# Sequential Thinking Working Notes

A local MCP server that keeps working notes, decisions and next actions in SQLite. Sessions survive a restart.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 959
- Author: arben-adm
- License: MIT · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/arben-adm/mcp-sequential-thinking
- Updated: 2026-10-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/sequential-thinking-working-notes

## What it does

The server stores whatever the caller sends: observations, evidence, assumptions, options, risks, decisions and next actions. It does not produce or grade reasoning on its own. Notes belong to a session, which starts from a title and can be located later with `list_sessions` when the ID is gone after a restart.

Notes link to each other through `parent_step_id`, `supersedes_step_id` and `branch_from_step_id`. A superseded note disappears from the `resume` view but stays in the full history. Repeating a write with the same `request_id` and the same input returns the earlier result; different input under that ID raises `IDEMPOTENCY_CONFLICT`. Reads return 20 entries and 12,000 characters by default, and paging continues through `cursor`.

Storage sits in `~/.mcp_sequential_thinking` or in the directory named by `MCP_STORAGE_DIR`, as plaintext SQLite. A local disk is required: network file systems and multiple hosts are out. With `uv` present, `uvx mcp-sequential-thinking` starts the server without a manual install. `--ephemeral` keeps everything in memory, and `--health` runs a diagnostic check.

## Requirements
- Needs: Python and uv (commands run via uvx)
- Environment variables: `MCP_STORAGE_DIR` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add --env MCP_STORAGE_DIR=<MCP_STORAGE_DIR> --transport stdio sequential-thinking-working-notes -- uvx mcp-sequential-thinking
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from mcp-sequential-thinking <command>

### Codex

**Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add sequential-thinking-working-notes --env MCP_STORAGE_DIR=<MCP_STORAGE_DIR> -- uvx mcp-sequential-thinking
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from mcp-sequential-thinking <command>

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "sequential-thinking-working-notes": {
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-sequential-thinking"
            ],
            "env": {
                "MCP_STORAGE_DIR": "<MCP_STORAGE_DIR>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from mcp-sequential-thinking <command>

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "sequential-thinking-working-notes": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "uvx",
            "args": [
                "mcp-sequential-thinking"
            ],
            "env": {
                "MCP_STORAGE_DIR": "<MCP_STORAGE_DIR>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from mcp-sequential-thinking <command>

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e MCP_STORAGE_DIR=<MCP_STORAGE_DIR> sequential-thinking-working-notes uvx mcp-sequential-thinking
```
Replace <…> with your own values. uvx runs the command named after the package; if the README names another one, use uvx --from mcp-sequential-thinking <command>

## When to use it
- keep a record of how a hard task was worked through and pick it up after a restart
- separate evidence, assumptions and risks into distinct notes
- mark an older note as replaced by a newer one
- export one session to JSON and bring it back
- find a session by title when the ID is lost

## Example prompts
- Create a session titled “Choose a local store” and record the evidence and the decision
- Add a note of kind `risk` to session `<id>` about concurrent writers
- Show the active notes of session `<id>` in `resume` view

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