# Basecamp MCP MCP > Basecamp MCP lets your AI client read and organize all project data—tasks, messages, chat logs, and team members—from Basecamp in one go. Stop clicking through tabs; just ask your agent for a status digest across multiple projects or list every overdue task from a specific todolist. ## Overview - **Category:** communication-messaging - **Price:** Free - **Tags:** task-tracking, team-communication, async-work, project-organization, todo-lists ## Description Need to know what’s happening on three different client accounts? You don't have time to open the browser, log in, and navigate seven separate project pages. This MCP connects your Basecamp account directly to any AI agent, pulling all the critical data into natural conversation. Your agent can list active projects, check recent messages on a board, or pull chat logs from Campfire—all without you having to click anything. You'll get immediate visibility into everything: who’s assigned what, if tasks are pending in a todoset, and what was said last night. It keeps your project data centralized so you can focus on the work, not the web interface. Accessing this via Vinkius means your agent stays connected to the entire catalog of services, making it easy to pull together reports from Basecamp alongside other tools. ## Tools ### get_project Fetches specific details for one particular Basecamp project. ### list_campfire_lines Retrieves recent, interactive chat lines from a specified project's Campfire module. ### list_messages Lists all messages posted on a specific project message board. ### list_people Enumerates the entire organization's team profiles, tracking author history for every user. ### list_projects Gives a comprehensive list of all active projects within your Basecamp account. ### list_todolists Shows all the individual todolist groups contained inside a larger todoset. ### list_todos Retrieves a list of every specific task item within a selected todolist. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` What are the latest message board posts in the 'Website Redesign' project? ``` **Response:** ``` I found 2 recent messages on the board. 1. 'Final CSS Delivery' by Anna M. (with 3 comments). 2. 'DNS Blockers' by David (with 0 comments). Shall I fetch the Campfire logs as well? ``` **Prompt:** ``` List all pending todos on the 'Launch Day' todolist. ``` **Response:** ``` You have 4 unfinished todos tracking under Launch Day. 1. Deploy Vinkius Cluster 2. Setup Stripe Billing (Assigned: Sarah) 3. Finalize README. They are active and awaiting resolution natively. ``` **Prompt:** ``` Can you summarize the active projects our team is working on? ``` **Response:** ``` I've pulled the Basecamp hierarchy. You have 3 primary explicit team projects: 'Mobile MVP 2026', 'Accounting Integration', and 'HQ General Ops'. Would you like the people directory mapping their team memberships? ``` ## Capabilities ### Summarize all active projects Get a list of every project in your account and gather details on specific project structures. ### Track task status across todosets Review explicit todolists and check individual tasks to see what needs attention right now. ### Read communication history Pull the most recent messages from a project board or retrieve chat lines from the Campfire module. ### View team directory and roles List every person in your organization, tracking who they are and their history within Basecamp. ## Use Cases ### The PM needs a client update before a call. A project manager asks their agent: 'Give me the status of Alpha, Beta, and Gamma.' The agent uses `list_projects` to identify all three, then checks for pending tasks using `list_todos` across each one. It summarizes everything—messages, open todos, and who's assigned what—so the PM is ready for the meeting. ### Developer needs bug status while coding. A developer writes code but realizes they need to check unresolved bugs from a client project. They prompt their agent: 'What are all open todos related to the payments system?' The agent uses `list_todolists` and then `list_todos` to provide an immediate, actionable list of bug IDs. ### Owner needs team roster for a new hire. An agency owner brings on a new employee and needs the full contact structure. They ask their agent to pull the directory via `list_people`. The agent returns accurate profiles, including historical assignment data, saving manual lookups. ### Team needs yesterday's discussion summary. A team member joins a project late and asks: 'What was discussed in the last few hours?' The agent uses `list_campfire_lines` to pull the most recent chat activity, giving them immediate context without reading through hundreds of old messages. ## Benefits - Stop losing time navigating tabs. You can ask your agent to pull messages using `list_messages` or get chat logs via `list_campfire_lines` in a single prompt. - Know exactly who's working on what. Use `list_people` to see the full directory, and check project status with `get_project` for instant context. - Manage task debt without opening anything. Quickly list all pending tasks by running `list_todos` against a specific todolist. - See your whole scope at a glance. Instead of clicking through menus, use `list_projects` to get an immediate overview of every active project. - Consolidate status updates for teams. You can list projects and then drill down into todosets by using `list_todolists` to track progress. ## How It Works The bottom line is you get a full, instant digest of your Basecamp account without opening the web app. 1. Subscribe to this MCP on Vinkius and provide your Basecamp Access Token and Account ID. 2. Your AI agent authenticates with the connection, gaining remote read-only access across your project data. 3. You prompt your agent—for example, 'What's status on Mobile MVP?'—and it returns an immediate, conversational summary of projects, tasks, and messages. ## Frequently Asked Questions **How do I use the list_todos tool with Basecamp MCP?** You first need to identify the todoset using `list_todolists`, then reference that todolist ID when asking your agent to run `list_todos`. It pulls every active task item, so you know exactly what needs attention. **Can I get a summary of messages and chat logs simultaneously?** Yes. You prompt the agent for both message board activity using `list_messages` and recent chatter from Campfire via `list_campfire_lines`. It combines them into one feed, so you don't miss context. **What is the difference between list_projects and get_project?** Use `list_projects` when you need to see *all* active projects. Use `get_project` when you already know the name or UUID of a single project and only want its specific data. **Does list_people show me who worked on an old task?** Yes, the `list_people` tool tracks accurate author histories. You'll see which users were assigned or contributed to a project over time. **If I call `get_project` with an incorrect UUID, what happens?** The tool fails gracefully and returns a clear error message indicating the ID is invalid. You must first use `list_projects` to retrieve the correct internal UUID before trying to fetch project details. **Are there rate limits when I call `list_messages` or `list_campfire_lines`?** Yes, if you send too many requests in a short span, the API will throttle your access. It's best to pace your tool calls or structure them into batches to avoid hitting service limits. **How do I find all the available Todosets before calling `list_todolists`?** The MCP doesn't list standalone Todosets; it requires a specific container. You must use another mechanism or tool to identify the parent Todoset ID first, and then pass that ID to `list_todolists`. **Does calling `list_people` provide enough context to link back to old activity?** It provides core profile data and author history for team members. For specific communication details, you must run the message listing tools to get the conversation metadata attached to those user IDs.