task-master-ai
Advanced tools
A task management system for ambitious AI-driven development that doesn't overwhelm and confuse Cursor.
A task management system for AI-driven development with Claude, designed to work seamlessly with Cursor AI.
For more detailed information, check out the documentation in the docs directory:
📋 Click the copy button (top-right of code block) then paste into your browser:
cursor://anysphere.cursor-deeplink/mcp/install?name=taskmaster-ai&config=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
Note: After clicking the link, you'll still need to add your API keys to the configuration. The link installs the MCP server with placeholder keys that you'll need to replace with your actual API keys.
Taskmaster utilizes AI across several commands, and those require a separate API key. You can use a variety of models from different AI providers provided you add your API keys. For example, if you want to use Claude 3.7, you'll need an Anthropic API key.
You can define 3 types of models to be used: the main model, the research model, and the fallback model (in case either the main or research fail). Whatever model you use, its provider API key must be present in either mcp.json or .env.
At least one (1) of the following is required:
Using the research model is optional but highly recommended. You will need at least ONE API key (unless using Claude Code). Adding all API keys enables you to seamlessly switch between model providers at will.
MCP (Model Control Protocol) lets you run Task Master directly from your editor.
| Editor | Scope | Linux/macOS Path | Windows Path | Key |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor | Global | ~/.cursor/mcp.json | %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json | mcpServers |
| Project | <project_folder>/.cursor/mcp.json | <project_folder>\.cursor\mcp.json | mcpServers | |
| Windsurf | Global | ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json | %USERPROFILE%\.codeium\windsurf\mcp_config.json | mcpServers |
| VS Code | Project | <project_folder>/.vscode/mcp.json | <project_folder>\.vscode\mcp.json | servers |
mcpServers){
"mcpServers": {
"taskmaster-ai": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "--package=task-master-ai", "task-master-ai"],
"env": {
"ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY_HERE",
"PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_PERPLEXITY_API_KEY_HERE",
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENAI_KEY_HERE",
"GOOGLE_API_KEY": "YOUR_GOOGLE_KEY_HERE",
"MISTRAL_API_KEY": "YOUR_MISTRAL_KEY_HERE",
"OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENROUTER_KEY_HERE",
"XAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_XAI_KEY_HERE",
"AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_AZURE_KEY_HERE",
"OLLAMA_API_KEY": "YOUR_OLLAMA_API_KEY_HERE"
}
}
}
}
🔑 Replace
YOUR_…_KEY_HEREwith your real API keys. You can remove keys you don't use.
Note: If you see
0 tools enabledin the MCP settings, try removing the--package=task-master-aiflag fromargs.
servers + type){
"servers": {
"taskmaster-ai": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "--package=task-master-ai", "task-master-ai"],
"env": {
"ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "YOUR_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY_HERE",
"PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "YOUR_PERPLEXITY_API_KEY_HERE",
"OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENAI_KEY_HERE",
"GOOGLE_API_KEY": "YOUR_GOOGLE_KEY_HERE",
"MISTRAL_API_KEY": "YOUR_MISTRAL_KEY_HERE",
"OPENROUTER_API_KEY": "YOUR_OPENROUTER_KEY_HERE",
"XAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_XAI_KEY_HERE",
"AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY": "YOUR_AZURE_KEY_HERE"
},
"type": "stdio"
}
}
}
🔑 Replace
YOUR_…_KEY_HEREwith your real API keys. You can remove keys you don't use.
Open Cursor Settings (Ctrl+Shift+J) ➡ Click on MCP tab on the left ➡ Enable task-master-ai with the toggle
In your editor's AI chat pane, say:
Change the main, research and fallback models to <model_name>, <model_name> and <model_name> respectively.
For example, to use Claude Code (no API key required):
Change the main model to claude-code/sonnet
Table of available models | Claude Code setup
In your editor's AI chat pane, say:
Initialize taskmaster-ai in my project
For new projects: Create your PRD at .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt
For existing projects: You can use scripts/prd.txt or migrate with task-master migrate
An example PRD template is available after initialization in .taskmaster/templates/example_prd.txt.
[!NOTE] While a PRD is recommended for complex projects, you can always create individual tasks by asking "Can you help me implement [description of what you want to do]?" in chat.
Always start with a detailed PRD.
The more detailed your PRD, the better the generated tasks will be.
Use your AI assistant to:
Can you parse my PRD at scripts/prd.txt?What's the next task I should work on?Can you help me implement task 3?Can you show me tasks 1, 3, and 5?Can you help me expand task 4?Research the latest best practices for implementing JWT authentication with Node.jsResearch React Query v5 migration strategies for our current API implementation in src/api.jsMore examples on how to use Task Master in chat
# Install globally
npm install -g task-master-ai
# OR install locally within your project
npm install task-master-ai
# If installed globally
task-master init
# If installed locally
npx task-master init
# Initialize project with specific rules
task-master init --rules cursor,windsurf,vscode
This will prompt you for project details and set up a new project with the necessary files and structure.
