Cartograph MCP Server

Repo analysis for coding agents with ranked files, dependency maps, and task-scoped context.

Local serverstdio

What is the Cartograph MCP server?

Cartograph MCP server exists for a simple reason — assistants are far more useful when they can act on Cartograph directly instead of describing what you should do. Repo analysis for coding agents with ranked files, dependency maps, and task-scoped context.

What you get

Cartograph is task-shaped repo context for coding agents. It ships a CLI, an MCP server, user-scope install adapters for Claude Code and OpenClaw, and packaged agent assets for documentation-heavy workflows.

What the assistant can call

Once Cartograph is connected, these are the calls the assistant has available:

  • Providers — Set the API key with --key or CARTOGRAPH_API_KEY. Ollama does not require a key

Setting it up

npm on npm is all you need. Most clients run it directly, so configuration is a few lines and a restart.

Configuration and credentials

You will need one environment variable: CARTOGRAPH_API_KEY. The server will not start without them, which is usually why the tools fail to appear on a first run. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

Choosing this one

Plenty of planning and project tracking servers cover similar ground. The differences that matter in practice are scope of access and how much setup stands between you and a working tool call. Cartograph's toolset — Providers — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by anthony-maio; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

We check each listing at SyncDev against the project's documentation before it goes live — if something here drifts out of date, it is a bug worth reporting.

Before you rely on it

  • It runs with your machine's permissions. That is convenient and also the reason to think about what you point it at before you approve a tool call.
  • Missing credentials fail quietly in some clients — if no tools show up, check the environment block first.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the cartograph mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
ProvidersSet the API key with --key or CARTOGRAPH_API_KEY. Ollama does not require a key.

How to install the Cartograph MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "cartograph": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "npm"],
      "env": {
        "CARTOGRAPH_API_KEY": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
CARTOGRAPH_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes

Example prompts to try

  • Use Cartograph to Providers.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Cartograph to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 1 tool (Providers) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Cartograph directly.