What Changed
Microsoft has updated the ServiceNow Knowledge and Catalog connectors so that access is governed by role-based permissions. Previously, connector configuration was effectively open to anyone who could reach it; now the platform checks the role assigned to the person attempting the action before granting access.
How Role-Based Access Works
Access is determined by the role a user holds in ServiceNow. Roles such as administrator, knowledge manager, and knowledge admin map to different levels of capability over the connector, so permissions can be scoped to what each person actually needs rather than granted wholesale.
- Administrator: broadest level of control over connector configuration
- Knowledge manager: access aligned to managing knowledge content
- Knowledge admin: administrative access scoped to knowledge resources
Why It Matters for Admins
Enforcing roles at the connector level reduces the risk of accidental or unauthorised configuration changes and supports least-privilege practices. It also makes ownership clearer: if only certain roles can modify a connector, troubleshooting and change tracking become simpler.
What to Do Next
Review who currently works with your ServiceNow Knowledge and Catalog connectors and confirm those people hold an appropriate role. Where individuals have broader rights than their tasks require, tighten the assignment. If a colleague reports losing access after this change, the likely cause is a missing role rather than a connector fault.
Source: Microsoft Learn. Summarised independently — check the source for the latest detail.