IDEA Base Documentation

Everything you need to integrate IDEA Base into your development workflow.

Quick Start

Get up and running in under 2 minutes.

1. Create an account

2. Create an API key

Go to Settings > API Keys and click Create API Key. Save the key — it's only shown once.

3. Install the MCP server

Add IDEA Base to your AI coding tool with one config block:

MCP Setup

Claude Code

Add to ~/.claude/claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "idea-base": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@idea-base/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "IDEA_BASE_API_KEY": "ib_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to .cursor/mcp.json in your project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "idea-base": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@idea-base/mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "IDEA_BASE_API_KEY": "ib_your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

CLI

claude mcp add idea-base -- npx -y @idea-base/mcp-server \
  --env IDEA_BASE_API_KEY=ib_your_api_key_here

API Keys

API keys authenticate both the MCP server and direct REST API calls. Keys are prefixed with ib_ and scoped to your account.

Property	Description
Prefix	`ib_` followed by 32 characters
Permissions	`read`, `write`, or `read,write`
Expiry	Optional. Set in days at creation time.
Revocation	Instant. Revoked keys stop working immediately.

MCP Tools: Projects

Tool	Description	Required Params
`list_projects`	List all projects	None
`get_project`	Get project details	`project_id`
`create_project`	Create a project	`name`
`update_project`	Update project	`project_id`

MCP Tools: Tasks

Tool	Description	Required Params
`list_tasks`	List tasks for a project	`project_id`
`get_task`	Get task details	`task_id`
`create_task`	Create a task	`project_id`, `title`
`update_task`	Update task details	`task_id`
`update_task_status`	Change status	`task_id`, `status`
`search_tasks`	Search across projects	`query`
`quick_log`	Create + complete + log time	`project_id`, `title`, `minutes`

MCP Tools: Time Tracking

Tool	Description	Required Params
`log_time`	Log time to a task	`task_id`, `minutes`
`start_working`	Mark as actively working	`task_id`
`stop_working`	Stop active work	`task_id`

MCP Tools: Products

Tool	Description	Required Params
`list_products`	List all products	None
`get_product`	Get product details	`product_id`
`create_product`	Create a product	`name`
`link_project_to_product`	Link project to product	`product_id`, `project_id`

REST API: Authentication

All API requests require a Bearer token in the Authorization header:

curl https://app.idea-base.us/api/projects \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ib_your_api_key_here"

Base URL: https://app.idea-base.us/api

REST API: Projects

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	`/api/projects`	List all projects
POST	`/api/projects`	Create project
GET	`/api/projects/:id`	Get project details
PUT	`/api/projects/:id`	Update project
DELETE	`/api/projects/:id`	Archive project
GET	`/api/projects/:id/tasks`	List project tasks
POST	`/api/projects/:id/tasks`	Create task
POST	`/api/projects/:id/generate-tasks`	AI generate tasks from requirements
GET	`/api/projects/health`	Health scores for all projects
GET	`/api/projects/standup`	Standup intelligence (Team+)
GET	`/api/projects/:id/burndown`	Burndown and velocity data
GET	`/api/projects/:id/wrapup`	Weekly wrap-up summary

REST API: Tasks

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	`/api/tasks/:id`	Get task details
PUT	`/api/tasks/:id`	Update task
DELETE	`/api/tasks/:id`	Delete task
PUT	`/api/tasks/:id/status`	Update task status
POST	`/api/tasks/:id/verify`	AI verify completion
GET	`/api/tasks/search?q=keyword`	Search tasks

REST API: Time Entries

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	`/api/tasks/:id/time`	List time entries for task
POST	`/api/tasks/:id/time`	Log time entry
DELETE	`/api/time/:id`	Delete time entry
GET	`/api/time/suggestions`	Pending time suggestions

REST API: Reports

Method	Endpoint	Description
GET	`/api/reports/time`	Time reports (group by day/week/month/user/project)
GET	`/api/reports/executive-summary`	AI executive portfolio summary
GET	`/api/projects/:id/time-summary`	Project time summary

GitHub Integration

Connect your GitHub repos to get:

PR and commit linking to tasks
CI status tracking on tasks
Regression detection when PRs affect completed work
Time suggestions when PRs are merged
Changelog generation from commits

Set up in Settings > GitHub Integration. Add the webhook URL to your GitHub repo settings.

Notification Webhooks

Send events to Slack, Discord, or custom endpoints when things happen:

Event	Description
`task_created`	New task added
`task_completed`	Task marked done
`task_assigned`	Task assigned to user
`time_logged`	Time entry recorded
`verification_completed`	AI verification finished

Configure in Settings > Notifications.