Task Master AI

AI-powered task-management system for AI-driven development that drops into Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code, and more.

Unverified

stdio (local)

API key

JavaScript

View repo 28k Website npm

Add to your client

Copy the config for your MCP client and paste it into its config file.

Install / run

npx -y task-master-ai

Paste into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "task-master-ai": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "task-master-ai"
      ],
      "env": {
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY_HERE",
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_PERPLEXITY_API_KEY_HERE",
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENAI_KEY_HERE",
        "GOOGLE_API_KEY": "YOUR_GOOGLE_KEY_HERE",
        "MISTRAL_API_KEY": "YOUR_MISTRAL_KEY_HERE",
        "GROQ_API_KEY": "YOUR_GROQ_KEY_HERE",
        "OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENROUTER_KEY_HERE",
        "XAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_XAI_KEY_HERE",
        "AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_AZURE_KEY_HERE",
        "OLLAMA_API_KEY": "YOUR_OLLAMA_API_KEY_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step-by-step guides: Add to Claude Desktop · Add to Cursor · Add to Windsurf

Before you start

Node.js with npx available
An MCP-compatible editor/client (Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, Claude Code, or Q CLI)
At least one AI provider API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Perplexity, xAI, OpenRouter, etc.) OR Claude Code CLI / Codex CLI for keyless use

About Task Master AI

Taskmaster is an MCP server (and CLI) that turns a Product Requirements Document into an actionable, dependency-aware task list and helps an AI assistant work through it task by task. It exposes 36 MCP tools by default (configurable down to a standard/core subset to save context), supports a wide range of AI providers, and integrates with editors via the standard mcpServers/servers config. Initialize a project, optionally add a PRD at .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt, then ask your assistant to parse it, plan the next task, expand tasks, and research fresh information with project context.

Tools & capabilities (15)

initialize_project

Initialize Task Master in a project, creating the necessary files and structure.

parse_prd

Parse a Product Requirements Document (PRD) and generate structured tasks from it.

get_tasks

List all tasks in the project.

get_task

Show details for a specific task (supports retrieving individual tasks by ID).

next_task

Determine the next task to work on based on dependencies and status.

set_task_status

Set or update the status of a task.

add_task

Add a new task to the project.

remove_task

Remove a task from the project.

add_subtask

Add a subtask under an existing task.

update_subtask

Update an existing subtask with new information or progress.

expand_task

Expand a task into more granular subtasks.

expand_all

Expand all eligible tasks into subtasks in one operation.

analyze_project_complexity

Analyze project/task complexity to inform planning and expansion.

complexity_report

Produce a complexity report for the project's tasks.

generate

Generate task files from the task data.

What this server can do

Task Master AI provides tools for these capabilities — tap one to see every MCP server that does the same:

Manage tasks & projects

When to use it

Parse a PRD into a structured, dependency-aware task list for AI-driven development
Ask your AI assistant what the next task to work on is and have it implement it
Expand high-level tasks into detailed subtasks and track their status
Analyze task complexity to plan work and prioritize
Run research queries that incorporate your project's code context (e.g. migration strategies, best practices)
Manage tasks across tags/workstreams (e.g. move tasks from backlog to in-progress)

Security notes

Requires at least one AI provider API key (e.g. ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY, PERPLEXITY_API_KEY) supplied via the MCP config's env section or a project .env file. Claude Code and Codex CLI can be used without an API key. Keep your API keys secret; remove any provider keys you don't use from the config.

Task Master AI FAQ

Do I need an API key?

You need at least one AI provider API key (e.g. Anthropic, OpenAI, Perplexity) set in your MCP config's env section or a project .env file. Alternatively, you can use Claude Code or Codex CLI, which require no API key (Claude Code uses your local Claude instance; Codex uses OAuth via a ChatGPT subscription).

How do I reduce the context window used by the MCP tools?

Set the TASK_MASTER_TOOLS environment variable in your MCP config. Options are 'all' (36 tools, default), 'standard' (15 tools), 'core'/'lean' (7 tools), or a comma-separated list of specific tools. Core mode reduces token usage by roughly 70%.

Which editors are supported?

Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, Claude Code, and Q CLI are documented. Cursor/Windsurf/Q use the 'mcpServers' key; VS Code uses 'servers' with a 'type': 'stdio'. There's also a one-click install link for Cursor 1.0+ and a 'claude mcp add' command for Claude Code.

What's the recommended starting point?

Start with a detailed PRD at .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt (an example template is generated on init), then ask your assistant to parse it. For complex projects a PRD is recommended, but you can also create individual tasks directly via chat.

#task-management #ai #cursor #windsurf #claude-code #prd #project-planning #productivity

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