io.github.usekaneo/kaneo MCP Server
io.github.usekaneo/kaneo
Manage tasks, projects, and labels in Kaneo directly from Claude and other MCP clients.
What is the io.github.usekaneo/kaneo MCP server?
The Kaneo MCP server is an official Model Context Protocol integration that enables AI tools like Claude and Cursor to manage tasks, projects, and labels within Kaneo. It provides both an HTTP MCP endpoint at `/api/mcp` on every Kaneo instance and a stdio-based npm package (@kaneo/mcp) for flexible integration.
Kaneo is a lightweight, self-hosted project management platform designed to stay out of your way. The MCP server lets you interact with your Kaneo workspace—creating, updating, and organizing tasks, projects, and labels—directly through AI assistants, eliminating context-switching and keeping your workflow seamless.
How to install io.github.usekaneo/kaneo
Copy-paste configuration for popular MCP clients.
KANEO_API_URLBase URL of your Kaneo API (defaults to http://localhost:1337)
KANEO_API_KEYsecretKaneo API key for non-interactive auth; omit to use the interactive device flow
Tools & capabilities
Tools this server exposes to the agent.
Task management— Create, read, update, and manage tasks within KaneoProject management— Manage projects and organize workLabel management— Create and apply labels to organize tasks and projects
Use cases
- Create and update tasks in Kaneo while working in Claude or Cursor without switching windows
- Organize work by creating projects and applying labels through natural language conversation
- Query your task list and project status from an AI assistant to stay informed during coding sessions
- Automate task creation and updates based on AI-driven workflows and suggestions
- Manage team task assignments and project structure through conversational AI
io.github.usekaneo/kaneo MCP server FAQ
It's an official integration that lets Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients manage tasks, projects, and labels in your Kaneo instance. You can create, update, and organize work directly from AI assistants.
Install via npm with `npm install @kaneo/mcp` or run `npx -y @kaneo/mcp`. Alternatively, every Kaneo instance includes a built-in HTTP MCP endpoint at `/api/mcp`.
Kaneo is open source under the MIT license. You can self-host it for free or use their cloud offering at cloud.kaneo.app.
The README does not specify authentication requirements for the MCP server. Check the official documentation at kaneo.app/docs/core/integrations/mcp for setup details.
Yes, the Kaneo MCP server works with Cursor, Claude, and any other MCP-compatible client.
The MCP server accesses tasks, projects, and labels within your Kaneo instance, which you control since Kaneo is self-hosted and your data stays yours.
README (reference)
Source of truth, from the repository.
Why Kaneo?
After years of using bloated, overcomplicated project management platforms that distracted from actual work, we built Kaneo to be different.
The problem with most tools isn't that they lack features, it's that they have too many. Every notification, every unnecessary button, every complex workflow pulls your team away from what matters: building great products.
We believe the best tools are invisible. They should amplify your team's natural workflow, not force you to adapt to theirs. Kaneo is built on the principle that less is more: every feature exists because it solves a real problem, not because it looks impressive in a demo.
What makes it different:
- Clean interface that focuses on your work, not the tool
- Self-hosted so your data stays yours
- Actually fast because we care about performance
- Open source with a permissive MIT license
Learn more about Kaneo's features and capabilities in our documentation.
Sponsors
Kaneo is open source. If you find it useful, consider sponsoring the project to help support ongoing development.
<!-- sponsors --><a href="https://github.com/danielsada"><img src="https://github.com/danielsada.png" width="60px" alt="User avatar: Daniel Sada" /></a><a href="https://github.com/randoneering"><img src="https://github.com/randoneering.png" width="60px" alt="User avatar: (justin)randoneering" /></a><a href="https://github.com/floreabogdan"><img src="https://github.com/floreabogdan.png" width="60px" alt="User avatar: Bogdan FLOREA" /></a><a href="https://github.com/meruw"><img src="https://github.com/meruw.png" width="60px" alt="User avatar: meri" /></a><a href="https://github.com/barbanet"><img src="https://github.com/barbanet.png" width="60px" alt="User avatar: Damián Culotta" /></a><!-- sponsors -->Getting Started
One-Click Deployment with drim
For straightforward deployments, use drim - a CLI tool that handles everything for you:
curl -fsSL https://assets.kaneo.app/install.sh | sh
drim setup
That's it. Your Kaneo instance will be running with automatic HTTPS, database setup, and all services configured.
