How to integrate Shortcut MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

This guide walks you through connecting Shortcut to the OpenAI Agents SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Shortcut agent that can create a new epic for q3 goals, add a threaded comment to our launch epic, start a new iteration for next sprint through natural language commands. This guide will help you understand how to give your OpenAI Agents SDK agent real control over a Shortcut account through Composio's Shortcut MCP server. Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

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Shortcut is a project management platform that aligns product development work with company objectives. It helps teams collaborate, track progress, and deliver on shared goals more efficiently.

136 Tools

Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Shortcut to the OpenAI Agents SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Shortcut agent that can create a new epic for q3 goals, add a threaded comment to our launch epic, start a new iteration for next sprint through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your OpenAI Agents SDK agent real control over a Shortcut account through Composio's Shortcut MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

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TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
  • Get and set up your OpenAI and Composio API keys
  • Install the necessary dependencies
  • Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Shortcut
  • Configure an AI agent that can use Shortcut as a tool
  • Run a live chat session where you can ask the agent to perform Shortcut operations

What is OpenAI Agents SDK?

The OpenAI Agents SDK is a lightweight framework for building AI agents that can use tools and maintain conversation state. It provides a simple interface for creating agents with hosted MCP tool support.

Key features include:

  • Hosted MCP Tools: Connect to external services through hosted MCP endpoints
  • SQLite Sessions: Persist conversation history across interactions
  • Simple API: Clean interface with Agent, Runner, and tool configuration
  • Streaming Support: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications

What is the Shortcut MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Shortcut MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Shortcut account. It provides structured and secure access to your project management workspace, so your agent can perform actions like creating epics, organizing teams, adding comments, managing sprints, and labeling tasks on your behalf.

  • Epic and story management: Direct your agent to create new epics, add threaded comments, or reply to existing discussions to streamline project tracking and collaboration.
  • Iteration and sprint planning: Let your agent set up new iterations, define sprint cycles, and associate tasks or groups, making agile planning and progress tracking a breeze.
  • Team and group organization: Effortlessly create and customize new groups or teams, assign members, and link workflows to keep your workspace structure organized and aligned.
  • Label and category creation: Ask your agent to generate new categories or labels, helping you organize stories, tasks, and priorities for efficient project management.
  • Linked file integration: Enable your agent to attach or create linked files within Shortcut, keeping all your project resources and documentation accessible and up to date.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

Composio's Composio SDK helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Composio SDK

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Composio SDK works

The Composio SDK follows a three-phase workflow:

  1. Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
  2. Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
  3. Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Step by step09 STEPS
1

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Composio API Key and OpenAI API Key
  • Primary know-how of OpenAI Agents SDK
  • A live Shortcut project
  • Some knowledge of Python or Typescript
2

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

OpenAI API Key
  • Go to the OpenAI dashboard and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models, or you can connect to another model provider.
  • Keep the API key safe.
Composio API Key
3

Install dependencies

npm install @composio/openai-agents @openai/agents dotenv

Install the Composio SDK and the OpenAI Agents SDK.

4

Set up environment variables

bash
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...your-api-key
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your-api-key
USER_ID=composio_user@gmail.com

Create a .env file and add your OpenAI and Composio API keys.

5

Import dependencies

import 'dotenv/config';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { OpenAIAgentsProvider } from '@composio/openai-agents';
import { Agent, hostedMcpTool, run, OpenAIConversationsSession } from '@openai/agents';
import * as readline from 'readline';
What's happening:
  • You're importing all necessary libraries.
  • The Composio and OpenAIAgentsProvider classes are imported to connect your OpenAI agent to Composio tools like Shortcut.
6

Set up the Composio instance

dotenv.config();

const composioApiKey = process.env.COMPOSIO_API_KEY;
const userId = process.env.USER_ID;

if (!composioApiKey) {
  throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set. Create a .env file with COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_key');
}
if (!userId) {
  throw new Error('USER_ID is not set');
}

// Initialize Composio
const composio = new Composio({
  apiKey: composioApiKey,
  provider: new OpenAIAgentsProvider(),
});
What's happening:
  • dotenv.config() loads your .env file so COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID are available as environment variables.
  • Creating a Composio instance using the API Key and OpenAIAgentsProvider class.
7

