Select Advanced settings.
      4. In the OAuth Client ID field, enter the Client ID.
      5. In the OAuth Client Secret field, enter the Client Secret.
    6. Select Add.
    7. Complete the authorization in the browser.
      1. If prompted, enter your ServiceNow® user name and password and select Log In.
      2. Review the requested permission scope and select Allow.
      The browser displays: Claude connected successfully. Close the browser window and return to Claude Desktop.
    8. Verify the connection.
      1. Open a new chat in Claude Desktop.
      2. Enter a test prompt, for example: Use the get_all_application_service_names tool to list all application services.
        For more information about the prompts, see Service Mapping MCP tools reference.
        Claude returns a list of application service names from your ServiceNow® instance.

    Result

    Claude Desktop is connected to the Service Mapping MCP Server. In any new chat, you can ask questions about your application services in natural language and Claude will query your ServiceNow® instance using the available tools.

    What to do next

    For the full list of available tools, input parameters, example queries, and usage guidelines, see Service Mapping MCP tools reference.