Harvest MCP Server

This MCP (Model Context Protocol) server provides integration with the Harvest time tracking and project management API. It allows Claude and other

Local serverstdioPython

What is the Harvest MCP server?

This MCP (Model Context Protocol) server provides integration with the Harvest time tracking and project management API. It allows Claude and other MCP-compatible AI assistants to interact with your Harvest account, helping you manage time. The harvest mcp server wraps that behind the Model Context Protocol, so an assistant can use it through 7 defined tools rather than through you.

Its toolset

Everything the assistant can do here goes through one of these:

  • macOS — ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
  • Users — The Users tool exposed by this server
  • Projects — The Projects tool exposed by this server
  • Clients — The Clients tool exposed by this server
  • Tasks — The Tasks tool exposed by this server
  • Estimates — The Estimates tool exposed by this server
  • Prerequisites — The Prerequisites tool exposed by this server

Adding it to your client

Setup follows the usual MCP pattern — install or clone the server, register it in your client's configuration file, restart the client. The configuration blocks on this page cover the common clients.

Configuration

You will need 3 environment variables: HARVEST_ACCOUNT_ID, HARVEST_API_KEY, HARVEST_READ_ONLY. 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.

  • Python 3.10 or higher - Harvest account with API access - Harvest API key and Account ID

When to reach for it

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. Harvest's toolset — macOS, Users, Projects and 4 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by taiste; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

SyncDev reviews every entry in this directory against the project's own documentation before publishing, and revisits them as servers change.

Caveats

  • 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 harvest mcp server does with a few real requests.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
macOS~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
UsersThe Users tool exposed by this server.
ProjectsThe Projects tool exposed by this server.
ClientsThe Clients tool exposed by this server.
TasksThe Tasks tool exposed by this server.
EstimatesThe Estimates tool exposed by this server.
PrerequisitesThe Prerequisites tool exposed by this server.

How to install the Harvest MCP server

{
        "mcpServers": {
            "harvest": {
                "command": "uv",
                "args": [
                  "run",
                  "--directory",
                  "change_directory",
                  "harvest-mcp-server.py"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "HARVEST_ACCOUNT_ID": "account_id",
                    "HARVEST_API_KEY": "api_key"
                }
            }
        }
    }

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

  • Python 3.10 or higher - Harvest account with API access - Harvest API key and Account ID
VariableDescriptionRequired
HARVEST_ACCOUNT_IDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional
HARVEST_API_KEYCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
HARVEST_READ_ONLYConfiguration value read at startup.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Harvest to macOS.
  • Use Harvest to Users.
  • Use Harvest to Projects.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Harvest to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 7 tools (macOS, Users, Projects, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Harvest directly.