# Initialize a new project
task-master init
# Parse a PRD and generate tasks
task-master parse-prd your-prd.txt
# List all tasks
task-master list
# Show the next task to work on
task-master next
# Show specific task(s) - supports comma-separated IDs
task-master show 1,3,5
# Research fresh information with project context
task-master research "What are the latest best practices for JWT authentication?"
# Generate task files
task-master generate
# Add rules after initialization
task-master rules add windsurf,roo,vscode
Task Master now supports Claude models through the Claude Code CLI, which requires no API key:
claude-code/opus and claude-code/sonnetLearn more about Claude Code setup
task-master init doesn't respondTry running it with Node directly:
node node_modules/claude-task-master/scripts/init.js
Or clone the repository and run:
git clone https://github.com/eyaltoledano/claude-task-master.git
cd claude-task-master
node scripts/init.js
Task Master is licensed under the MIT License with Commons Clause. This means you can:
✅ Allowed:
❌ Not Allowed:
See the LICENSE file for the complete license text and licensing details for more information.
0.18.0
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Can now configure baseURL of provider with <PROVIDER>_BASE_URL
OPENAI_BASE_URL#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Added comprehensive rule profile management:
New Profile Support: Added comprehensive IDE profile support with eight specialized profiles: Claude Code, Cline, Codex, Cursor, Roo, Trae, VS Code, and Windsurf. Each profile is optimized for its respective IDE with appropriate mappings and configuration.
Initialization: You can now specify which rule profiles to include at project initialization using --rules <profiles> or -r <profiles> (e.g., task-master init -r cursor,roo). Only the selected profiles and configuration are included.
Add/Remove Commands: task-master rules add <profiles> and task-master rules remove <profiles> let you manage specific rule profiles and MCP config after initialization, supporting multiple profiles at once.
Interactive Setup: task-master rules setup launches an interactive prompt to select which rule profiles to add to your project. This does not re-initialize your project or affect shell aliases; it only manages rules.
Selective Removal: Rules removal intelligently preserves existing non-Task Master rules and files and only removes Task Master-specific rules. Profile directories are only removed when completely empty and all conditions are met (no existing rules, no other files/folders, MCP config completely removed).
Safety Features: Confirmation messages clearly explain that only Task Master-specific rules and MCP configurations will be removed, while preserving existing custom rules and other files.
Robust Validation: Includes comprehensive checks for array types in MCP config processing and error handling throughout the rules management system.
This enables more flexible, rule-specific project setups with intelligent cleanup that preserves user customizations while safely managing Task Master components.
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Make task-master more compatible with the "o" family models of OpenAI
Now works well with:
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Add better support for python projects by adding pyproject.toml as a projectRoot marker
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - - Git Worktree Detection:
--git/--no-git controls repository initialization--aliases/--no-aliases consistently manages shell alias creation--git-tasks/--no-git-tasks controls whether task files are stored in Git--dry-run accurately previews all initialization behaviors--git-tasks flag includes task files in Git (comments them out in .gitignore)--no-git-tasks flag excludes task files from Git (default behavior)Implementation Details:
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Add Claude Code provider support
Introduces a new provider that enables using Claude models (Opus and Sonnet) through the Claude Code CLI without requiring an API key.
Key features:
Users can now configure Claude Code models with: task-master models --set-main sonnet --claude-code task-master models --set-research opus --claude-code
The @anthropic-ai/claude-code package is optional and won't be installed unless explicitly needed.
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Fix expand command preserving tagged task structure and preventing data corruption
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Fix Cursor deeplink installation by providing copy-paste instructions for GitHub compatibility
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Call rules interactive setup during init
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Update o3 model price
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Improves Amazon Bedrock support
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Fix issues with task creation/update where subtasks are being created like id: <parent_task>.<subtask> instead if just id: <subtask>
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Fixes issue with expand CLI command "Complexity report not found"
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Store tasks in Git by default
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Improve provider validation system with clean constants structure
This change ensures all custom providers (Azure, Vertex, Bedrock, OpenRouter, Ollama) work correctly in task-master models --setup
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Fix weird task-master init bug when using in certain environments
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Rename Roo Code Boomerang role to Orchestrator
#840 b40139c Thanks @Crunchyman-ralph! - Improve mcp keys check in cursor
FAQs
A task management system for ambitious AI-driven development that doesn't overwhelm and confuse Cursor.
The npm package task-master-ai receives a total of 20,776 weekly downloads. As such, task-master-ai popularity was classified as popular.
We found that task-master-ai demonstrated a healthy version release cadence and project activity because the last version was released less than a year ago. It has 1 open source maintainer collaborating on the project.
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