Create a Tool Router session

// Create Tool Router session for Shortcut
const session = await composio.create(userId as string, {
  toolkits: ['shortcut'],
});
const mcpUrl = session.mcp.url;

What is happening:

  • You give the Tool Router the user id and the toolkits you want available. Here, it is only shortcut.
  • The router checks the user's Shortcut connection and prepares the MCP endpoint.
  • The returned session.mcp.url is the MCP URL that your agent will use to access Shortcut.
  • This approach keeps things lightweight and lets the agent request Shortcut tools only when needed during the conversation.
8

Configure the agent

// Configure agent with MCP tool
const agent = new Agent({
  name: 'Assistant',
  model: 'gpt-5',
  instructions:
    'You are a helpful assistant that can access Shortcut. Help users perform Shortcut operations through natural language.',
  tools: [
    hostedMcpTool({
      serverLabel: 'tool_router',
      serverUrl: mcpUrl,
      headers: { 'x-api-key': composioApiKey },
      requireApproval: 'never',
    }),
  ],
});
What's happening:
  • We're creating an Agent instance with a name, model (gpt-5), and clear instructions about its purpose.
  • The agent's instructions tell it that it can access Shortcut and help with queries, inserts, updates, authentication, and fetching database information.
  • The tools array includes a hostedMcpTool that connects to the MCP server URL we created earlier.
  • The headers object includes the Composio API key for secure authentication with the MCP server.
  • requireApproval: 'never' means the agent can execute Shortcut operations without asking for permission each time, making interactions smoother.
9

Start chat loop and handle conversation

// Keep conversation state across turns
const conversationSession = new OpenAIConversationsSession();

// Simple CLI
const rl = readline.createInterface({
  input: process.stdin,
  output: process.stdout,
  prompt: 'You: ',
});

console.log('\nComposio Tool Router session created.');
console.log('\nChat started. Type your requests below.');
console.log("Commands: 'exit', 'quit', or 'q' to end\n");

try {
  const first = await run(agent, 'What can you help me with?', { session: conversationSession });
  console.log(`Assistant: ${first.finalOutput}\n`);
} catch (e) {
  console.error('Error:', e instanceof Error ? e.message : e, '\n');
}

rl.prompt();

rl.on('line', async (userInput) => {
  const text = userInput.trim();

  if (['exit', 'quit', 'q'].includes(text.toLowerCase())) {
    console.log('Goodbye!');
    rl.close();
    process.exit(0);
  }

  if (!text) {
    rl.prompt();
    return;
  }

  try {
    const result = await run(agent, text, { session: conversationSession });
    console.log(`\nAssistant: ${result.finalOutput}\n`);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Error:', e instanceof Error ? e.message : e, '\n');
  }

  rl.prompt();
});

rl.on('close', () => {
  console.log('\n👋 Session ended.');
  process.exit(0);
});
What's happening:
  • The program prints a session URL that you visit to authorize Shortcut.
  • After authorization, the chat begins.
  • Each message you type is processed by the agent using run().
  • The responses are printed to the console.
  • Typing exit, quit, or q cleanly ends the chat.

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Shortcut and OpenAI Agents SDK:

import 'dotenv/config';
import { Composio } from '@composio/core';
import { OpenAIAgentsProvider } from '@composio/openai-agents';
import { Agent, hostedMcpTool, run, OpenAIConversationsSession } from '@openai/agents';
import * as readline from 'readline';

const composioApiKey = process.env.COMPOSIO_API_KEY;
const userId = process.env.USER_ID;

if (!composioApiKey) {
  throw new Error('COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set. Create a .env file with COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_key');
}
if (!userId) {
  throw new Error('USER_ID is not set');
}

// Initialize Composio
const composio = new Composio({
  apiKey: composioApiKey,
  provider: new OpenAIAgentsProvider(),
});

async function main() {
  // Create Tool Router session
  const session = await composio.create(userId as string, {
    toolkits: ['shortcut'],
  });
  const mcpUrl = session.mcp.url;

