AI Tools (MCP) - Serval Documentation

You can connect AI assistants like Claude directly to Serval. Once connected, you can create tickets, check request status, look up people, and more — all through natural conversation with your AI assistant.

Your admin may need to enable MCP access for your organization. If you don’t see a way to connect, ask your IT admin.

How It Works

Configure your AI tool with Serval’s server URL (one-time setup)
Approve access through your browser when the tool first connects
Ask naturally — your AI assistant calls Serval on your behalf

Setup

Claude (claude.ai)
Claude Desktop
Other AI Tools

Your organization admin may have already added Serval as a connector. Check Settings > Connectors to see if it’s available.If you need to add it yourself:

Go to Settings > Connectors
Click Add custom connector
Enter a name (e.g., “Serval”) and the server URL:

https://public.api.serval.com/mcp/

Your browser will open to approve access to your Serval account
After approval, Serval tools are available in your conversations

Custom connectors require a Pro, Team, or Enterprise plan.

Add the following to your Claude Desktop config file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "serval": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://public.api.serval.com/mcp/"]
    }
  }
}

Restart Claude Desktop. On first use, your browser will open to approve access.

Node.js v18+ is required. Install it with brew install node (macOS) or winget install OpenJS.NodeJS (Windows) if you don’t have it.

Any AI tool that supports MCP can connect to Serval. Set the server URL to:

https://public.api.serval.com/mcp/

Your client will discover authentication endpoints automatically and open your browser to approve access.

Approving Access

The first time your AI tool connects, your browser will open an approval page. Click Approve to grant access. Your AI tool can only do what you can do in Serval — it uses your account and permissions. You won’t need to re-approve unless you revoke access or your token expires.

What You Can Ask

Once connected, just talk to your AI assistant naturally. For example:

“Create a ticket — I can’t connect to VPN”
“What’s the status of my laptop request?”
“Show my pending access requests”
“Update my ticket to say I’ve restarted the router”

Your AI assistant uses your account and permissions, so it can only access your own tickets, requests, and data. The available actions depend on what your organization has configured.

FAQ

Do I need to be an admin to use this?

No. Any Serval user can connect their AI tools. You’ll use your own account and permissions.

Does this cost extra?

The Serval MCP server is included with your Serval plan. You’ll need your own AI tool subscription (e.g., Claude Pro).

Can my AI tool see other people's tickets?

No. Your AI tool has the same access you do. It cannot see tickets or data that you wouldn’t normally have access to.

How do I disconnect?

Remove the Serval configuration from your AI tool’s settings. This immediately stops the connection.

What is MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect to external services like Serval.

Troubleshooting

Claude Desktop: 'Failed to spawn process: No such file or directory'

Node.js is not installed or not visible to Claude Desktop. Install it globally (brew install node on macOS), then restart Claude Desktop.

Claude Desktop: 'Server disconnected' immediately after starting

Check MCP logs on macOS:

tail -n 50 ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp-server-serval.log

Common causes: expired token or network issue reaching public.api.serval.com.

MCP Server Reference

Technical details and full tool list

End User Guide

Other ways to get help through Serval

​How It Works

​Setup

​Approving Access

​What You Can Ask

​FAQ

​Troubleshooting

​Related

MCP Server Reference

End User Guide

How It Works

Setup

Approving Access

What You Can Ask

FAQ

Troubleshooting

Related