Perfect for quick deployments and production setups where you want things to just work.
Quick Start with Docker Compose
The fastest way to try Kaneo is with Docker Compose. This sets up Kaneo and PostgreSQL with a single Kaneo container:
services:
postgres:
image: postgres:16-alpine
env_file:
- .env
ports:
- "5432:5432"
volumes:
- postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
restart: unless-stopped
healthcheck:
test: ["CMD-SHELL", "pg_isready -U kaneo -d kaneo"]
interval: 10s
timeout: 5s
retries: 5
kaneo:
image: ghcr.io/usekaneo/kaneo:latest
ports:
- "5173:5173"
env_file:
- .env
depends_on:
postgres:
condition: service_healthy
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
postgres_data:
Save this as compose.yml, copy .env.sample to .env, uncomment KANEO_CLIENT_URL=http://localhost:5173, and set POSTGRES_PASSWORD=<password> and AUTH_SECRET=<output of openssl rand -hex 32>, run docker compose up -d, and open http://localhost:5173.
In Docker Compose, the bundled Kaneo container reaches PostgreSQL at the service hostname postgres.
If you run the API on your host instead of inside Compose, use localhost or set DATABASE_URL explicitly.
Important: See our full documentation for detailed setup instructions, environment variable configuration, and troubleshooting guides.
Development Setup
For development, see our Environment Setup Guide for detailed instructions on configuring environment variables and troubleshooting common issues like CORS problems.
Configuration
Kaneo requires several environment variables to be configured. The Docker Compose setup above handles the database automatically, but you'll need to configure environment variables for the API and web services.
For complete configuration instructions, including all required environment variables, database setup for non-Docker deployments, and advanced settings, see the documentation. Advanced deployments can still use the separate ghcr.io/usekaneo/api and ghcr.io/usekaneo/web images.
Kubernetes Deployment
If you're running Kubernetes, we provide a comprehensive Helm chart. Check out the Helm chart documentation for detailed installation instructions, production configuration examples, TLS setup, and more.
Development
Want to hack on Kaneo? See our Environment Setup Guide for detailed instructions on configuring environment variables and troubleshooting common issues like CORS problems.
Quick start:
# Clone and install dependencies
git clone https://github.com/usekaneo/kaneo.git
cd kaneo
pnpm install
# Create a .env file in the root with required environment variables
# See ENVIRONMENT_SETUP.md for detailed instructions
# Start development servers
pnpm dev
For contributing guidelines, code structure, and development best practices, check out our contributing guide and documentation.
MCP Server
Kaneo has an official MCP (Model Context Protocol) server, so AI tools like Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients can manage your tasks, projects, and labels. Every instance ships a built-in HTTP MCP endpoint at /api/mcp, and for stdio clients there is the official @kaneo/mcp package on npm (npx -y @kaneo/mcp).
Community
- Discord - Chat with users and contributors
- GitHub Issues - Bug reports and feature requests
- Documentation - Detailed guides, API docs, and tutorials
Contributing
We're always looking for help, whether that's:
- Reporting bugs or suggesting features
- Improving documentation
- Contributing code
- Helping other users on Discord
Check out CONTRIBUTING.md for the details on how to get involved.
License
MIT License - see LICENSE for details.
<div align="center"> <img src="https://repobeats.axiom.co/api/embed/3e8367ec2b2350e4fc48662df33c81dac657b833.svg" alt="Repobeats analytics image" /> </div> <p align="center"> Built with ❤️ by the Kaneo team and <a href="#contributors">contributors</a> </p>
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