AI Agent Integration
Connect Claude Desktop to Kanboard
Claude Desktop is Anthropic's desktop AI assistant. Connect it to Kanboard's remote MCP server and it can read your board, create tasks, and move work across columns as it ships — nothing to host, nothing to babysit.
1. Create an API key
Go to Settings → Integrations in Kanboard and create an API key. Keys require a Pro subscription. Copy the key — it's shown once.
2. Add the server to Claude Desktop
claude_desktop_config.json (macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/)
{
"mcpServers": {
"kanboard": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"mcp-remote",
"https://kanboard.io/api/mcp",
"--header",
"Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
"--transport", "http-only"
]
}
}
}3. Verify it works
- Fully quit Claude Desktop (⌘Q — closing the window isn't enough) and reopen it.
- Check the tools icon in the chat input — the kanboard tools should be listed.
- Ask Claude to list your Kanboard projects.
Then put the agent to work:
- “Look at my Kanboard board and 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 Done.”
Good to know
- Claude Desktop's JSON config only launches local (stdio) servers, so the remote connection goes through the mcp-remote proxy — Node.js must be installed for npx.
- The Custom Connectors UI is OAuth-only and connects from Anthropic's cloud, so it can't send your API key header — use the JSON config above instead.
- On Windows, argument spaces get mangled — pass the header via an env block as shown in the mcp-remote README.
Full client documentation: Claude Desktop MCP docs
Available tools
| get_board | Full snapshot of a project's columns and tasks |
| list_projects | List all your projects |
| create_project | Create a project with default columns |
| list_tasks | List tasks, optionally by project |
| get_task | Read a task with its description |
| create_task | Add a task to any column |
| update_task | Edit a task's title or description |
| move_task | Move a task across columns |
| delete_task | Remove a task |
FAQ
Does Claude Desktop support remote MCP servers?
Partially. Claude Desktop's connectors UI handles OAuth-based remote servers, but API-key headers require the mcp-remote proxy in claude_desktop_config.json.
Do I need to install anything?
Node.js (for npx) — the mcp-remote proxy bridges Claude Desktop's local-server config to Kanboard's remote endpoint.
Is the MCP server included in Kanboard's subscription?
Yes. The MCP server and REST API are included in Pro, Kanboard's single plan at $12/month (or $96/year) with unlimited projects and tasks.
What can Claude Desktop do on my Kanboard board?
Everything the MCP server exposes: list projects, snapshot a board, and create, read, update, move, and delete tasks. A typical flow: you plan tasks in To Do, the agent picks one up, moves it to In Progress, does the work, and moves it to Done.
Where do I get the API key?
Settings → Integrations in Kanboard. Keys require a Pro subscription and are shown once — copy it straight into the config.