Verified MCP server: Todoist

The Todoist MCP server, verified live on a real Mac.

  • Tools enumerated2026-08-03macOS 15.7.7
  • Package@doist/todoist-mcp 12.2.2
  • Self-reportedtodoist-mcp-server 12.2.2
  • MCP protocol2024-11-05
  • Runtimev24.18.0

The tool list below is a live capture from the running server; an authenticated tool call is still pending credentials.

The short answer

Last verified 2026-08-03

The Todoist MCP server is the official one: Doist, the company that makes Todoist, publishes and maintains it. Connected to an AI assistant, it can create, find, reschedule and complete your tasks, manage projects, sections, labels, filters, comments and reminders, and report on what you finished. It needs a credential, and Doist documents two ways to give it one: a hosted address you authorize in the browser, or the local command on this page, which reads a Todoist API token from an environment variable called TODOIST_API_KEY. Here is exactly what we verified, and what we did not. We ran the local command on a Mac with a placeholder value in that variable: the server started, completed the MCP handshake, and answered tools/list with all 45 tools, which is the table below, word for word. The one real tool call we made reached Todoist and came back with the server's authentication error, printed further down, because a placeholder is not a token. An authenticated call still waits for your own key. [1][3][4][5]

  • Tools

    45, enumerated live

  • Credentials

    TODOIST_API_KEY required [5][7]

  • Transport

    stdio, runs on your Mac [5]

  • Maintainer

    Doist, official [1][3]

  • Downloads

    3,148 last week [2]

  • License

    MIT [1][3]

Verification

How this MCP server was verified.

Method

We spawned the server with npx over stdio with TODOIST_API_KEY set to a placeholder value, completed the MCP initialize handshake, and called tools/list: the server answered with all 45 tools, and the table below is that answer, word for word. We then made one real tool call, find-projects with no arguments, which reached Todoist and returned the authentication error printed below, because a placeholder is not a token. So the tool table is enumerated live and the error is real, while an authenticated call awaits a genuine Todoist API token in that variable.

Startup banner

Server started

One real tool call

tools/call find-projects {}
Todoist API request failed (HTTP 401, code 477, tag UNAUTHORIZED).
Message: Unauthorized
Details: event_id: 425f710703ac45ab9d978864aa151260; retry_after: 4
Try next: Authentication failed. Verify your API token, then retry.

Real lines from the captured result: enough to prove the call answered.

Tools

Every tool, enumerated from the running server.

The server answered tools/list with 45 tools on 2026-08-03. The names, descriptions and parameters below are its own words, copied from that response and never edited.

ToolWhat it does
add-taskstasks*

Add one or more tasks to a project, section, or parent. Supports assignment to project collaborators.

complete-tasksids*

Complete one or more tasks by their IDs.

uncomplete-tasksids*

Uncomplete (reopen) one or more completed tasks by their IDs.

update-taskstasks*

Update existing tasks including content, dates, priorities, and assignments.

reschedule-taskstasks*

Reschedule tasks to new dates while preserving recurring schedules. Unlike update-tasks (which replaces the entire due string and can wipe recurrence), this tool changes only the date, keeping recurrence patterns intact. Use this when moving recurring tasks to a different date without altering their repeat pattern.

find-taskssearchTextprojectIdsectionIdparentIdresponsibleUserresponsibleUserFilteringlimitcursorfilterfilterIdOrNamelabelslabelsOperator

Find tasks by text search, project/section/parent container, responsible user, labels, a raw Todoist filter string, or a saved filter by ID or name (filterIdOrName). At least one filter must be provided.

find-tasks-by-datestartDateoverdueOptiondaysCountlimitcursorresponsibleUserresponsibleUserFilteringlabelslabelsOperator

Get tasks by date range. startDate='today' includes overdue items. Default responsibleUserFiltering='unassignedOrMe' excludes others' tasks. Person-specific queries (summaries, plans, reports) require responsibleUser.

find-completed-tasksgetBysinceuntilworkspaceIdprojectIdsectionIdparentIdresponsibleUserlimitcursorlabelslabelsOperator

Get completed tasks. since/until are optional and default to a 7-day window when omitted. Includes all collaborators by default. Person-specific queries (summaries, plans, reports) require responsibleUser.

add-projectsprojects*

Add one or more new projects.

