# Free online task manager MCP resources

> An MCP task manager exposes your real to-do list to AI assistants over the Model Context Protocol. Done Bear hosts one at mcp.donebear.com/mcp: Streamable HTTP, OAuth 2.1, 15 tools. Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, Codex, and VS Code Copilot all connect. Todoist and TickTick ship servers, and Things 3 does not.

Last updated October 1, 2026 · Matthew Blode

## Key takeaways

- Remote MCP servers use Streamable HTTP, so there is no npm package or API key in the normal flow.
- OAuth 2.1 carries authorization: the client hits a 401, discovers metadata, then opens a browser.
- Done Bear exposes 15 tools, 5 read and 10 write; a read-only API key can only reach the 5.
- The config key differs per client. Windsurf wants serverUrl, Cursor wants url, VS Code wants type plus url.
- Coding-task planners like Task Master end with the session, so they are not task managers.

## What these task manager MCP resources cover

Most MCP instructions stop at "paste the URL". The connection then fails on a config key nobody mentioned, and there is no list telling you which key your client wants.

This page is that list.

For what the category is and why coding-task planners are not task managers, read [What is an MCP task manager?](/blog/what-is-an-mcp-task-manager) For per-client walkthroughs, use the [MCP clients hub](/mcp/clients).

The Done Bear endpoint referenced throughout is `https://mcp.donebear.com/mcp`. Transport and authorization claims come from the MCP specification; per-client details come from each vendor's own documentation.

## Which clients connect, and how

Any client that speaks Streamable HTTP can connect. What differs is the config key and the plan gate.

| Client | How you add it | Setup notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Claude (desktop and web)](/mcp/claude) | Customize, Connectors, add custom connector, paste the URL | One custom connector on Free. |
| [ChatGPT](/mcp/chatgpt) | Developer Mode, Apps and Connectors, add the URL | Enable Developer Mode on a supported paid plan. |
| [Claude Code](/mcp/claude-code) | claude mcp add --transport http donebear <url> | Use --transport http for a remote server. |
| [Cursor](/mcp/cursor) | One-click deeplink, or a url entry in .cursor/mcp.json | Install Cursor before using the one-click link. |
| [Windsurf](/mcp/windsurf) | serverUrl entry in ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json | Use serverUrl in the config. |
| Codex | codex mcp add donebear --url <url>, then codex mcp login | First remote server needs experimental_use_rmcp_client in config.toml. |
| VS Code (Copilot) | servers entry in .vscode/mcp.json with "type": "http" | Set "type": "http" for a remote server. |
| [Raycast](/mcp/raycast) | Install the Done Bear extension from the Raycast Store | The native extension is the verified path, and MCP is provisional. |

## What tools an MCP task manager exposes

Done Bear exposes 15 tools: 5 read and 10 write. Agents can read and add on the same list you do.

| Area | Read | Write |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Orientation | get_context, guide | None |
| Tasks | task_list, task_show, search | task_add, task_edit, task_done, task_reopen, task_archive |
| Sub-objects | task_show with include | checklist, comment, attachment |
| Projects, labels, teams | get_context | project, label_create |

Five write tools are marked destructive in their tool annotations: task_archive, attachment, checklist, comment, and project. The last four carry the hint because one of their actions deletes something.

## How auth works on a remote MCP server

The MCP authorization spec puts OAuth 2.1 at the centre. Your client calls the server, receives a 401, discovers the OAuth endpoints through protected resource metadata, then opens a browser for you to sign in. After that it holds tokens and you never touch a key.

Clients that support direct bearer headers can send a Done Bear API key instead. Scope is enforced server-side: a read-only key reaches the 5 read tools and nothing else, and every mutation needs the write scope. OAuth is still the better default because you can revoke one client without touching the others.

## Which task managers actually ship an MCP server

Fewer task managers ship an MCP server than a search suggests. Much of what ranks for "MCP task manager" is a coding-task planner that forgets your list when the session ends.

| Product | Ships MCP | Detail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Done Bear | Yes | Hosted, Streamable HTTP with OAuth 2.1, 15 tools, free plan |
| Todoist | Yes | Official server over the Todoist API |
| TickTick | Yes | Official server, paid beta |
| Things 3 | No | Community bridges offer local and remote access; no official server. |
| Task Master, Shrimp Task Manager | Different category | Coding-task planners whose state ends with the session |

If you already live in Todoist or TickTick and only want agent access, their servers are a reasonable answer and you should stay. Compare the rest at [Todoist](/todoist-alternative), [TickTick](/ticktick-alternative), and [Things 3](/things-3-alternative).

