Manager.io MCP

manager-mcp

MCP server for self-hosted [Manager.io](https://www.manager.io/): ask your AI about invoices, balances, and books.

What is Manager.io?

Manager.io is free, self-hosted accounting software for Windows, macOS, and Linux (also available as Cloud Edition). It covers sales, purchases, banking, payroll, and the full ledger, with an HTTP API (/api2) for automation.

This project wires that API into the Model Context Protocol so Cursor, Claude, VS Code Copilot, and other MCP hosts can query your live books in natural language.

Useful Manager.io links:

• Download
• Guides
• Forum
• Releases

What this server does

Default is read-only. You get:

• 10 read tools - discovery, six searchable collections, seven report shortcuts
• Task tools (opt-in) - intent-shaped writes such as record_customer_payment, issue_sales_invoice, record_customer_deposit (register when matching write scopes are set)
• Deprecated CRUD tools - per-resource create_* / update_* / delete_* still register under scopes until 0.3.0; prefer task tools
• `raw` escape hatch - restores the full CRUD set for advanced use
• Hard denylist - access tokens, chart of accounts forms, tax/currency, email templates, and similar high-risk paths stay blocked even when writes are on

Transport is stdio. No HTTP server. No global install required if you use uv / uvx.

Branding / icons

• stdio hosts (Cursor, Claude Desktop via `mcp.json`): the server advertises Manager branding in MCP serverInfo.icons (embedded PNG data URI, plus a GitHub raw HTTPS fallback).
• Cursor plugin: .cursor-plugin/plugin.json uses docs/manager-icon.svg.
• Claude Desktop Extension: pack mcpb/ (includes icon.png). See Installation → Claude Desktop below.
• Claude.ai remote connectors: Claude.ai ignores serverInfo.icons and uses the root-domain favicon of the connector URL. If you host a remote MCP later, serve docs/favicon.ico at the registrable domain root (e.g. https://acme.com/favicon.ico for https://mcp.acme.com/...).

Requirements

• Python ≥ 3.10 (pulled in automatically by uvx)
• uv (provides uvx)
• A reachable Manager.io API: MANAGER_API_URL + MANAGER_API_KEY

Access token

1. In Manager, open Settings → Access Tokens.
2. Create a token and copy the value into MANAGER_API_KEY.
3. Set MANAGER_API_URL to your API base (desktop often http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2).

manager-mcp sends the token as the X-API-KEY header. Full walkthrough: Access Tokens.

Quick start

Run the PyPI package with uvx:

uvx manager-mcp

Paste a client config below, set MANAGER_API_URL / MANAGER_API_KEY, restart the host, then ask: *“Who owes me money?”* or *“Show bank balances.”*

From a git clone (dev): uvx --from git+https://github.com/flumpiey/manager-mcp manager-mcp or uv run --directory /path/to/manager-mcp manager-mcp.

Installation

Configs below pull manager-mcp from PyPI. Leave write-scope env vars unset for read-only.

Cursor

Plugin (Configure UI for URL, key, and scopes): this repo is a Cursor plugin via .cursor-plugin/plugin.json + root mcp.json.

1. Symlink or copy the clone to ~/.cursor/plugins/local/manager-mcp (Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\plugins\local\manager-mcp).
2. Reload the window.
3. Open Plugins → Configure on manager-mcp. Set Manager API URL and Manager API key. Leave Write scopes / Delete scopes empty for read-only, or paste a CSV such as quotes or quotes,orders.
4. Confirm the manager MCP server is enabled under Customize / MCP.

Marketplace listing is a separate submit at cursor.com/marketplace/publish.

Manual `mcp.json`: project .cursor/mcp.json or user-wide ~/.cursor/mcp.json.

