Mentioned as an example OAuth provider in task creation documentation, indicating potential OAuth authentication integration capabilities.
Mentioned as an example OAuth provider in task creation documentation, indicating potential OAuth authentication integration capabilities.
Provides tools for managing and searching Markdown-based project documentation, including files like README.md, ROADMAP.md, TODO.md, and STATUS.md across .project/ and docs/ directories.
Provides tools for managing task files with YAML frontmatter, including creating, updating, and archiving tasks with structured metadata for project management workflows.
Click on "Install Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@Project MCPwhat's the next task in the backlog?"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
project-mcp
Intent-based MCP server for project documentation — Maps natural language to the right sources automatically
When users say "project", "docs", or "todos", project-mcp automatically
searches the right directories—no configuration needed. It understands intent,
not just directory names.
⚡ Quick Start
Install
npm install project-mcpConfigure
Add to .mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"project": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "project-mcp"]
}
}
}That's it. The server automatically finds and indexes:
.project/— Operational truth (plans, todos, status)Root markdown files — README.md, DEVELOPMENT.md, etc.
docs/— Reference documentation
Table of Contents
🎯 Why project-mcp?
The Problem: AI agents need to search project documentation, but:
Users say "project" not ".project/"
Different queries need different sources
Manual source mapping is error-prone
No standard way to organize project knowledge
The Solution: Intent-based search that maps language to sources automatically:
User Says | Searches |
"project" / "the project" |
|
"docs" / "documentation" | Only |
"plan" / "todos" / "roadmap" / "status" | Only |
🛠️ Available Tools (37)
Search Tools
Tool | Description | Use When |
| Intent-based search across all sources | User says "project" or asks about status/plans |
| Search reference documentation only | User specifically asks for "docs" |
| Get full file content | You know the exact file path |
| List all documentation files | Browsing available docs |
| Get directory structure | Understanding organization |
Project Management Tools
Tool | Description | Use When |
| Initialize | Starting a new project |
| Smart create/update based on content analysis | Auto-detect which file to update |
| Create or update ROADMAP.md | Planning milestones and phases |
| Create or update TODO.md | Managing project-wide todos |
| Create or update STATUS.md | Tracking project health |
| Create or update index.md (contract file) | Defining source mappings |
| Create or update DECISIONS.md | Recording architecture decisions |
| Check which project files exist | Before making changes |
Backlog Tools
Tool | Description | Use When |
| Add single item to BACKLOG.md | Quick task creation |
| Read backlog with filtering/sorting | Viewing queued work |
| Update priority, title, tags, phase | Adjusting backlog items |
| Delete item without promoting | Removing cancelled work |
| Parse plan/roadmap and bulk add to BACKLOG.md | Populating from roadmap |
| Move task from BACKLOG to active work (creates YAML) | Starting work on a backlog item |
Task Management Tools
Tool | Description | Use When |
| Create active task directly (bypass backlog) | Urgent/immediate work |
| Read specific task by ID with full details | Viewing task details |
| Update any task field, transition status | Modifying existing tasks |
| Permanently remove a task (with confirmation) | Removing cancelled tasks |
| Search tasks by keyword in title/content | Finding specific tasks |
| Get dependency-aware next task(s) to work on | Determining what to do |
| List/filter tasks with summary dashboard | Reviewing all tasks |
| Generate TODO.md dashboard from active tasks | Updating the overview |
Archive Tools
Tool | Description | Use When |
| Move completed task to archive/ | Cleaning up done work |
| List tasks in archive with filtering | Reviewing completed history |
| Restore task from archive to active | Reopening completed work |
Decision & Status Tools
Tool | Description | Use When |
| Record ADR with structured format | Documenting architecture choices |
| Read specific decision by ADR ID | Viewing decision details |
| List/filter architecture ADRs | Reviewing past decisions |
| Quick timestamped status update | Reporting progress |
| Add milestone with deliverables | Planning future work |
| Read roadmap content | Viewing planned work |
Quality Tools
Tool | Description | Use When |
| Validate documentation against standards | Before commits, ensuring quality |
📋 Task Management System
Tasks flow from planning → backlog → active → archive. Only active tasks (10-30 items) are YAML files.
Workflow
ROADMAP.md ──→ import_tasks ──→ BACKLOG.md ──→ promote_task ──→ todos/*.md ──→ archive_task ──→ archive/
(plan) (extract) (queue) (activate) (work) (complete) (history)
hundreds ok hundreds ok 10-30 files YAML filesStage | Files | Purpose |
Planning |
| Phases, milestones, high-level |
Backlog |
| Prioritized queue, hundreds of items OK |
Active |
| YAML files with full metadata, 10-30 items |
Archive |
| Completed work history |
Task File Format (Active Tasks)
---
id: AUTH-001
title: Implement OAuth authentication
project: AUTH
priority: P0
status: todo
owner: cursor
depends_on:
- AUTH-002
blocked_by: []
tags:
- security
- feature
estimate: 2d
due: 2025-01-15
created: 2025-12-29
updated: 2025-12-29
---
# AUTH-001: Implement OAuth authentication
## Description
Implement OAuth 2.0 authentication flow...