  // Configure agent with MCP tool
  const agent = new Agent({
    name: 'Assistant',
    model: 'gpt-5',
    instructions:
      'You are a helpful assistant that can access Shortcut. Help users perform Shortcut operations through natural language.',
    tools: [
      hostedMcpTool({
        serverLabel: 'tool_router',
        serverUrl: mcpUrl,
        headers: { 'x-api-key': composioApiKey },
        requireApproval: 'never',
      }),
    ],
  });

  // Keep conversation state across turns
  const conversationSession = new OpenAIConversationsSession();

  // Simple CLI
  const rl = readline.createInterface({
    input: process.stdin,
    output: process.stdout,
    prompt: 'You: ',
  });

  console.log('\nComposio Tool Router session created.');
  console.log('\nChat started. Type your requests below.');
  console.log("Commands: 'exit', 'quit', or 'q' to end\n");

  try {
    const first = await run(agent, 'What can you help me with?', { session: conversationSession });
    console.log(`Assistant: ${first.finalOutput}\n`);
  } catch (e) {
    console.error('Error:', e instanceof Error ? e.message : e, '\n');
  }

  rl.prompt();

  rl.on('line', async (userInput) => {
    const text = userInput.trim();

    if (['exit', 'quit', 'q'].includes(text.toLowerCase())) {
      console.log('Goodbye!');
      rl.close();
      process.exit(0);
    }

    if (!text) {
      rl.prompt();
      return;
    }

    try {
      const result = await run(agent, text, { session: conversationSession });
      console.log(`\nAssistant: ${result.finalOutput}\n`);
    } catch (e) {
      console.error('Error:', e instanceof Error ? e.message : e, '\n');
    }

    rl.prompt();
  });

  rl.on('close', () => {
    console.log('\nSession ended.');
    process.exit(0);
  });
}

main().catch((err) => {
  console.error('Fatal error:', err);
  process.exit(1);
});

Conclusion

This was a starter code for integrating Shortcut MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK to build a functional AI agent that can interact with Shortcut.

Key features:

  • Hosted MCP tool integration through Composio's Tool Router
  • SQLite session persistence for conversation history
  • Simple async chat loop for interactive testing
You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom business logic, or building a web interface around the agent.
TOOLS

Supported Tools

Every Shortcut action and event your agent gets out of the box.

Create category

Create Category allows you to create a new Category in Shortcut.

Create doc

Create Doc allows you to create a new document in Shortcut.

Create entity template

Create a new entity template for the Workspace.

Create epic

Create Epic allows you to create a new Epic in Shortcut.

Create epic comment

This endpoint allows you to create a threaded Comment on an Epic.

Create epic comment comment

This endpoint allows you to create a nested Comment reply to an existing Epic Comment.

Create epic health

Create a new health status for the specified Epic.

Create generic integration

Tool to create a generic webhook integration in Shortcut.

Create group

Creates a new group in the Shortcut system with customizable properties.

Create iteration

The CreateIteration endpoint allows you to create a new Iteration in Shortcut, which represents a time-boxed period for completing a set of stories or tasks.

Create label

Create Label allows you to create a new Label in Shortcut.

Create linked file

Create Linked File allows you to create a new Linked File in Shortcut.

Create multiple stories

Create Multiple Stories allows you to create multiple stories in a single request using the same syntax as [Create Story](https://developer.

Create objective

Create Objective allows you to create a new Objective in Shortcut.

Create project

Create Project is used to create a new Shortcut Project.

Create story

Create Story is used to add a new story to your Shortcut Workspace.

Create story comment

Create Comment allows you to create a Comment on any Story.

Create story from template

Create Story From Template is used to add a new story derived from a template to your Shortcut Workspace.

Create story link

Story Links (called Story Relationships in the UI) allow you create semantic relationships between two stories.

Create story reaction

Create a reaction to a story comment.

Create task

Create Task is used to create a new task in a Story.

Delete category

Delete Category can be used to delete any Category.

Delete custom field

Deletes a specific custom field from the Shortcut system using its unique public identifier.

Delete doc

Permanently deletes a Doc and its associated data from Shortcut.

