Taskmaster MCP
A task manager for AI-driven development: breaks a PRD into dependent tasks and guides the agent through them via MCP or CLI
- 28,277 ★ on the repository
- Last commit
Extended access
Why this level
- Sends project descriptions to external LLM providers
- Stores API keys in config
Install
- Works in
In your terminal, with SkillFoxx CLI
npx skillfoxx add mcp/taskmasterDetects the agents on your machine, shows the access level and pins the version.
Other ways to install
Access and checks
How we reviewExtended accessThe tool runs code or makes network calls and only reads external data.
- Sends project descriptions to external LLM providers
- Stores API keys in config
This is third-party code. Review the repository files before installing.
What it does
Taskmaster turns a requirements document into a structured task list with dependencies and subtasks. The agent picks the next available task, completes it and updates the status, so a long project survives across sessions. It runs as an MCP server in Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, Claude Code and other editors, or as the task-master CLI. You can set main, research and fallback models from different providers, split work by tags and use a research mode.
Who it is for. For developers running projects with an agent that span more than one session.
Good fit when
- You have a PRD and need agent-ready tasks
- The agent loses track in a long project
- You need to see task dependencies and order
Not a fit when
- The task fits in a single request
- Tasks already live in a tracker the agent works with
Example request
Parse my PRD into tasks and tell me which one to do nextMCP
- Transport
- stdio
- Authentication
- not required
Environment variables
ANTHROPIC_API_KEYsecret- Anthropic key; at least one provider key is required
OPENAI_API_KEYsecret- OpenAI key
PERPLEXITY_API_KEYsecret- Perplexity key for the research model
OPENROUTER_API_KEYsecret- OpenRouter key
TASK_MASTER_TOOLS- Tool set: all, standard, core or a comma-separated list
Limitations
Generating tasks needs a key for at least one provider: Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Perplexity, xAI or OpenRouter; Claude Code or Codex CLI work without a key. Detailed docs live on tryhamster.com, and the license is non-standard.
How to disable. Remove the task-master-ai server from your MCP config, the package with npm uninstall -g task-master-ai and, if needed, the project's .taskmaster folder.
FAQ
MCP or CLI?
The README recommends MCP for editor use. The CLI covers task-master init, parse-prd, list and next in a terminal.
How many keys do I need?
At least one. The research model is optional but recommended.
Discussion
No questions or reviews yet.
Related
MCP serversA self-hosted task manager for human and agent collaboration through MCP
A Claude Code plugin that turns a goal into a graded PRD, a dependency-ordered task graph and execution gated by evidence
A spec-driven delivery skill: PRDs, epics, tasks, GitHub Issues sync and parallel agents in git worktrees
An MCP server that lets an agent work on your computer: terminal and long-running processes, file search and edits, Excel, PDF and DOCX
The official Todoist MCP server: the agent finds, creates and updates tasks and projects in your account
Planfix MCP
planfix-mcp
Planfix MCP server: tasks, projects, contacts, comments and employees through the REST API
Comparison with similar tools
Entries that share the main search query, and how they differ.
| Entry | Official | Authentication | Repository stars | Main difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taskmaster (this entry) | no | not required | 28,277 | |
| AI Product Development Toolkit | no | 1,038 | a skill set for Claude Code and Codex | |
| Paca: Scrum task tracker with MCP for agents | yes | API key | 1,997 | Paca is a self-hosted task tracker where AI agents work as Scrum team |
README in short
The README links to the docs and gives a one-click Cursor install and a Claude Code command. It lists key requirements and the three model roles. The quick start shows MCP config paths for editors and JSON snippets with env vars, then the CLI path: init, parse-prd, list and next.