## Setup checklist

- Use serverUrl in Windsurf, url in Cursor, and type: http in VS Code.
- For Claude Code, add --transport http.
- If sign-in fails, clear the client’s saved MCP auth and reconnect.
- Claude Free supports one custom connector. Check plan or admin limits if you need more.
- If you have several workspaces, pass workspace to the tool.
- A read-only key can use the 5 read tools. To change tasks, grant the write scope.

## How an agent should read these docs

Point the assistant at [donebear.com/llms.txt](/llms.txt) first. It lists every page with a markdown copy, and every copy links back to it, so the assistant follows links instead of guessing URLs.

Any donebear.com page has a markdown copy at its URL plus `.md`. For example, `https://donebear.com/docs/mcp/get-started.md` is the setup guide without the page chrome. Sending `Accept: text/markdown` to the page URL returns the same copy.

The map link is there because agents fail on documentation while finding their way, and read it well once they arrive. [Mintlify's 2026 State of Knowledge benchmark](https://www.mintlify.com/state-of-knowledge/2026) ran 2,400 tasks across 20 docs sites with Claude and Codex: 2.23 failed requests per task on HTML, 1.42 on bare markdown, and 0.11 once the markdown linked to a map, with accuracy between 94% and 99% whatever the format.

## Related reading

- [What is an MCP task manager?](/blog/what-is-an-mcp-task-manager): What the category is, and how it differs from coding-task planners.
- [Get started with MCP](/docs/mcp/get-started): The full endpoint reference, transports, and troubleshooting.
- [MCP clients](/mcp/clients): Every client with a verified setup page, plus per-client caveats.

Other capture surfaces: [CLI](/docs/cli), [Raycast](/docs/raycast). To plan a week with an assistant, pair this with the [GTD weekly review resources](/free-online-gtd-weekly-review-resources).

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need to install anything to use a remote MCP server?

No. Streamable HTTP servers are reached over a URL, so the normal flow has no npm package, no local process, and no API key. Your client discovers the OAuth endpoints and opens a browser on the first call. You sign in once, approve access, and the client holds the tokens from then on.

### Can I use an API key instead of OAuth?

Yes, for clients that support direct bearer headers. A read-only key reaches the 5 read tools, and write actions need a key with the write scope. Scope is enforced on the server, so the client cannot widen it. OAuth remains the recommended path because you can revoke one client without touching the others.

### Which other task managers ship an MCP server?

Todoist and TickTick offer official servers; TickTick's is a paid beta. Things 3 relies on community bridges, with local and remote options. See our Things 3 MCP guide for setup.

### Are Task Master and Shrimp Task Manager MCP task managers?

Not in the sense this page uses. Task Master and Shrimp Task Manager break a coding job into sub-tasks for the length of a session, and that state ends with the session. A task manager holds your own list across days and devices, including the dentist appointment that has nothing to do with code.

## Where this information comes from

1. [Anthropic, Use connectors to extend Claude's capabilities (Claude Free allows one custom connector)](https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11176164-use-connectors-to-extend-claude-s-capabilities)
2. [piersdd, Things 3 MCP server (archived) (a community Things 3 bridge documents authenticated remote HTTP access; the repository is archived)](https://github.com/piersdd/things-3-mcp)
3. [Model Context Protocol, Specification: Transports (Streamable HTTP is the transport remote MCP servers use, alongside stdio for local ones)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-11-25/basic/transports)
4. [Model Context Protocol, Specification: Authorization (OAuth 2.1 authorization, protected resource metadata discovery, and the 401 handshake)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/specification/2025-11-25/basic/authorization)
5. [Anthropic, Introducing the Model Context Protocol (MCP is an open standard, introduced by Anthropic in November 2024)](https://www.anthropic.com/news/model-context-protocol)
6. [Anthropic, Connect Claude Code to tools via MCP (the claude mcp add --transport http flow and scope handling in Claude Code)](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code/mcp)
7. [Microsoft, Add and manage MCP servers in VS Code (the .vscode/mcp.json servers entry and its "type": "http" key)](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/mcp-servers)
8. [Mintlify, The 2026 State of Knowledge Report (agents failed 2.23 requests per task on HTML docs, 1.42 on markdown and 0.11 on markdown that links to an llms.txt map, at 94% to 99% accuracy, across 2,400 tasks on 20 documentation sites with Claude and Codex)](https://www.mintlify.com/state-of-knowledge/2026)

Tool counts and scope behaviour are read from the Done Bear MCP server itself, not from a third party.

## When you might not need this

If you never ask an assistant about your tasks, MCP adds a connection to maintain and nothing else. It earns its place when you already work in Claude, ChatGPT, or an editor and keep retyping what they suggest.

Free to start. No trial, no credit card.

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Every Done Bear page is listed at https://donebear.com/llms.txt. Any page has a markdown copy at its URL plus `.md`. Start from the map rather than guessing a path.