From PyPI:

{

"mcpServers": { "manager": { "type": "stdio", "command": "uvx", "args": ["manager-mcp"], "env": { "MANAGER_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2", "MANAGER_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Local editable (dev):

{

"mcpServers": { "manager": { "type": "stdio", "command": "uv", "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/manager-mcp", "manager-mcp"], "env": { "MANAGER_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2", "MANAGER_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Optional scoped writes in the env block:

"MANAGER_MCP_WRITE_SCOPES": "quotes",

"MANAGER_MCP_DELETE_SCOPES": "quotes"

Restart Cursor after saving. Confirm manager under MCP settings.

Claude Desktop

Desktop Extension (`.mcpb`): download mcpb.mcpb from GitHub Releases. Use v0.2.6 or later.

1. Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Extensions.
2. Open Advanced settings → Install Extension…
3. Select mcpb.mcpb. Review permissions, enter Manager API URL and Manager API key, then click Install.
4. Leave Write scopes and Delete scopes empty for read-only.
5. Restart Claude Desktop if tools do not appear.

Build your own bundle from a clone:

npx @anthropic-ai/mcpb pack mcpb

On Windows, double-click often does nothing and dragging the file into chat attaches it to the conversation instead of installing it. Use Install Extension… in Settings.

Manual `mcp.json` config: edit the Claude Desktop config, then restart the app.

{

"mcpServers": { "manager": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["manager-mcp"], "env": { "MANAGER_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2", "MANAGER_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Local clone:

{

"mcpServers": { "manager": { "command": "uv", "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/manager-mcp", "manager-mcp"], "env": { "MANAGER_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2", "MANAGER_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Claude Code

Add via CLI:

claude mcp add manager --env MANAGER_API_URL=http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2 --env MANAGER_API_KEY=your-token -- uvx manager-mcp

Or edit ~/.claude.json / project MCP config:

{

"mcpServers": { "manager": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["manager-mcp"], "env": { "MANAGER_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2", "MANAGER_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

VS Code / GitHub Copilot

Create .vscode/mcp.json in the project root:

{

"servers": { "manager": { "type": "stdio", "command": "uvx", "args": ["manager-mcp"], "env": { "MANAGER_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2", "MANAGER_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Local editable:

{

"servers": { "manager": { "type": "stdio", "command": "uv", "args": ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/manager-mcp", "manager-mcp"], "env": { "MANAGER_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2", "MANAGER_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Reload the window. Open Copilot Chat and confirm the manager tools are available.

Windsurf

Edit ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json (macOS/Linux) or the Windsurf MCP settings UI:

{

"mcpServers": { "manager": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["manager-mcp"], "env": { "MANAGER_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2", "MANAGER_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Restart Windsurf after saving.

Zed

Add under context_servers in Zed settings.json (Agent Panel → settings also works):

{

"context_servers": { "manager": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["manager-mcp"], "env": { "MANAGER_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2", "MANAGER_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Cline

Edit the Cline MCP settings file (cline_mcp_settings.json via the Cline MCP UI):

{

"mcpServers": { "manager": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["manager-mcp"], "env": { "MANAGER_API_URL": "http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2", "MANAGER_API_KEY": "your-token" } } } }

Continue

In .continue/config.yaml:

mcpServers:

• name: manager command: uvx args:
• manager-mcp env: MANAGER_API_URL: http://127.0.0.1:55667/api2 MANAGER_API_KEY: your-token

Generic / any stdio MCP host

Any host that can spawn a stdio MCP server:

uvx manager-mcp

Dev from a clone: uv run --directory /path/to/manager-mcp manager-mcp.

npx only runs npm packages. This is a Python package; use uvx.

Environment

Valid scopes: quotes, orders, parties, items, sales, purchases, banking, payroll, ledger, raw. No wildcards (*, all).

Recommended (covers most bookkeeping without 82 tools):

"MANAGER_MCP_WRITE_SCOPES": "banking,sales,parties",

"MANAGER_MCP_DELETE_SCOPES": "sales,banking"

Default with no scopes: 10 tools. All nine domain scopes plus every CRUD verb: up to 82 tools. Use raw only when you need the full CRUD escape hatch.

Legacy MANAGER_MCP_ALLOW_WRITES / ALLOW_WRITES / MANAGER_MCP_WRITES hard-fail if set. Use the