Shortcut MCP

How to Install and Use Shortcut MCP

Shortcut MCP is a server that helps your AI tools connect to Shortcut, the project management app. In this guide, you’ll learn how to set it up easily with popular tools like Windsurf, Cursor, Claude Code, and Zed. Each step includes the exact code snippets you need.

Using Shortcut MCP with Windsurf

To start using Shortcut MCP with Windsurf, you first need to add the MCP server configuration inside Windsurf.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Open the Windsurf MCP Configuration Panel.
2. Click on Add custom server.
3. Copy and paste this configuration, then save:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shortcut": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@shortcut/mcp@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN": "<YOUR_SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Remember to replace <YOUR_SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN> with your actual API token from Shortcut.

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Setting Up Shortcut MCP for Cursor

If you use Cursor, you will need to create or edit the mcp.json file. This file is usually located at ~/.cursor/mcp.json or inside your project folder.

Follow these steps:

1. Open or create the mcp.json file.
2. Add this configuration inside:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "shortcut": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@shortcut/mcp@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN": "<YOUR_SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Make sure to put your Shortcut API token instead of <YOUR_SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN>.

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Installing Shortcut MCP with Claude Code

Claude Code supports adding MCP servers via the CLI or by directly editing the settings file.

To add via the command line:

Run this command after replacing your API token:

claude mcp add shortcut --transport=stdio -e SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN=$SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN -- npx -y @shortcut/mcp@latest

To edit the JSON file manually:

1. Open the ~/.claude.json file.
2. Inside the projects section, add:

{
  "projects": {
    "mcpServers": {
      "shortcut": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": [
          "-y",
          "@shortcut/mcp@latest"
        ],
        "env": {
          "SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN": "<YOUR_SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN>"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace <YOUR_SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN> with your Shortcut token.

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Quick Setup for Zed

With Zed, the MCP setup goes into your settings.json file.

Here’s what to do:

1. Open your settings.json. (You can find instructions on how to do this in Zed’s docs.)
2. Add this snippet:

"context_servers": {
  "shortcut": {
    "settings": {},
    "command": {
      "path": "<PATH/TO/NPX>",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@shortcut/mcp@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN": "<YOUR_SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Make sure to change <PATH/TO/NPX> to where your npx is installed, and add your API token in place of <YOUR_SHORTCUT_API_TOKEN>.

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This is the basic setup you need to get Shortcut MCP running with popular AI tools. Using the code examples exactly as shown will help you start integrating Shortcut features quickly. Don’t forget to get your Shortcut API token from your account settings to fill in the code snippets!