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What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI assistants interact with external tools and data sources. Ekso’s MCP server exposes 103 tools that AI agents can use to read and write project data — create items, plan sprints, manage documents, query finance reports, and more. MCP is supported by Claude, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, and other AI-powered tools.

Server endpoint

The MCP server is available at:
https://{tenant}.ekso.app/mcp/
Ekso uses Streamable HTTP transport (stateless mode). Each MCP request goes through the standard authentication and authorization pipeline.

Connecting

Claude Desktop

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration (claude_desktop_config.json):
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ekso": {
      "url": "https://{tenant}.ekso.app/mcp/"
    }
  }
}

Claude Code

Add via the CLI:
claude mcp add ekso --transport http https://{tenant}.ekso.app/mcp/

Cursor

Add this to your Cursor MCP settings (.cursor/mcp.json):
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ekso": {
      "url": "https://{tenant}.ekso.app/mcp/"
    }
  }
}

Authentication

MCP requests use the same Bearer token authentication as the REST API. The token is included automatically when you authenticate through your AI tool’s OAuth flow. For tools that support it, the MCP server will initiate OAuth 2.0 authorization using the same OAuth endpoints as the REST API.

Tool categories

Ekso’s MCP tools are organized by domain:
DomainToolsDescription
Item13CRUD, copy, search, plan/unplan, dependency management, screen discovery, and resource queries
Board6Query boards, cycles, items within cycles, budget reason codes, and CRUD
Cycle4Create, update, delete cycles and view stats
Container3List containers, their processes, and filter items with pagination
Area3Create, update, and delete areas within containers
Field4Field catalog with type-specific metadata, list values, picker entity data, and filterable field discovery
User2List users and get current user profile
Process2List processes and their workflow definitions
Label4Query, create, update, and delete labels
Annotation4Read and manage comments and annotations on entities
Link3Create and manage links between items
Watch6Manage pins and subscriptions on entities
Time5Non-billable time entry CRUD and resource time logs
Finance12Profitability, time tracking, billing, and finance metadata
Doc12Document folders, documents, and content management
Ticketing4Email conversation threads, ticket replies, and search by email or mailbox
Access Control1View access control rules
User Group4Manage user groups for access control
Clock1View business clock and SLA schedule configurations
Rule1View automation rules
Constraint5Field-level validation constraints on items
Notification3Scheduled notification configurations
Config1Post-event hooks

Resources

In addition to tools, Ekso’s MCP server exposes 10 read-only resources that provide AI-optimized domain knowledge — covering concepts, terminology, and workflows. Resources help agents build context before invoking tools. See the Resources page for the full list.

Prompts

Ekso’s MCP server provides 7 conversation prompts — pre-built templates that guide AI agents through multi-step planning workflows like sprint planning, review, and standup. Prompts pre-load live data (boards, cycles, items) so the AI can act immediately. See the Prompts page for details. Item, container, and board tool responses include a url field that links directly to the entity in the Ekso web app. AI agents can present these as clickable links so users can jump straight from an AI response into the application.

Read vs. write tools

Each tool is marked as either read-only or read-write:
  • Read-only tools query data without side effects. AI agents can call these freely for context gathering.
  • Read-write tools create or modify data. These require appropriate permissions and most AI agents will confirm before executing them.

Rate limits

MCP tools are rate-limited separately from the REST API using the Mcp rate limiting policy.