MCP Tools

This document provides an overview of the MCP (Machine-to-Machine Communication Protocol) interface for the Task Master application. The MCP interface is defined in the mcp-server/ directory and exposes the application's core functionalities as a set of tools that can be called remotely.

Configurable Tool Loading

To optimize LLM context usage, you can control which Task Master MCP tools are loaded using the TASK_MASTER_TOOLS environment variable. This is particularly useful when working with LLMs that have context limits or when you only need a subset of tools.

Configuration Modes

Core Tools (Default, Lean Mode)

Loads only 7 essential tools for daily development. Ideal for minimal context usage.

Core tools included:

• get_tasks — List all tasks
• next_task — Find the next task to work on
• get_task — Get detailed task information
• set_task_status — Update task status
• update_subtask — Add implementation notes
• parse_prd — Generate tasks from PRD
• expand_task — Break down tasks into subtasks

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "task-master-ai": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "task-master-ai"],
      "env": {
        "TASK_MASTER_TOOLS": "core",
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

You can also use "lean" as an alias for "core". If TASK_MASTER_TOOLS is not set, core tools are loaded by default.

Standard Tools

Loads 15 commonly used tools. Balances functionality with context efficiency.

Standard tools include all core tools plus:

• initialize_project — Set up new projects
• analyze_project_complexity — Analyze task complexity
• expand_all — Expand all eligible tasks
• add_subtask — Add subtasks manually
• remove_task — Remove tasks
• generate — Generate task markdown files
• add_task — Create new tasks
• complexity_report — View complexity analysis

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "task-master-ai": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "task-master-ai"],
      "env": {
        "TASK_MASTER_TOOLS": "standard",
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

All Tools

Loads all 36 available tools. Use when you need full Task Master functionality.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "task-master-ai": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "task-master-ai"],
      "env": {
        "TASK_MASTER_TOOLS": "all",
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Tool Selection

Specify exactly which tools to load using a comma-separated list. Tool names are case-insensitive and support both underscores and hyphens.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "task-master-ai": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "task-master-ai"],
      "env": {
        "TASK_MASTER_TOOLS": "get_tasks,next_task,set_task_status,update_subtask",
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Choosing the Right Configuration

• Use core/lean: Default setting, ideal for basic task management workflows or when context limits are strict
• Use standard: For most development workflows that include task creation and analysis
• Use all: When you need full functionality including tag management, dependencies, and advanced features
• Use custom list: When you have specific tool requirements or want to experiment with minimal sets

Verification

When the MCP server starts, it logs which tools were loaded:

Task Master MCP Server starting...
Tool mode configuration: standard
Loading standard tools
Registering 15 MCP tools (mode: standard)
Successfully registered 15/15 tools

Core Concepts

The MCP interface is built on top of the fastmcp library and registers a set of tools that correspond to the core functionalities of the Taskmaster application. These tools are defined in the mcp-server/src/tools/ directory and are registered with the MCP server in mcp-server/src/tools/index.js.

Each tool is defined with a name, a description, and a set of parameters that are validated using the zod library. The execute function of each tool calls the corresponding core logic function from scripts/modules/task-manager.js.

Tool Categories

The MCP tools can be categorized in the same way as the core functionalities:

1. Task and Subtask Management

• add_task: Creates a new task.
• add_subtask: Adds a subtask to a parent task.
• remove_task: Removes one or more tasks or subtasks.
• remove_subtask: Removes a subtask from its parent.
• update_task: Updates a single task.
• update_subtask: Appends information to a subtask.
• update: Updates multiple tasks.
• move_task: Moves a task or subtask.
• clear_subtasks: Clears all subtasks from one or more tasks.

2. Task Information and Status

• get_tasks: Lists all tasks.
• get_task: Shows the details of a specific task.
• next_task: Shows the next task to work on.
• set_task_status: Sets the status of a task or subtask.

3. Task Analysis and Expansion

• parse_prd: Parses a PRD to generate tasks.
• expand_task: Expands a task into subtasks.
• expand_all: Expands all eligible tasks.
• analyze_project_complexity: Analyzes task complexity.
• complexity_report: Displays the complexity analysis report.

4. Dependency Management

• add_dependency: Adds a dependency to a task.
• remove_dependency: Removes a dependency from a task.
• validate_dependencies: Validates the dependencies of all tasks.
• fix_dependencies: Fixes any invalid dependencies.

5. Project and Configuration

• initialize_project: Initializes a new project.
• generate: Generates individual task files.
• models: Manages AI model configurations.
• research: Performs AI-powered research.

6. Tag Management

• add_tag: Creates a new tag.
• delete_tag: Deletes a tag.
• list_tags: Lists all tags.
• use_tag: Switches to a different tag.
• rename_tag: Renames a tag.
• copy_tag: Copies a tag.