update-projectsprojects*

Update multiple existing projects with new values.

find-projectssearchTextlimitcursorarchivedStatus

List all projects or search for projects by name. By default only active projects are returned; use archivedStatus ('archived' or 'all') to include archived projects. When searching or when archivedStatus is 'all', all matching projects are returned (pagination is ignored). Otherwise projects are returned with pagination.

project-managementaction*projectId*

Archive or unarchive a project by its ID.

project-moveaction*projectId*workspaceIdfolderIdvisibility

Move a project between personal and workspace contexts.

add-sectionssections*

Add one or more new sections to projects.

update-sectionssections*

Update multiple existing sections with new values.

find-sectionsprojectId*searchText

Search for sections by name or other criteria in a project. When searching, uses server-side search to avoid fetching all sections.

add-commentscomments*

Add multiple comments to tasks or projects. Each comment must specify either taskId or projectId.

find-commentstaskIdprojectIdcommentIdcursorlimit

Find comments by task, project, or get a specific comment by ID. Exactly one of taskId, projectId, or commentId must be provided.

update-commentscomments*

Update multiple existing comments with new content.

add-remindersreminders*

Add reminders to tasks. Supports three types: "relative" (minutes before due), "absolute" (specific date/time), or "location" (geofence-triggered). Each reminder must specify a taskId.

find-reminderstaskIdreminderIdlocationReminderId

Find reminders by task ID (returns all reminder types), or get a specific reminder by its ID. Use reminderId for time-based reminders and locationReminderId for location reminders.

update-remindersreminders*

Update existing reminders. Each reminder must specify its type ("relative", "absolute", or "location") and ID. Only include fields that need to change.

view-attachmentfileUrl*

View a file attachment from a Todoist comment. Pass the fileUrl from a comment's fileAttachment field. Supports images (returned inline), text files (returned as text), and binary files like PDFs (returned as embedded resources).

add-labelslabels*

Add one or more new personal labels.

update-labelslabels*

Update one or more existing labels. Personal labels (identified by ID) can have their name, color, order, and favorite flag updated. Shared labels (identified by name) can only be renamed.

find-labelssearchTextlimitcursor

List personal labels and shared labels. Personal labels have full metadata (id, name, color, order, isFavorite) and support pagination and name search (partial, case insensitive). Shared labels are labels used on tasks shared with you — they are returned as names only (no IDs or metadata). When searching, all matching personal labels are fetched across all pages and returned as a single result set (limit and cursor are ignored). When not searching, personal labels are returned with pagination.

find-filterssearch

List all personal filters or search for filters by name. Filters are saved custom views that use query syntax to organize tasks (e.g. "today & p1", "#Work & overdue").

add-filtersfilters*

Add one or more new personal filters. Filters are saved custom views using query syntax to organize tasks.

update-filtersfilters*

Update one or more existing personal filters with new values.

find-activityobjectTypeobjectIdeventTypeprojectIdtaskIdinitiatorIdlimitcursor

Retrieve recent activity logs to monitor and audit changes in Todoist. Shows events from all users by default (use initiatorId to filter by specific user). Track task completions, updates, deletions, project changes, and more with flexible filtering. Note: Date-based filtering is not supported by the Todoist API.

get-productivity-stats

Get comprehensive productivity statistics including daily/weekly completion breakdowns, goal streaks (current, last, max), karma score and trends, and historical karma data. Useful for productivity analysis and tracking goal progress.

get-project-healthprojectId*includeContext

Get a comprehensive health assessment for a project including completion progress, health status (EXCELLENT, ON_TRACK, AT_RISK, CRITICAL), and optional detailed context with project metrics and task-level recommendations. Use includeContext=true for full detail including task data.

get-project-activity-statsprojectId*weeksincludeWeeklyCounts

Get daily and optional weekly task completion counts for a project over a configurable time window (1-12 weeks). Useful for identifying completion trends and patterns.

analyze-project-healthprojectId*

Trigger a new health analysis for a project. Use this when the health data is stale or you want a fresh assessment. The analysis may take time to complete — use get-project-health afterward to see updated results.

get-workspace-insightsworkspaceIdOrName*projectIds

Get aggregated health and progress insights across all projects in a workspace. Accepts workspace name or ID, with optional project ID filtering. Useful for a cross-project health overview.

