Ask The W MCP Plugin

Connect a local coding agent to Ask The W.

This package runs a small MCP server that lets Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, and other MCP-capable tools send compact work-session signals to an Ask The W workspace.

What It Does

• Installs an Ask The W MCP server entry into a supported local client.
• Preserves existing MCP servers and settings.
• Adds marked project instructions so future coding-agent sessions know when to send Ask The W updates.
• Sends a startup heartbeat so Ask The W can show the plugin as installed.
• Exposes one primary MCP tool: capture_session_signal.
• Redacts obvious secrets from summaries, evidence excerpts, commands, and metadata before sending.
• Adds lightweight workspace metadata such as host type, repo name, app path, and server name.

What It Does Not Do

• It does not send full transcripts by default.
• It does not infer decisions locally.
• It does not link outcomes, score confidence, dedupe signals, or update the graph locally.
• It does not include the Ask The W app, private server code, Supabase code, or internal analytics code.

Ask The W performs inference, linking, approval state, dedupe, and outcome updates in the app.

Install

Create a workspace token in Ask The W, then run the installer from your coding agent or terminal.

Codex:

npx -y --prefer-online @askthew/mcp-plugin@latest install \
  --host codex \
  --token "<ASKTHEW_INSTALL_TOKEN>" \
  --api-url "https://app.askthew.com/" \
  --server-name "askthew"

Claude Code:

npx -y --prefer-online @askthew/mcp-plugin@latest install \
  --host claude_code \
  --token "<ASKTHEW_INSTALL_TOKEN>" \
  --api-url "https://app.askthew.com/" \
  --server-name "askthew"

Cursor:

npx -y --prefer-online @askthew/mcp-plugin@latest install \
  --host cursor \
  --token "<ASKTHEW_INSTALL_TOKEN>" \
  --api-url "https://app.askthew.com/" \
  --server-name "askthew"

After install, restart or reload your coding agent if needed.

The installer also adds safe, marked project instructions:

• Codex: AGENTS.md
• Claude Code: CLAUDE.md
• Cursor: .cursor/rules/askthew.mdc

These instructions tell the coding agent to send compact Ask The W updates after meaningful direction changes, implementation work, verification, long-session checkpoints, and final summaries. Existing instruction files are preserved.

To skip this behavior, pass:

--no-agent-instructions

Configuration

The installer writes the MCP server into the host's native MCP configuration so it appears in that host's MCP server list:

• Codex: ~/.codex/config.toml
• Claude Code: ~/.claude.json, scoped to the current project
• Cursor: ~/.cursor/mcp.json

Codex example:

[mcp_servers.askthew]
command = "npx"
args = ["-y", "--prefer-online", "@askthew/mcp-plugin@latest"]
env = { ASKTHEW_INSTALL_TOKEN = "<ASKTHEW_INSTALL_TOKEN>", ASKTHEW_HOST_TYPE = "codex", ASKTHEW_API_URL = "https://app.askthew.com/", ASKTHEW_SERVER_NAME = "askthew" }

Claude Code and Cursor use an MCP JSON entry like this:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "askthew": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "--prefer-online", "@askthew/mcp-plugin@latest"],
      "env": {
        "ASKTHEW_INSTALL_TOKEN": "<ASKTHEW_INSTALL_TOKEN>",
        "ASKTHEW_HOST_TYPE": "codex",
        "ASKTHEW_API_URL": "https://app.askthew.com/",
        "ASKTHEW_SERVER_NAME": "askthew"
      }
    }
  }
}

Optional environment variables:

• ASKTHEW_CLIENT_ID
• ASKTHEW_CLIENT_LABEL

Tool Contract

The public tool surface is intentionally small.

{
  "name": "capture_session_signal",
  "input": {
    "sessionId": "string",
    "sequence": "number",
    "kind": "setup_complete | session_checkpoint | direction_change | implementation_update | verification_result | final_summary",
    "summary": "string",
    "evidence": [{ "role": "user | assistant | system", "excerpt": "string" }],
    "filesTouched": ["string"],
    "commandsRun": ["string"],
    "metadata": {}
  }
}

Use compact summaries and short evidence excerpts. Do not send full transcripts.

Troubleshooting

• Empty list_mcp_resources or list_mcp_resource_templates results are normal. This connector is tool-driven.
• If Ask The W shows "Waiting for install", restart or reload your coding agent.
• If Ask The W shows "Installed", restart or reload your coding agent if it was already open. On the next Ask The W setup check, choose "Always allow" if your coding agent asks for tool permission.
• If a token fails, rotate it in Ask The W and rerun the installer.

Development

npm run build --workspace @askthew/mcp-plugin
npm test --workspace @askthew/mcp-plugin
npm pack --workspace @askthew/mcp-plugin --dry-run