Delete entity template

Deletes a specific entity template from the Shortcut API.

Delete epic

Delete Epic can be used to delete the Epic.

Delete epic comment

This endpoint allows you to delete a Comment from an Epic.

Delete file

Delete File deletes a previously uploaded file.

Delete generic integration

Tool to delete a generic webhook integration from Shortcut.

Delete iteration

Deletes a specific iteration from the Shortcut project management system.

Delete label

Delete Label can be used to delete any Label.

Delete linked file

Delete Linked File can be used to delete any previously attached Linked-File.

Delete multiple stories

Delete Multiple Stories allows you to delete multiple archived stories at once.

Delete objective

Delete Objective can be used to delete any Objective.

Delete project

Delete Project can be used to delete a Project.

Delete story

Delete Story can be used to delete any Story.

Delete story comment

Delete a Comment from any story.

Delete story link

Removes the relationship between the stories for the given Story Link.

Delete story reaction

Delete a reaction from any story comment.

Delete task

Delete Task can be used to delete any previously created Task on a Story.

Disable iterations

Disables Iterations for the current workspace

Disable story templates

Disables the Story Template feature for the Workspace.

Enable iterations

Enables Iterations for the current workspace

Enable story templates

Enables the Story Template feature for the Workspace.

Get category

Get Category returns information about the selected Category.

Get current member info

Returns information about the authenticated member.

Get custom field

Retrieves detailed information about a specific custom field in Shortcut using its unique public identifier.

Get doc

Get Doc returns information about a chosen Doc by its public ID.

Get entity template

Get Entity Template returns information about a given entity template.

Get epic

Get Epic returns information about the selected Epic.

Get epic comment

This endpoint returns information about the selected Epic Comment.

Get epic health

Get the current health status for the specified Epic.

Get epic workflow

Returns the Epic Workflow for the Workspace.

Get external link stories

Get Stories which have a given External Link associated with them.

Get file

Get File returns information about the selected UploadedFile.

Get generic integration

Get Generic Integration returns information about a webhook integration by its ID.

Get group

Retrieves detailed information about a specific group in the Shortcut workspace using its unique public identifier.

Get iteration

Retrieves detailed information about a specific iteration in the Shortcut project management system.

Get key result

Get Key Result returns information about a chosen Key Result.

Get label

Get Label returns information about the selected Label.

Get linked file

Get File returns information about the selected Linked File.

Get member

Returns information about a Member.

Get objective

Get Objective returns information about a chosen Objective.

Get project

Get Project returns information about the selected Project.

Get repository

Get Repository returns information about the selected Repository.

Get story

Get Story returns information about a chosen Story.

Get story comment

Get Comment is used to get Comment information.

Get story link

Returns the stories and their relationship for the given Story Link.

Get task

Returns information about a chosen Task.

Get workflow

Get Workflow returns information about a chosen Workflow.

Link document to epic

Tool to create a relationship between a Document and an Epic.

List categories

List Categories returns a list of all Categories and their attributes.

List category milestones

List Category Milestones returns a list of all Milestones with the Category.

List category objectives

Returns a list of all Objectives with the Category.

List custom fields

Retrieves a list of all custom fields defined in the Shortcut API.

List docs

Tool to list Docs that the current user can read.

List document epics

Tool to retrieve all Epics related to a specific Document.

List entity templates

List all the entity templates for the Workspace.

List epic comments

Get a list of all Comments on an Epic.

List epic documents

Get a list of all Documents related to this Epic.

List epic healths

List the history of health statuses for the specified Epic, most recent first.

List epics

List Epics returns a list of all Epics and their attributes.

List epics paginated

List Epics with pagination returns a paginated list of Epics and their attributes.

List epic stories

Get a list of all Stories in an Epic.

List files

List Files returns a list of all UploadedFiles in the workspace.

List groups

A group in our API maps to a "Team" within the Shortcut Product.

List group stories

List the Stories assigned to the Group.

List iterations

Retrieves a list of all iterations in the Shortcut project management system.

List iteration stories

Get a list of all Stories in an Iteration.

List label epics

List all of the Epics with the Label.