get-overviewprojectId

Get a Markdown overview. If no projectId is provided, shows all projects with hierarchy and sections (useful for navigation). If projectId is provided, shows detailed overview of that specific project including all tasks grouped by sections.

delete-objecttype*id*

Delete a project, section, task, comment, label, filter, reminder, or location_reminder by its ID. Projects can be deleted whether active or archived (find archived ones via find-projects with archivedStatus); note a workspace project must be archived before it can be deleted, while personal projects can be deleted regardless.

fetch-objecttype*id*includeChildren

Fetch a single task, project, comment, or section by its ID. Use this when you have a specific object ID and want to retrieve its full details. Set includeChildren to also get its direct subtasks or sub-projects.

reorder-objectstype*items*

Reorder sibling projects or sections, and optionally move projects to a new parent. For projects: set order to reorder siblings, and/or set parentId to move under a new parent (use "root" for top level). For sections: set order to reorder within a project.

user-info

Get comprehensive user information including user ID, full name, email, timezone with current local time, week start day preferences, current week dates, daily/weekly goal progress, and user plan (Free/Pro/Business).

find-project-collaboratorsprojectIdsearchTerm

Find Todoist users (collaborators, teammates) by name or email to look up their user ID. Use this whenever the user asks to find, look up, or identify a person — e.g. "find Carrie's user ID", "who is Ernesto", "look up a user". When projectId is omitted, searches across the collaborators of every shared project the authenticated user has access to, plus the authenticated user themselves — an empty result means the person is not a collaborator on any project you share with them, not necessarily that they do not exist in Todoist. When projectId is provided, searches only that project. Partial, case-insensitive match on name and email.

manage-assignmentsoperation*taskIds*responsibleUserfromAssigneeUserdryRun

Bulk assignment operations for multiple tasks. Supports assign, unassign, and reassign operations with atomic rollback on failures.

list-workspaces

Get all workspaces for the authenticated user. Returns workspace details including ID, name, plan type (STARTER/BUSINESS), user role (ADMIN/MEMBER/GUEST), link sharing settings, guest permissions, creation date, and creator ID.

searchquery*

Search across tasks and projects in Todoist. Returns a list of relevant results with IDs, titles, and URLs.

fetchid*

Fetch the full contents of a task or project by its ID. The ID should be in the format "task:{id}" or "project:{id}".

Parameters marked with * are required.

Setup

Working configs, one per app.

Copy the block for the app you use. Each one is the configuration this server was verified with.

Claude Desktop

Open the file ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (in Claude Desktop: Settings, then Developer, then Edit Config) and add:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "todoist-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "@doist/todoist-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TODOIST_API_KEY": "your-todoist-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace your-todoist-token-here with your own Todoist API token, then quit and reopen Claude Desktop. Doist also runs a hosted address, https://ai.todoist.net/mcp, that you add under Settings, then Connectors, then Add custom connector, and authorize in the browser instead of pasting a token. [5][4][8]

Claude Code

One command in your terminal:

claude mcp add todoist -e TODOIST_API_KEY=your-todoist-token-here -- npx -y @doist/todoist-mcp

Everything after the double dash is the exact command Claude Code will run, and -e sets the environment variable it runs with. Doist documents the hosted route too: claude mcp add --transport http todoist https://ai.todoist.net/mcp, then /mcp to authorize in the browser. [9][4]

Cursor

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json for every project, or to .cursor/mcp.json inside one project:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "todoist": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@doist/todoist-mcp"
      ],
      "env": {
        "TODOIST_API_KEY": "your-todoist-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor picks the file up on restart. Doist documents a hosted alternative for JSON clients as well: keep npx as the command and use the arguments -y mcp-remote https://ai.todoist.net/mcp, which opens a browser window to authorize. [10][4]

Routines

No JSON file and no terminal. In Routines: Settings, then Assistant, then Connections, then Add MCP Server. Switch the form to Command (stdio) and enter:

Name                    Todoist
Command                 npx
Arguments               -y @doist/todoist-mcp
Environment Variables   TODOIST_API_KEY=your-todoist-token-here

The token goes in the Environment Variables field as a single KEY=value row, so it never sits in the Arguments line. Click Test Connection first: a working server answers with its tool count. [11][5]

No terminal needed

Set the Todoist MCP server up without the terminal.

