Plane MCP
Connect Claude to your Plane workspace to manage projects, work items, cycles, modules, and more — directly from Claude.
How is this different from the official Plane MCP?
The official Plane MCP server is Python-based and supports both cloud and self-hosted Plane instances. It offers OAuth, hosted HTTP endpoints (mcp.plane.so), and Redis-backed sessions. This package is a lightweight Node.js alternative:
- Zero infrastructure — runs locally via
npx, no Python/Docker/Redis needed - Single dependency — just
@modelcontextprotocol/sdk, installs in seconds - Optimized tool count — 77 core tools by default (vs 80+ in the official server) tuned for reliable AI model tool selection, with an opt-in extended mode for full 108-tool coverage
- Bulk operations —
bulk_create_work_itemswith automatic rate-limit handling (not in the official server)
Use the official server if you need OAuth or hosted HTTP transport. Use this one if you want a fast, minimal Node.js MCP that works over stdio.
Prerequisites
You need a Plane API key. To generate one:
- Go to
https://<your-plane-host>/<workspace>/settings/account/api-tokens - Click Add personal access token
- Copy the token
You also need your workspace slug (the URL path segment for your workspace, e.g. my-workspace).
Setup
Install the package from npm and configure Claude Desktop or Claude Code to use it. The MCP server runs locally on each user's machine — no hosted infrastructure required.
How it works
Your machine Cloud
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Claude Desktop / Claude Code│
│ ↕ stdio (stdin/stdout) │
│ plane-mcp-server (Node.js) │ ──HTTP──→ Plane Instance
└─────────────────────────────┘ (plane.company.com)
Each user runs the server locally via npx. The server receives tool calls from Claude over stdio and calls the Plane REST API directly using the user's API key.
Claude Desktop
Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"plane": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@zethictech/plane-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"PLANE_BASE_URL": "https://your-plane-instance.com",
"PLANE_API_KEY": "YOUR_PLANE_API_KEY",
"DEFAULT_WORKSPACE_SLUG": "your-workspace-slug",
"PLANE_MCP_EXTENDED": "false"
}
}
}
}
Set
PLANE_MCP_EXTENDEDto"true"to enable all 108 tools (admin, archives, intake, time tracking, etc.). Leave as"false"or omit for the default 77 core tools.
Restart Claude Desktop after saving.
Claude Code
claude mcp add plane \
--command npx \
--args "@zethictech/plane-mcp-server" \
--env PLANE_BASE_URL=https://your-plane-instance.com \
--env PLANE_API_KEY=YOUR_PLANE_API_KEY \
--env DEFAULT_WORKSPACE_SLUG=your-workspace-slug \
--env PLANE_MCP_EXTENDED=false
Add
--env PLANE_MCP_EXTENDED=truefor the full 108-tool set.
Environment Variables
Available Tools
By default, the server exposes 77 core tools — optimized for reliable tool selection by AI models. Set PLANE_MCP_EXTENDED=true to enable all 108 tools including admin, archive, and niche features.
Core Tools (always available)
Extended Tools (PLANE_MCP_EXTENDED=true)
Troubleshooting
Server not starting?
- Verify all three environment variables are set (
PLANE_BASE_URL,PLANE_API_KEY,DEFAULT_WORKSPACE_SLUG) - Check that your Plane instance URL has no trailing slash
- Run
npx @zethictech/plane-mcp-server --versionto verify the package loads
Stale npx cache?
npx --yes @zethictech/plane-mcp-server
API errors?
- Ensure your API key is valid and has access to the workspace
- Check that the workspace slug matches the URL path in your Plane instance
Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup instructions and how to add new tools.
License
MIT
