How to add MCP Shrimp Task Manager to Claude Desktop

Intelligent task management for AI agents: plan, decompose, and execute dev tasks with persistent memory. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 2.1k★ · stdio · no auth

Claude Desktop config for MCP Shrimp Task Manager

git clone https://github.com/cjo4m06/mcp-shrimp-task-manager.git && cd mcp-shrimp-task-manager && npm install && npm run build

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-shrimp-task-manager": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/mcp-shrimp-task-manager/dist/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "DATA_DIR": "/path/to/your/shrimp_data",
        "TEMPLATES_USE": "en",
        "ENABLE_GUI": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
2Paste the MCP Shrimp Task Manager config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
5Open a chat and confirm MCP Shrimp Task Manager's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

Node.js 18+
npm or yarn
MCP-compatible AI client (e.g. Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cline, Cursor, Windsurf)
Clone and build the repository (npm install && npm run build)

What MCP Shrimp Task Manager can do in Claude Desktop

plan_task

Create a comprehensive task plan from a natural-language description.

execute_task

Execute a specific task by id.

list_tasks

Display all tasks with their status.

delete_task

Remove a task from the queue.

complete_task

Mark a task as completed.

update_task

Modify task details and requirements.

split_tasks

Break down a complex task into subtasks.

analyze_task

Perform deep analysis of task requirements and complexity.

Security

Runs locally over stdio with no authentication. Task data is stored on disk at the path set by DATA_DIR. The README's example launches Claude Code with `--dangerously-skip-permissions`; use that flag with caution. An optional web GUI (ENABLE_GUI=true) and a separate Task Viewer expose local HTTP interfaces.

MCP Shrimp Task Manager + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the MCP Shrimp Task Manager config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is MCP Shrimp Task Manager safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Is there an npm package to run it directly?

No. The README installs it by cloning the repo, running npm install, and npm run build, then pointing the MCP client at dist/index.js.

Which AI clients are supported?

Any MCP-compatible client. The docs show configuration for Claude Code (.mcp.json), Claude Desktop, and Cline, and the project targets Cursor and Windsurf as well.

Do tasks persist across sessions?

Yes. Task data is stored on disk under the DATA_DIR path, so tasks and progress persist across sessions and survive token limits.

View repo Full MCP Shrimp Task Manager page