If you have never opened Terminal and never want to, this is your path. Routines is a Mac app that runs MCP servers for you: fill in four fields once, and this server's tools are available to your AI in chat and in scheduled routines.

  1. 01

    Install Routines

    Download the app from getroutines.ai/download, drag it to Applications, and sign in.

  2. 02

    Open the MCP settings

    Click your account at the bottom of the sidebar and choose Settings. Open the Assistant section, then the Connections tab, scroll to MCP Servers, and click Add MCP Server.

  3. 03

    Choose Command (stdio)

    Switch the form to Command (stdio): this server is a command, not a web address. Name it Todoist. Command: npx. Arguments: -y @doist/todoist-mcp, exactly as written, with one space between each part.

  4. 04

    Get your Todoist API token

    In Todoist, open Settings, then Integrations, then the Developer tab, and copy the API token shown there. It is one long line of letters and numbers. Treat it like a password: whoever holds it can read, change and delete your tasks.

  5. 05

    Paste the token, test, then add

    In the Environment Variables field add one row: TODOIST_API_KEY=your-todoist-token-here, with your own token after the equals sign and no spaces around it. Click Test Connection: Routines starts the server and reports how many tools it found, forty-five for this one. Then click Add Server.

  6. 06

    Use it

    The tools work in chat right away. To let a scheduled routine use them, open the routine, find the Tools & connections card, and tick the server under Apps.

Routine ideas

Routines worth scheduling.

Once the server is connected, a scheduled routine can use its tools while you are away. Copy a prompt, paste it into Routines, and pick a time.

A Monday plan

Prompt

Every Monday at 8:00, list my Todoist tasks due this week grouped by project, call out anything already overdue or marked p1, and write the whole plan to week-ahead.md.

An end of day sweep

Prompt

Every weekday at 17:30, find my Todoist tasks that were due today and are still open, reschedule each one to tomorrow, and give me a short list of what moved.

A Friday progress note

Prompt

Every Friday at 16:00, pull the Todoist tasks I completed this week plus my productivity stats, and write a five-line progress note I can paste into my team update.

Troubleshooting

The errors we hit, and what fixed them.

Real errors captured during the verification run, printed exactly as the server returned them.

Every tool call comes back with an authentication error

What you see

Todoist API request failed (HTTP 401, code 477, tag UNAUTHORIZED).
Message: Unauthorized
Details: event_id: 425f710703ac45ab9d978864aa151260; retry_after: 4
Try next: Authentication failed. Verify your API token, then retry.

The fix

Todoist rejected the token. This is the exact error our own run produced, because we started the server with a placeholder value on purpose. Check that TODOIST_API_KEY holds your real API token, that you copied all of it with no trailing space, and that you restarted the client after changing it: the value is read when the server starts, not when the tool is called.

The server quits the moment it starts

What you see

Error: TODOIST_API_KEY is not set

The fix

The variable is missing entirely, so the server throws before it can answer anything: Node prints this line inside a short stack trace, the process exits with status 1 having written nothing to stdout, and your client reports the connection as failed. Add TODOIST_API_KEY in the env block of your JSON config, after -e on the Claude Code command, or in the Environment Variables field in Routines, then start the client again.

Your MCP client cannot start the server at all

The fix

The npx command belongs to Node.js. If Node is not installed on your Mac, every client on this page fails at the spawn step before the server can say anything. Install Node from nodejs.org, restart your MCP client, and try again.

FAQ

Questions people ask.

What is the Todoist MCP server?

It is the official Todoist connector for AI assistants, published and maintained by Doist, the company behind Todoist. Once connected, an assistant such as Claude can work inside your Todoist account: adding and completing tasks, rescheduling them, organizing projects and sections, and reading back what you got done. On this page it runs as a local command on your Mac and talks to your AI app over stdio. [1][3][4]

What tools does the Todoist MCP server include?

The running server exposes 45 tools. They cover tasks (add-tasks, update-tasks, reschedule-tasks, complete-tasks, uncomplete-tasks, find-tasks, find-tasks-by-date, find-completed-tasks), projects and sections (add-projects, find-projects, project-management, project-move, add-sections, find-sections, get-overview, list-workspaces), labels, filters, comments and reminders, collaboration (find-project-collaborators, manage-assignments), reporting (get-productivity-stats, find-activity, get-project-health, get-workspace-insights), and general operations (delete-object, fetch-object, reorder-objects, user-info), plus a search and a fetch tool. The table above is the live tools/list output, word for word.

