Connect MCP

Tandem ships a Model Context Protocol server. Drop one config block into Cursor, Claude Code, Windsurf, OpenAI Codex CLI, VS Code Copilot, or OpenClaw — your agent gets read/write access to your task pipeline, project switcher, and activity log without leaving the chat. No API keys. No round-trips through a browser.

6 compatible clients
6 MCP tools exposed
0 external dependencies
Stdio transport · localhost

Compatible clients

Every editor and CLI below speaks MCP natively. Tandem’s server is just another entry in their server list — no plugin, no extension, no marketplace install.

Client	Config file	Notes
Cursor	`.cursor/mcp.json`	Per-project MCP servers. Restart the chat panel after editing.
Claude Code	`~/.claude.json`	Anthropic’s official CLI. Project-level `.mcp.json` also supported.
Windsurf	`~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`	Codeium’s agentic IDE. Same JSON schema as Cursor.
Codex CLI	`~/.codex/config.toml`	OpenAI’s terminal coding agent. TOML config — not JSON.
VS Code	`.vscode/mcp.json`	GitHub Copilot’s agent mode. Workspace-scoped servers.
OpenClaw	`~/.openclaw/mcp.json`	Open-source Claude Code fork. Drop-in compatible config.

Setup — pick your editor

Pick a tab, copy the block, paste it into the listed file. That’s the whole setup. Restart your editor’s chat panel and ask “list my tasks” to verify.

Edit .cursor/mcp.json in your project root (create if missing).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tandem": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/home/user/Desktop/claude-brain/project-workspace/Tandem/app/mcp/__main__.py"]
    }
  }
}

Cursor reloads MCP servers when the chat panel reopens. If you don’t see tandem in the tools list, check View → Output → Cursor MCP for stderr.

Edit ~/.claude.json (user-level) or .mcp.json (project-level).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tandem": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/home/user/Desktop/claude-brain/project-workspace/Tandem/app/mcp/__main__.py"]
    }
  }
}

Project-level .mcp.json takes precedence and travels with the repo — preferred for team setups. Run claude mcp list to confirm registration.

Edit ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tandem": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/home/user/Desktop/claude-brain/project-workspace/Tandem/app/mcp/__main__.py"]
    }
  }
}

Refresh from Cascade → MCP servers → Refresh. Windsurf surfaces tool errors in the Cascade panel directly.

Edit ~/.codex/config.toml — TOML, not JSON.

[mcp_servers.tandem]
command = "python3"
args = ["/home/user/Desktop/claude-brain/project-workspace/Tandem/app/mcp/__main__.py"]

Codex CLI uses TOML for its config. The section header is [mcp_servers.<name>] — one per server. Run codex --help for transport flags.

Edit .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tandem": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/home/user/Desktop/claude-brain/project-workspace/Tandem/app/mcp/__main__.py"]
    }
  }
}

Requires the GitHub Copilot extension with agent mode enabled. After saving, open the Copilot Chat view and toggle Agent — tools will appear in the tool picker.

What this unlocks

Six tools, one purpose: keep your agent in the loop on what you’re working on without context-switching to the dashboard.

Tool	What it does
`tandem_list_tasks`	Ask your agent: what am I working on?
`tandem_get_task`	Full task context on demand.
`tandem_create_task`	Capture a new task without leaving the editor.
`tandem_update_task`	Move tasks through the pipeline from chat.
`tandem_list_projects`	Switch project context instantly.
`tandem_append_activity`	Write session notes to the task log.

Alongside the MCP ecosystem

Every MCP-aware client supports multiple servers running in parallel. Tandem is one entry next to GitHub, Linear, Notion, and anything else you already use — they don’t conflict, they compose.

Combined config example — Tandem alongside GitHub, Linear, and Notion in a single Cursor/Claude Code/Windsurf mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tandem": {
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/home/user/Desktop/claude-brain/project-workspace/Tandem/app/mcp/__main__.py"]
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": { "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_..." }
    },
    "linear": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@linear/mcp-server"],
      "env": { "LINEAR_API_KEY": "lin_api_..." }
    },
    "notion": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@notionhq/mcp-server"],
      "env": { "NOTION_API_KEY": "secret_..." }
    }
  }
}