## Subtasks
- [ ] Set up OAuth provider
- [ ] Implement callback handler
- [x] Configure environment variables
## NotesAgent Execution Loop
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. promote_task(task_id: "AUTH-001") │
│ → Creates todos/AUTH-001.md from BACKLOG.md │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 2. get_next_task() │
│ → Returns AUTH-001 (dependencies met, highest priority) │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 3. update_task(id: "AUTH-001", status: "in_progress") │
│ → Agent works on the task │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 4. update_task(id: "AUTH-001", status: "done") │
└─────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 5. archive_task(task_id: "AUTH-001") │
│ → Moves to archive/, keeps todos/ small │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Key Features
Backlog-first: Plan hundreds of items in
BACKLOG.md, promote to active as neededSmall active queue: Only 10-30 YAML task files at a time, not hundreds
Stable IDs:
{PROJECT}-{NNN}format (e.g.,AUTH-001,API-042)Dependencies:
depends_onarray - task won't appear inget_next_taskuntil deps are donePriority Sorting: P0 (critical) → P3 (low) in all views
Status Workflow:
todo→in_progress→blocked|review→doneArchive history: Completed work preserved in
archive/for reference
🏗️ Project Structure Guide
Recommended Directory Structure
my-project/
├── .project/ # Operational truth (current state)
│ ├── index.md # Contract file (defines source mappings)
│ ├── BACKLOG.md # Prioritized work queue (hundreds of items OK)
│ ├── TODO.md # Task dashboard (auto-generated)
│ ├── ROADMAP.md # Project roadmap and milestones
│ ├── STATUS.md # Current project status
│ ├── DECISIONS.md # Architecture and design decisions
│ ├── todos/ # Active tasks (10-30 YAML files)
│ │ ├── AUTH-001.md
│ │ └── AUTH-002.md
│ └── archive/ # Completed tasks (history)
│ └── AUTH-000.md
│
├── docs/ # Reference truth (long-form docs)
│ ├── README.md
│ ├── architecture/
│ └── guides/
│
├── README.md # Project overview
└── CONTRIBUTING.md # Contribution guidelinesWhat Goes Where?
.project/ — Operational Truth
Purpose: Current state, plans, decisions, and active work.
File | Purpose |
| Contract file (defines how agents interpret sources) |
| Prioritized work queue (future tasks, hundreds OK) |
| Task dashboard (auto-generated by |
| Future plans, milestones, upcoming features |
| Current project status, recent changes, health |
| Architecture decisions, trade-offs, rationale |
| Active task files (10-30 items, YAML frontmatter) |
| Completed tasks (history, reference) |
docs/ — Reference Truth
Purpose: Long-form documentation, guides, and reference materials.
Architecture documentation
API references
How-to guides
Technical specifications
🎨 Intent Mapping
The server uses intent detection to route queries to the right sources:
User Query
│
├─ "project" / "the project"
│ └─→ Searches: .project/ + root files + docs/
│
├─ "docs" / "documentation"
│ └─→ Searches: docs/ only
│
├─ "plan" / "todos" / "roadmap" / "status"
│ └─→ Searches: .project/ only
│
└─ Default
└─→ Searches: All sourcesHow It Works
User query: "What's the project status?"
Intent detection: Keywords "status" → intent
planSource mapping:
plan→ searches only.project/Results: Returns
.project/STATUS.md,.project/TODO.md, etc.
📝 Documentation Examples
Example: .project/index.md (Contract File)
# Project Knowledge Index
## Contract for AI Agents
When a user says **"project"**, the canonical sources of truth are:
1. **`.project/`** — Current state, plans, todos, decisions
2. **Root markdown files** — README.md, DEVELOPMENT.md, etc.
3. **`docs/`** — Long-form reference documentation
## Principles
- **Natural language stays natural** - Users say "project" not ".project/"
- **Agents don't guess** - Explicit mappings defined here
- **Intent over structure** - Language maps to intent, not directory namesExample: Task Creation
{
"tool": "create_task",
"arguments": {
"title": "Implement OAuth authentication",
"project": "AUTH",
"priority": "P0",
"owner": "cursor",
"description": "Add OAuth 2.0 support for Google and GitHub",
"depends_on": ["AUTH-002"],
"estimate": "2d",
"tags": ["security", "feature"]
}
}Example: Getting Next Task
{
"tool": "get_next_task",
"arguments": {
"owner": "cursor",
"limit": 3
}
}Returns tasks sorted by priority where all dependencies are complete.
Example: Initialize Project
{
"tool": "init_project",
"arguments": {
"project_name": "My App",
"project_description": "A web application for task management"
}
}Creates .project/ with all standard files: index.md, TODO.md,
ROADMAP.md, STATUS.md, DECISIONS.md, and todos/ directory.
Example: Import Tasks to Backlog
{
"tool": "import_tasks",
"arguments": {
"source": ".project/ROADMAP.md",
"project": "APP",
"dry_run": true
}
}Parses the roadmap and adds tasks to BACKLOG.md. Use dry_run: true to
preview first.
Example: Promote Task to Active Work
{
"tool": "promote_task",
"arguments": {
"task_id": "APP-001",
"owner": "cursor",
"estimate": "2h"
}
}Moves task from BACKLOG.md to todos/APP-001.md with full YAML frontmatter.
Example: Archive Completed Task
{
"tool": "archive_task",
"arguments": {
"task_id": "APP-001"
}
}Moves completed task from todos/ to archive/ to keep active queue small.
⚙️ Configuration
Custom Documentation Directory
{
"mcpServers": {
"project": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "project-mcp"],
"env": {
"DOCS_DIR": "/path/to/documentation"
}
}
}
}Custom Working Directory
{
"mcpServers": {
"project": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "project-mcp"],
"cwd": "/path/to/project/root"
}
}
}🧪 Development
# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/pouyanafisi/project-mcp.git
cd project-mcp
# Install dependencies
npm install
# Run tests
npm test
# Test the server
node src/index.js📚 Documentation
Examples — Usage examples and patterns
Contributing — How to contribute
Security — Security policy
Changelog — Version history
Release Notes v2.0.0 — Latest release
🤝 Contributing
Contributions welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
📄 License
MIT License - see LICENSE for details.