kaneo — Claude Code MCP server: tasks, projects, labels
The official Kaneo MCP server lets your agent read and change tasks, projects and labels from the chat. Useful when your work lives in Kaneo and you'd rather not switch windows.
claude mcp add --env KANEO_API_URL=<KANEO_API_URL> --env KANEO_API_KEY=<KANEO_API_KEY> --transport stdio kaneo -- npx -y @kaneo/mcpWhat kaneo does
The server wires an AI client to your Kaneo instance over its API. From the chat you can list projects, create tasks, apply labels and dig through whatever is sitting in the backlog. It runs through npx -y @kaneo/mcp, so there is nothing to build first.
Two variables are required: KANEO_API_URL and KANEO_API_KEY. Without the key the server cannot authenticate, so create one in Kaneo before you start. Claude offers a short form that takes only the key, and a longer one that names the URL and the stdio transport explicitly.
Kaneo itself is open source under MIT, and you can run it in the cloud or on your own box. The MCP server is a thin layer over the API, so the agent gets exactly the access your key grants. Issue a key for the job at hand rather than reusing an admin one.
What it helps with
- file a task in Kaneo without opening a browser
- check what is left in a project backlog
- tag several tasks at once
- find a project by name and pull its tasks
- turn a chat decision into a task description
Example prompts for the agent
- List every open task in the Kaneo project
- Create a Kaneo task: fix auth in the API, label backend
- Find Kaneo tasks labelled bug and group them by project
How to install kaneo
Platform CLI
claude mcp add --env KANEO_API_URL=<KANEO_API_URL> --env KANEO_API_KEY=<KANEO_API_KEY> --transport stdio kaneo -- npx -y @kaneo/mcpReplace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
codex mcp add kaneo --env KANEO_API_URL=<KANEO_API_URL> --env KANEO_API_KEY=<KANEO_API_KEY> -- npx -y @kaneo/mcpReplace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"mcpServers": {
"kaneo": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@kaneo/mcp"
],
"env": {
"KANEO_API_URL": "<KANEO_API_URL>",
"KANEO_API_KEY": "<KANEO_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Config file
{
"servers": {
"kaneo": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@kaneo/mcp"
],
"env": {
"KANEO_API_URL": "<KANEO_API_URL>",
"KANEO_API_KEY": "<KANEO_API_KEY>"
}
}
}
}Replace <…> with your own values
Platform CLI
gemini mcp add -e KANEO_API_URL=<KANEO_API_URL> -e KANEO_API_KEY=<KANEO_API_KEY> kaneo npx -y @kaneo/mcpReplace <…> with your own values
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about kaneo
How do I install kaneo in Claude?
Run claude mcp add kaneo -e KANEO_API_KEY=<KANEO_API_KEY> -- npx -y @kaneo/mcp. If you need to point at a specific instance, use the second form: claude mcp add --env KANEO_API_URL=<KANEO_API_URL> --env KANEO_API_KEY=<KANEO_API_KEY> --transport stdio kaneo -- npx -y @kaneo/mcp.
What does the kaneo MCP server do?
It gives the agent access to tasks, projects and labels in Kaneo. You ask in plain language and the server turns that into API calls.
What do I need to run kaneo?
An instance URL and an API key. The key goes in KANEO_API_KEY, the URL in KANEO_API_URL.
