Sequential Thinking MCP server

The Sequential Thinking MCP Server provides a structured approach to problem-solving through a dynamic, step-by-step thinking process that allows for revision, branching, and refinement as understanding deepens.

What is the Sequential Thinking Tool

The Sequential Thinking tool facilitates a detailed, methodical approach to problem-solving by:

• Breaking down complex problems into manageable steps
• Enabling thought revision as understanding evolves
• Supporting alternative reasoning paths through branching
• Dynamically adjusting the number of thoughts needed
• Generating and verifying solution hypotheses

Installation Options

Installing with Claude Desktop

Add the Sequential Thinking MCP server to your Claude Desktop configuration file (claude_desktop_config.json) using one of these methods:

Using NPX

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sequential-thinking": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Using Docker

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sequentialthinking": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "mcp/sequentialthinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Installing with VS Code

You can manually configure the MCP server in VS Code using one of these methods:

Method 1: User Configuration (Recommended)

1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl + Shift + P)
2. Run MCP: Open User Configuration
3. Add the server configuration to your mcp.json file:

For NPX installation:

{
  "servers": {
    "sequential-thinking": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For Docker installation:

{
  "servers": {
    "sequential-thinking": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "mcp/sequentialthinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Method 2: Workspace Configuration

Add the same configuration to a file called .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace to share the configuration with others.

Installing with Codex CLI

Run this command to install using NPX:

codex mcp add sequential-thinking npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking

Usage Guide

The Sequential Thinking tool is designed for various scenarios:

• Breaking down complex problems into manageable steps
• Planning and designing with flexibility for revisions
• Analysis that may require course corrections
• Problems where the full scope isn't initially clear
• Tasks requiring context maintenance over multiple steps
• Situations where filtering irrelevant information is important

Tool Parameters

The Sequential Thinking tool accepts the following inputs:

• thought (string): The current thinking step
• nextThoughtNeeded (boolean): Whether another thought step is needed
• thoughtNumber (integer): Current thought number
• totalThoughts (integer): Estimated total thoughts needed
• isRevision (boolean, optional): Whether this revises previous thinking
• revisesThought (integer, optional): Which thought is being reconsidered
• branchFromThought (integer, optional): Branching point thought number
• branchId (string, optional): Branch identifier
• needsMoreThoughts (boolean, optional): If more thoughts are needed

Configuration Options

To disable logging of thought information, set the environment variable:

DISABLE_THOUGHT_LOGGING=true

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "sequential-thinking" '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "sequential-thinking": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "sequential-thinking": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect