The Shortcut MCP server gives an agent access to stories, epics, iterations and workflow states. It suits the same job as the Asana and Jira servers: answering questions that span the tracker rather than manipulating one item at a time.
What it actually does
The server authenticates with an API token and exposes Shortcut’s model as tools. The agent can search stories, read their details and state, look at epics and the stories inside them, and inspect iterations. Writes are supported for creating and updating stories where the token allows it.
Practical patterns:
- ‘What shipped in the last iteration, grouped by epic?’
- ‘Which stories are in review and have been for more than a week?’
- ‘Create stories for each item in this technical plan, linked to the platform epic.‘
Why use it
Iteration reporting is repetitive work with a predictable shape, which is the ideal profile for delegation. The other real use is finding stalled work: stories that entered a state and stopped moving are invisible in a board view and obvious to something that can compare timestamps across the whole workspace.
Gotchas
Workflow states are customised per workspace, and a report that assumes a standard set of states will misclassify work in a team that renamed them. Confirm the mapping on a sprint you already understand. Stories an agent creates from a plan tend to be brief and light on acceptance criteria, so specify what you want in each. Token scope follows your user, so it can see whatever you can see across projects.
