Harvest Natural Language Time Entry MCP Server

Log Harvest time entries using natural language, including specific support for leave requests.

Local serverstdioTypeScript 5

What is the Harvest Natural Language Time Entry MCP server?

Log Harvest time entries using natural language, including specific support for leave requests. Exposed over MCP by the harvest natural language time entry mcp server, that capability becomes something an assistant can invoke while it works, not something you go and do afterwards.

What it actually does

An MCP server that lets you log Harvest time entries using natural language, including special handling for leave requests. This server makes time tracking more intuitive by understanding natural language inputs and automatically handling common scenarios like leave requests.

  • 🗣️ Natural language time entry parsing
  • 🏖️ Special leave request handling (e.g., "I'm off sick today")
  • ⏰ Configurable work day hours
  • 🌍 Timezone support
  • 🎯 Automatic project and task matching
  • 📅 Smart date parsing (today, yesterday, etc.)

Adding it to your client

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

Its toolset

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

  • Installation — 1. Install the Claude desktop app
  • log_time — Regular time entries: "2 hours on Project X doing development work today" "45 minutes on Project Y testing yesterday" "3.5 hours on Project Z
  • get_time_report — 1. Time Period Options: "Show time report for last month" "Get time summary for this week" "Show hours from January 1st to January 31st" "Report time
  • list_projects — List all available Harvest projects: List my projects
  • list_tasks — List available tasks for a specific project: Show tasks for Project X
  • list_entries — View recent time entries: Show my recent time entries

Configuration

You will need 2 environment variables: HARVEST_ACCESS_TOKEN, HARVEST_ACCOUNT_ID. 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.

  • Node.js installed - A Harvest account - Personal access token from Harvest Developer Tools - Account ID (shown on the same page as your token)

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 natural language time entry mcp server does with a few real requests.

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 Natural Language Time Entry's toolset — Installation, log_time, get_time_report and 3 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by adrian-dotco; 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.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
Installation1. Install the [Claude desktop app](https://claude.ai/desktop)
log_timeRegular time entries: "2 hours on Project X doing development work today" "45 minutes on Project Y testing yesterday" "3.5 hours on Project Z meetings last Friday"
get_time_report1. Time Period Options: "Show time report for last month" "Get time summary for this week" "Show hours from January 1st to January 31st" "Report time for Q1" "Show me yesterday's hours"
list_projectsList all available Harvest projects: List my projects
list_tasksList available tasks for a specific project: Show tasks for Project X
list_entriesView recent time entries: Show my recent time entries

How to install the Harvest Natural Language Time Entry MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "harvest-natural-language-time-entry": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "npm"],
      "env": {
        "HARVEST_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "HARVEST_ACCOUNT_ID": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

  • Node.js installed - A Harvest account - Personal access token from Harvest Developer Tools - Account ID (shown on the same page as your token)
VariableDescriptionRequired
HARVEST_ACCESS_TOKENCredential the server authenticates with.Yes
HARVEST_ACCOUNT_IDConfiguration value read at startup.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Harvest Natural Language Time Entry to Installation.
  • Use Harvest Natural Language Time Entry to log time.
  • Use Harvest Natural Language Time Entry to get time report.

Frequently asked questions

Instead of manually filling out time sheets, you can use conversational commands. The tool automatically parses your input and logs the time against the correct project and task.