List labels

List Labels returns a list of all Labels and their attributes.

List label stories

List all of the Stories with the Label.

List linked files

List Linked Files returns a list of all Linked-Files and their attributes.

List members

Returns information about members of the Workspace.

List members (slim)

Returns minimal member data optimized for Korey integration.

List objective epics

List all of the Epics within the Objective.

List objectives

List Objectives returns a list of all Objectives and their attributes.

List projects

List Projects returns a list of all Projects and their attributes.

List repositories

List Repositories returns a list of all Repositories and their attributes.

List stories

List Stories returns a list of all Stories in a selected Project and their attributes.

List story comment

Lists Comments associated with a Story

List story sub-tasks

Tool to list all Sub-task Stories for a given parent Story.

List workflows

Returns a list of all Workflows in the Workspace.

Search

Search lets you search Epics and Stories based on desired parameters.

Search documents

Tool to search Documents based on title and filters.

Search epics

Search Epics lets you search Epics based on desired parameters.

Search iterations

Search Iterations lets you search Iterations based on desired parameters.

Search milestones

Search Milestones lets you search Milestones based on desired parameters.

Search objectives

Search Objectives lets you search Objectives based on desired parameters.

Search stories

Search Stories lets you search Stories based on desired parameters.

Search stories old

Search Stories lets you search Stories based on desired parameters.

Story history

Retrieves the complete history of changes for a specific story in the Shortcut project management system.

Unlink comment thread from slack

Unlinks a Comment from its linked Slack thread (Comment replies and Slack replies will no longer be synced)

Unlink document from epic

Tool to remove the relationship between a Document and an Epic.

Unlink productboard from epic

This endpoint allows you to unlink a productboard epic.

Update category

Update Category allows you to replace a Category name with another name.

Update custom field

Update Custom Field can be used to update the definition of a Custom Field.

Update Doc

Tool to update an existing Doc's title and/or content.

Update entity template

Update an entity template's name or its contents.

Update epic

Update Epic can be used to update numerous fields in the Epic.

Update epic comment

This endpoint allows you to update a threaded Comment on an Epic.

Update file

Update File updates the properties of an UploadedFile (but not its content).

Update group

Updates an existing group in the Shortcut workspace.

Update health status

Update an existing health status by its ID.

Update iteration

This endpoint allows you to update an existing iteration in Shortcut.

Update key result

Update Key Result allows updating a Key Result's name or initial, observed, or target values.

Update label

Update Label allows you to replace a Label name with another name.

Update linked file

Updated Linked File allows you to update properties of a previously attached Linked-File.

Update multiple stories

Update Multiple Stories allows you to make changes to numerous stories at once.

Update objective

Update Objective can be used to update Objective properties.

Update project

Update Project can be used to change properties of a Project.

Update story

Update Story can be used to update Story properties.

Update story comment

Update Comment replaces the text of the existing Comment.

Update story link

Updates the stories and/or the relationship for the given Story Link.

Update task

Update Task can be used to update Task properties.

Upload files

Upload Files uploads one or many files and optionally associates them with a story.

FRAMEWORKS

How to build Shortcut MCP Agent with another framework

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ChatGPT

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Claude Agent SDK

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Claude Code logo

Claude Code

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Claude Cowork logo

Claude Cowork

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Codex logo

Codex

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Cursor logo

Cursor

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OpenClaw logo

OpenClaw

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Hermes logo

Hermes

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CLI logo

CLI

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Google ADK logo

Google ADK

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LangChain logo

LangChain

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Vercel AI SDK logo

Vercel AI SDK

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Mastra AI logo

Mastra AI

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LlamaIndex logo

LlamaIndex

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CrewAI logo

CrewAI

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OpenCode logo

OpenCode

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VS Code logo

VS Code

Use Shortcut MCP with VS Code

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

With a standalone Shortcut MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Shortcut tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Shortcut and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Yes, you can. OpenAI Agents SDK fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Shortcut tools.

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Shortcut scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Shortcut data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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A lot of students tell us that the moment their connected tools start talking to each other inside Opennote feels almost magical. The agent just knows them, and it's immensely helped keep new users on the platform.

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