How to add Task Master AI to Claude Desktop

AI-powered task-management system for AI-driven development that drops into Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Code, and more. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 28k★ · stdio · apikey

Claude Desktop config for Task Master AI

npx -y task-master-ai

{
  "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"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the Task Master AI config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
5Open a chat and confirm Task Master AI's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

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

What Task Master AI can do in Claude Desktop

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.

Security

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 + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the Task Master AI config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Task Master AI safe to use with Claude Desktop?

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.

View repo Full Task Master AI page