Task Master AI
WorkflowMCP server that parses PRDs into dependency-aware tasks, then drives the build through Claude Code.
Install
$ claude mcp add taskmaster-ai -- npx -y task-master-ai
Update
$ claude mcp add taskmaster-ai -- npx -y task-master-ai
npx-launched MCP server: re-running add (or restarting the client) fetches the newest task-master-ai release. For the global CLI, run npm install -g task-master-ai.
When to use it
- You have a PRD or spec and want it broken into ordered, dependency-aware tasks instead of an unstructured backlog.
- You want Claude Code to track task status, pick the next task, and expand subtasks across a multi-step build.
- You want AI-driven development without provider API keys, using the claude-code/opus or claude-code/sonnet models.
- You need a shared task system that works across Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code, and Claude Code via MCP.
Commands & flags
- claude mcp add taskmaster-ai -- npx -y task-master-ai
- Register Taskmaster as an MCP server in Claude Code.
- task-master init
- Initialize Taskmaster in a project (creates .taskmaster structure and config).
- task-master parse-prd <file>
- Convert a requirements doc (PRD) into structured, dependency-aware tasks.
- task-master next
- Surface the next task to work on based on status and dependencies.
- task-master research
- Run AI-powered research with full project context.
- --env TASK_MASTER_TOOLS='core'
- Load a leaner MCP toolset (core/standard/all) to control context cost.
How to use it
This is an MCP server, not a skill or plugin. Register it once with Claude Code:
claude mcp add taskmaster-ai -- npx -y task-master-ai
Then initialize a project and parse a PRD:
task-master init
task-master parse-prd .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt
task-master next
Configure models with task-master models. The claude-code/opus and claude-code/sonnet models require no provider API key — just the Claude Code CLI. To trim context cost, register with a smaller toolset via the env flag:
claude mcp add taskmaster-ai --env TASK_MASTER_TOOLS='core' -- npx -y task-master-ai
TASK_MASTER_TOOLS accepts all, standard, core (alias lean), or a custom comma-separated tool list.
Why it earns its place
One of the most popular AI-development task managers, by @eyaltoledano and @RalphEcom, with tens of thousands of GitHub stars. It turns a PRD into a concrete, dependency-ordered task graph and feeds tasks to the agent one at a time, which keeps long builds focused instead of letting the agent wander. Selective MCP tool loading lets you trade capability for context budget, and it runs key-free on Claude Code models.
Try it
> Parse my PRD at .taskmaster/docs/prd.txt into tasks, then show me the next one to implement.