Overview
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI-powered coding tools communicate with external services. AlphaTales uses MCP to bring your project context, tasks, and workflows directly into your IDE so you never have to leave your editor to check what to work on next.
Why IDE Integration Matters
Switching between your code editor and a project management tool breaks your flow. With MCP integration, you can:
- See your features without opening a browser tab.
- Start and complete features from inside your editor.
- Pull full feature details including descriptions, acceptance criteria, and implementation tasks.
- Get smart recommendations for which feature to pick up next.
- Set project context so your AI assistant knows which project you are working on.
Tip: MCP integration works alongside your existing AlphaTales dashboard. Nothing changes in the web app -- you simply gain an additional way to interact with your projects.
Supported IDEs
AlphaTales provides MCP integration for the following tools:
| IDE | Connection Method |
|---|---|
| Cursor | One-click deeplink or manual setup |
| Codex | Config file (~/.codex/config.toml) |
| Antigravity | MCP settings panel via mcp-remote |
| GitHub Copilot | VS Code MCP config file |
| Claude Code | CLI command |
Any other IDE or tool that supports the MCP protocol can also connect using the AlphaTales MCP server URL.
What You Can Do From Your IDE
Once connected, you gain access to a set of tools that your AI coding assistant can use on your behalf:
- Manage projects -- List projects, set your active project, and view project architecture.
- View your features -- See features assigned to you or list all features in a project.
- Get feature details -- Retrieve descriptions, acceptance criteria, scope, and implementation tasks for any feature.
- Manage feature status -- Start features, mark them complete, assign features to yourself, or unassign them.
- Get next feature -- Ask AlphaTales to recommend the most important feature to work on.
How It Works
- You add the AlphaTales MCP server to your IDE (a one-time setup).
- Your IDE authenticates you via a secure login flow.
- Your AI coding assistant can now call AlphaTales tools whenever you ask about tasks or projects.
Tip: The connection uses the same account you use to log in to AlphaTales on the web. No separate credentials are needed.
Next Steps
Ready to connect? Follow the setup guide for your IDE: