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Basecamp MCP Server

by stefanoverna
OverviewSchemaSourceRelated ServersDiscussionsAdmin
TypeScript
Remote

Update Basecamp Todo

basecamp_update_todo
Idempotent

Modify an existing Basecamp todo's title, assignees, due or start dates, or HTML content using full replacement or partial append/prepend/search-replace edits.

Instructions

Update a todo item. Use partial content operations when possible to save on token usage.

HTML rules for content:

  • Allowed tags: p, span, h2, h3, h4, br, strong, em, strike, code, a (with href attribute), pre, ol, ul, li, blockquote, mark, figure, figcaption, table, tbody, tr, th, td, div, bc-attachment.

  • Wrap every paragraph in ..., and put between one paragraph and the next. Both parts are necessary: newlines and blank lines in your HTML are discarded, and Basecamp shows no space around a on its own, so two paragraphs with nothing between them are shown as one block of text. Do not rely on line breaks in your HTML to separate paragraphs.

  • Headings: use , , as appropriate.

  • Inline code: text. Preformatted blocks: text.

  • Ordered lists: .... Unordered: ....

  • Tables: Heading...Cell...

  • To mention a person: . Put the tag where the name must show in the text, for example "Thanks for the fix". The person gets a notification. If the ID is not a person, the tool returns an error and writes nothing. Get person IDs from basecamp_list_people, or from the people in other responses (assignees, creators).

  • Single image:

  • Image gallery: wrap multiple in a .

  • A bc-attachment needs an attachable_sgid. For a file that is already in Basecamp, take the sgid from the HTML content of the message, comment or card that shows it, or use basecamp_list_recordings. For a file that is not in Basecamp yet, such as an image at an external URL or a screenshot on disk, upload it with basecamp_create_attachment and use the sgid that it returns. There is no tag, so an external image URL can never be embedded directly: upload it, or accept that it stays a plain link.

  • Basecamp auto-enriches bc-attachment tags after saving (adds url, href, filename, content-type, etc.) — you never need to write those.

  • When you see an existing, already-enriched tag (e.g. from a previous list/get call), leave its inner HTML alone. Before any content_append/content_prepend/search_replace runs, it is automatically collapsed back to its minimal form (sgid, presentation, caption, and content-type for mentions) — you don't need to strip it yourself, and doing so manually is unnecessary and risks mismatched find strings.

  • Background highlights: ...

  • Text color highlights: ...

  • For both, N is 1 (yellow), 2 (amber), 3 (red), 4 (pink), 5 (purple), 6 (blue), 7 (teal), 8 (near-white), or 9 (light gray).

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
titleNoNew todo title
due_onNoDue date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Pass an empty string to clear the due date.
notifyNoWhether to notify the assignees about this todo
contentNoIf provided, replaces entire HTML content. Cannot be used with content_append, content_prepend, or search_replace.
todo_idYesBasecamp resource identifier
starts_onNoStart date in YYYY-MM-DD format (for a date range; requires due_on). Pass an empty string to clear it.
assignee_idsNoArray of person IDs to assign to this todo
content_appendNoText to append to the end of current content. Cannot be used with content.
search_replaceNoArray of search-replace operations to apply to current content. Cannot be used with content.
content_prependNoText to prepend to the beginning of current content. Cannot be used with content.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

  1. Changed9 schema fields changedv1.2.1
    • changedInput schema / properties / assignee_ids / items / $ref
      Previous value: -"#/properties/bucket_id"New value: +"#/properties/todo_id"
    • removedInput schema / properties / bucket_id
      Removed value: -{
-  "description": "Basecamp resource identifier",
-  "type": "number"
-}
    • addedInput schema / properties / due_on
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Due date in YYYY-MM-DD format. Pass an empty string to clear the due date.",
+  "pattern": "^(\\d{4}-\\d{2}-\\d{2})?$",
+  "type": "string"
+}
    • addedInput schema / properties / notify
      Added value: +{
+  "description": "Whether to notify the assignees about this todo",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}
    • addedInput schema / properties / starts_on
      Added value: +{
+  "$ref": "#/properties/due_on",
+  "description": "Start date in YYYY-MM-DD format (for a date range; requires due_on). Pass an empty string to clear it."
+}
    • removedInput schema / properties / todo_id / $ref
      Removed value: -"#/properties/bucket_id"
    • addedInput schema / properties / todo_id / description
      Added value: +"Basecamp resource identifier"
    • addedInput schema / properties / todo_id / type
      Added value: +"number"
    • changedInput schema / required
      Previous value: -[
-  "bucket_id",
-  "todo_id"
-]New value: +[
+  "todo_id"
+]
  2. Addedv1.0.0

TDQS

A3.8/5.0
Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already cover the safety profile (destructiveHint=false, idempotentHint=true, openWorldHint=true). The description adds genuine behavior beyond that: mentioning a person sends them a notification, an invalid person ID makes the tool error and write nothing (atomicity), Basecamp auto-enriches bc-attachment tags after saving, and enriched tags are auto-collapsed before append/prepend/search_replace runs. It stops short of stating permission requirements (e.g. whether the caller must be an assignee or project member).

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness3/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Purpose is front-loaded in the first two sentences, which is good, but roughly 90% of the text is a generic HTML style guide rather than information specific to updating a todo. It is dense and mostly earns its place, yet it displaces update-specific semantics (partial-update behavior, assignment semantics) with formatting minutiae.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

There is no output schema, so return values need not be explained, and the annotations carry the safety/idempotency profile. Combined with a 100%-documented schema, the description supplies what structured fields cannot: content markup rules, atomic error behavior, notification side effects, and the auto-collapse/auto-enrichment behavior an agent must plan around.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the schema already documents all 10 parameters and the content/content_append/content_prepend/search_replace mutual exclusions. The description nonetheless adds meaning the schema cannot carry: the full HTML grammar required for content values, the required <p><br></p> paragraph separator, and the bc-attachment/person/gallery markup with where to source sgids and person IDs — real construction guidance for the most error-prone parameters.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The opening sentence gives a specific verb and resource: 'Update a todo item.' An agent knows this is a mutation on an existing todo. However, it never distinguishes itself from near-neighbors like basecamp_complete_todo, basecamp_move_todo, basecamp_uncomplete_todo, or basecamp_update_todolist, so sibling routing is left to inference.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

There is one real usage directive: 'Use partial content operations when possible to save on token usage,' which steers between content and content_append/prepend/search_replace. But there is no guidance on when to use update_todo versus complete/move/reorder tools, no prerequisites (project/todolist context), and no statement of what happens to fields that are omitted.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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