Asana MCP server

Asana is a work management platform used by thousands of organizations to coordinate team work. An AI agent with access to Asana can manage tasks and projects across workspaces, automate routine updates, and provide visibility into project status and team workload without manual intervention.

Setting up an MCP server

This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the Authentication section on this page.

Before you begin

You'll need:

• Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers.
• API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the Authentication section on this page for what to collect).

Create an MCP server

Find the app in the catalog

1. Sign in to AI Gateway and select App Catalog from the left navigation.
2. Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.
3. Select Create MCP Server to start the wizard.

App Configuration

Confirm the Base URL for the API, then, under Tools, select the endpoints you want to expose. Select Next.

MCP Server Setup

1. Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose.
2. Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
3. Set the log level: choose Production Mode for terser logs, or Non-Production Mode for more verbose logs that can help with debugging.
4. Select Next.

Authentication

Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section on this page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.

Review

Look over the summary of your MCP server configuration, then select Create & Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.

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Connect to an AI client

Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:

• Claude Desktop
• Claude Code
• Cursor
• VS Code
• Windsurf

Tips

• You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
• If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.

Authentication

Asana uses OAuth 2.0 authentication. Create an OAuth app in Asana's developer console and configure it with your AI Gateway's redirect URI. In Asana, go to app.asana.com/0/developer-console and click Create new app to register your OAuth application.

Value	Setting
Auth endpoint	https://app.asana.com/-/oauth_authorize
Token endpoint	https://app.asana.com/-/oauth_token
Scopes	tasks:read, tasks:write, projects:read, projects:write, workspaces:read, teams:read, users:read, attachments:read, stories:read, stories:write, portfolios:read, portfolios:write, goals:read, goals:write, rules:read, rules:write, forms:read, forms:write, workflows:read, workflows:write, webhooks:read, webhooks:write

Available tools

This MCP server enables an AI agent to interact with Asana's core project management capabilities. The tools support task and project operations, portfolio tracking, team coordination, and workflow management.

Tool	Description
Create task	Create a new task in a project with title, description, and assignments
Update task	Modify task properties including status, priority, due date, and custom fields
List tasks	Retrieve tasks filtered by project, assignee, status, or custom criteria
Get task details	Fetch complete information about a specific task including subtasks and comments
Create project	Create a new project in a workspace with settings and team members
List projects	Retrieve projects in a workspace with filtering and sorting options
Get project status	Check current progress, milestones, and team workload for a project
Add task to project	Move or link tasks to specific projects and sections
Create portfolio	Create a portfolio for tracking multiple related projects
Get portfolio status	View cross-project progress and health metrics
Add comment	Add status updates or notes to tasks for team visibility
Manage attachments	Upload files and link external content to tasks
List team members	Retrieve users in a workspace or team with availability information

Tips

Use specific workspaces and project IDs — Asana requires workspace and project GIDs for most operations. Save these identifiers from the Asana UI to streamline requests.

Respect rate limits by batching operations where possible and implementing exponential backoff for retries. Asana enforces 1,500 requests per minute.

Use the exact field GID when updating custom fields on tasks — field names alone won't work.

Configure webhooks for real-time updates if you need near-real-time synchronization. This notifies your system when tasks or projects change rather than polling the API.

Verify portfolio management requirements before attempting portfolio operations — portfolio APIs require a Premium or higher Asana plan.

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