Recap MCP MCP Server

Recap: Your AI project manager. Plain markdown. Local-first. Open source.

Local serverstdio

What is the Recap MCP MCP server?

Recap MCP MCP server is a locally run integration for AI assistants that speak the Model Context Protocol. Recap: Your AI project manager. Plain markdown. Local-first. Open source.

What you get

Recap is an MCP server that gives Claude persistent memory of your ongoing projects. Job searches, side projects, learning goals, writing efforts, anything you work on over weeks or months. Your data lives as plain markdown files in a folder you own.

  • Local-first — your workspace is a folder of markdown files. Nothing leaves your machine
  • Plain markdown — open it in VS Code, Obsidian, vim, anything
  • Open source — MIT licensed, no vendor lock-in
  • Project-shaped, not blob-shaped — structured around projects, tasks, sessions, and notes, not opaque memory dumps
  • Eleven focused tools — no kitchen sink, no bloat

Setting it up

Installation goes through your MCP client rather than a global install: point it at recap-mcp on npm and it is fetched when the client starts. The copy-paste blocks for Claude Desktop, Claude Code and Cursor are further down this page.

What the assistant can call

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

  • briefing — Run at session start. Loads workspace status, active projects, recent activity
  • project_list — List projects, filter by status
  • project_create — Start a new project, optionally seeded from a template
  • project_brief — Load full context for one project (description, open tasks, recent sessions)
  • task_add — Add a task with optional priority, due date, notes
  • task_list — List tasks for a project, filterable by status
  • task_update — Change status, priority, due date, notes, or title
  • task_delete — Remove a task
  • session_log — Save a structured session entry: worked on, decisions, next steps
  • quick_note — Drop a timestamped note into a project
  • search — Fuzzy ranked search across the entire workspace

Configuration and credentials

You will need one environment variable: RECAP_WORKSPACE_PATH. Keep credentials in your client's env block or a secrets manager rather than in a file you might commit.

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.
  • With 11 tools registered it takes up a noticeable share of the context window; turn it off in projects that never touch Recap MCP.
  • MCP clients confirm each tool call by default. Leave that on until you have watched what the recap mcp mcp server does with a few real requests.

Choosing this one

This sits in the planning and project tracking group, where several servers overlap in what they claim to do but differ sharply once you actually set them up. Recap MCP's toolset — briefing, project_list, project_create and 8 more — is a fair guide to whether it matches your workflow. It is maintained by shivam-singh-git; worth a glance at recent repository activity before you build anything load-bearing on it.

This entry was verified against Recap MCP's own documentation before publication; SyncDev keeps the directory reviewed rather than auto-generated.

Available tools

ToolWhat it does
briefingRun at session start. Loads workspace status, active projects, recent activity.
project_listList projects, filter by status.
project_createStart a new project, optionally seeded from a template.
project_briefLoad full context for one project (description, open tasks, recent sessions).
task_addAdd a task with optional priority, due date, notes.
task_listList tasks for a project, filterable by status.
task_updateChange status, priority, due date, notes, or title.
task_deleteRemove a task.
session_logSave a structured session entry: worked on, decisions, next steps.
quick_noteDrop a timestamped note into a project.
searchFuzzy ranked search across the entire workspace.

How to install the Recap MCP MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "recap": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "recap-mcp"],
      "env": {
        "RECAP_WORKSPACE_PATH": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Add to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart Claude Desktop.

Configuration

VariableDescriptionRequired
RECAP_WORKSPACE_PATHFilesystem location the server is allowed to use.Optional

Example prompts to try

  • Use Recap MCP to briefing.
  • Use Recap MCP to project list.
  • Use Recap MCP to project create.

Frequently asked questions

It connects Recap MCP to MCP-compatible AI assistants such as Claude and Cursor, exposing 11 tools (briefing, project_list, project_create, and more) that the assistant can call on your behalf. Instead of copying data back and forth by hand, the assistant works with Recap MCP directly.