Is the Todoist MCP server safe?

Be clear-eyed about scope. Unlike a file server you can point at one folder, this one runs as you: the token you paste gives it your whole Todoist account, and the tool list includes delete-object, which removes projects, tasks, comments, labels and filters, and manage-assignments, which can reassign up to 50 tasks at once. Nothing narrows that down to one project. The sensible habits are to keep the token somewhere your client stores it privately, ask the assistant to show you what it plans to change before it changes it, and revoke the token in Todoist the moment you stop using the connection.

Do I need the terminal to set it up?

No. In Routines you fill four fields in Settings and click Test Connection; the walkthrough above shows every click, including where the token goes. Claude Desktop needs a small JSON file edited once. Only Claude Code is terminal-first by nature. [11][8]

Does it need an API key or a Todoist account?

Yes to both. You need a Todoist account, because every tool call runs as that user, and the local command needs an environment variable named TODOIST_API_KEY holding a Todoist API token. Doist names the variable in its docs and its example env file but does not say in them where to generate the token; in the app it sits under Settings, then Integrations, then Developer. If you are still deciding whether Todoist is the right home for your tasks, we keep a side by side at getroutines.ai/compare/todoist. [5][6][7]

What is the difference between the npx command and Doist's hosted address?

Same tools, different plumbing. The npx command downloads the package and runs the server as a process on your Mac, and you hand it a token you created yourself. The hosted address, https://ai.todoist.net/mcp, is a server Doist runs: your client connects to it over the web and you authorize it in the browser, with no token to copy. Doist presents the hosted one first and documents the local one for people who want the process on their own machine. The run on this page is the local one. [4][5]

Which apps can use the Todoist MCP server?

Any MCP client that can launch a local stdio server: Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, and Routines all can, and the exact config for each is above. The server itself is the same in every client; only the place you paste the config differs. [8][9][10][11]

Sources

Every external claim, receipted.

Anything on this page we did not observe in the run is linked here, with the date we read it. The run itself is the receipt for the rest.

  1. [1]

    npm registry: @doist/todoist-mcpaccessed 2026-08-03

    Latest version 12.2.2, published 2026-07-31; license MIT; described as the official Todoist MCP server; package first published 2026-05-14.

  2. [2]

    npm downloads API: last weekaccessed 2026-08-03

    3,148 downloads for the week ending 2026-08-01.

  3. [3]

    GitHub: Doist/todoist-mcpaccessed 2026-08-03

    532 stars and a push dated 2026-08-02 at access time, licensed MIT, owned by the Doist organization, per the GitHub API.

  4. [4]

    todoist-mcp README (main branch)accessed 2026-08-03

    The hosted address https://ai.todoist.net/mcp, the per-client setup instructions, and the purpose statement.

  5. [5]

    todoist-mcp docs: mcp-server.mdaccessed 2026-08-03

    The stdio JSON config with the TODOIST_API_KEY environment variable, and the local HTTP variant.

  6. [6]

    todoist-mcp docs: dev-setup.mdaccessed 2026-08-03

    Confirms the TODOIST_API_KEY variable for local runs; carries no instructions for creating the token.

  7. [7]

    todoist-mcp .env.exampleaccessed 2026-08-03

    One line: TODOIST_API_KEY=your-key-goes-here.

  8. [8]

    modelcontextprotocol.io: Connect to local MCP serversaccessed 2026-08-03

    The Claude Desktop config file location and the editing flow.

  9. [9]

    Claude Code docs: MCPaccessed 2026-08-03

    The claude mcp add syntax for local stdio servers, including environment variables.

  10. [10]

    Cursor docs: Model Context Protocolaccessed 2026-08-03

    The mcp.json shape and file locations.

  11. [11]

    Routines: Connectorsaccessed 2026-08-03

    How Routines runs one-click OAuth connectors and any MCP server.

This page describes Todoist as it behaved in one dated run on one Mac. Versions move: if something here no longer matches what you see, the capture date at the top says how old the reading is.

Behind this directory

Routines, the app behind this directory, runs MCP servers like this one without a terminal: see how connectors work. Your notes stay markdown files on your Mac, there is no cloud bill, and it works offline. Download Routines