Claude Code + Kanban

Claude Code Kanban

A task board Claude Code can actually use. You plan the work. Claude pulls tasks over MCP and moves them across columns as it ships.

Start your board Claude Code MCP setup

Why Claude Code needs a kanban board

Claude Code reads the board

Over MCP, Claude can snapshot columns, create tasks, and move cards. The backlog lives in one place instead of a prompt you rewrite every session.

You keep the plan

You decide what is next. Claude pulls from To Do. It does not invent the roadmap. In Review is your gate between “the agent thinks it’s done” and “you agree.”

Same board on Mac

Use the native macOS kanban app or the browser. Claude Code, the Mac app, and the web app all share one account and the same cards.

Keyboard-first for you

Vim-style H/J/K/L, N to capture a task, Cmd+K for the command palette. Planning stays as fast as editing code.

How Claude Code works the board

Claude Code is strongest on a well-scoped task. A Claude Code kanban setup makes that the default: the top card in To Do is the next unit of work, with the description as the spec. Claude calls get_board, claims the card with move_task, and updates it when the change is ready for you.

Persist that protocol in CLAUDE.md. Check Kanboard, take the top To Do task, move it to In Progress before writing code, and leave finished work in In Review. No extra orchestrator.

Set up Claude Code kanban in a few minutes

Create a board and an API key

Sign in, create a project (To Do, In Progress, In Review, Done), and generate an API key under Settings → Integrations. Copy the key. It is shown once.

Add Kanboard to Claude Code

User scope is one command. Project scope is a .mcp.json you can commit (approve it the first time Claude runs in that repo).

Add the server (user scope)

claude mcp add --transport http kanboard https://kanboard.io/api/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

.mcp.json (project scope, shared with your repo)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kanboard": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://kanboard.io/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

Verify the connection

kanboard should show a passing health check, then appear under /mcp in a session.

claude mcp list

Put a rule in CLAUDE.md

Add this to the repo CLAUDE.md so Claude pulls from the board by default.

## Kanboard

Before you start work, call get_board and pick the top task in To Do.
Move that task to In Progress before writing code.
When you finish, move it to In Review (not Done).
File newly discovered work as new To Do cards.

Prompts that work well

“Pick up the top task in To Do.”
“Break this feature into tasks and add them to my board.”
“Move everything you finished today to In Review.”

Quirks, env expansion in .mcp.json, and the full tool list live on the Claude Code MCP setup page. Also using Codex or Cursor? Same board, different config.

An AI agent board, and a macOS kanban app

Search “ai-agent-board” and you will find local tools that launch coding agents from a board on your machine. Kanboard is the hosted version of that idea: an AI agent board your agents connect to over MCP, so the queue survives new sessions, new laptops, and more than one agent.

On a Mac you can run Kanboard as a native macOS kanban app (dock, Cmd+Tab, automatic updates) or keep it in the browser. There is no separate Windows or Linux desktop build today; those platforms use the web app. The Mac app is included with Pro, not sold on its own. Download for macOS.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Claude Code kanban board?+

It is a shared task board Claude Code can read and update. You plan work in columns. Claude pulls the next task over MCP, moves it to In Progress, and parks it in Done or In Review when it ships. You stop re-pasting the backlog into every prompt.

How do I connect Claude Code to Kanboard?+

Create an API key in Settings → Integrations, then add Kanboard with claude mcp add (snippets below). Full verify steps are on the Claude Code MCP setup page. The server is remote. Nothing extra to install besides Claude Code itself.

Is Kanboard also an AI agent board for other tools?+

Yes. Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP client that supports remote Streamable HTTP can use the same board. Claude Code is a common setup, but the board is not locked to one agent.

Does this work as a macOS kanban app?+

Yes. Kanboard has a native macOS desktop app (included with Pro) and a full browser app. Claude Code can work the same boards you see on your Mac, in a native window or a tab.

How much does Claude Code kanban access cost?+

Kanboard Pro is $12/month and includes the board, the MCP server, REST API keys, unlimited projects and tasks, and the Mac app. Agents do not need their own seats.

Want the broader workflow, not just Claude? Read kanban for AI agents. Shipping as a human with an editor? See kanban for developers.

Give Claude a board to pull from

One Pro plan covers you, Claude Code, and every other agent you connect.

Get started