How to integrate Asana MCP with Pydantic AI

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Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Asana to Pydantic AI using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Asana agent that can create a new project for q3 goals, add followers to the product launch task, attach a file to today's meeting notes task through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your Pydantic AI agent real control over a Asana account through Composio's Asana MCP server.

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

Also integrate Asana with

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
  • How to set up your Composio API key and User ID
  • How to create a Composio Tool Router session for Asana
  • How to attach an MCP Server to a Pydantic AI agent
  • How to stream responses and maintain chat history
  • How to build a simple REPL-style chat interface to test your Asana workflows

What is Pydantic AI?

Pydantic AI is a Python framework for building AI agents with strong typing and validation. It leverages Pydantic's data validation capabilities to create robust, type-safe AI applications.

Key features include:

  • Type Safety: Built on Pydantic for automatic data validation
  • MCP Support: Native support for Model Context Protocol servers
  • Streaming: Built-in support for streaming responses
  • Async First: Designed for async/await patterns

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

The Asana MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Asana account. It provides structured and secure access to your Asana workspace, so your agent can perform actions like creating tasks, managing projects, tagging work, assigning followers, and attaching files on your behalf.

  • Automated task creation and updates: Let your agent create new tasks with specific details, add tasks to projects or sections, and update them as work progresses.
  • Collaborator and follower management: Easily add users as followers to tasks, ensuring that the right people stay informed and engaged with project updates.
  • Project and workspace organization: Create new projects, define custom fields, and set up tags to keep your Asana workspace organized and tailored to your team's workflow.
  • File and attachment handling: Allow your agent to upload and attach important files directly to tasks, making sure all documentation stays in the right context.
  • Goal and resource linking: Link tasks, projects, or portfolios to goals, or add supporting relationships to help your team track progress and dependencies more effectively.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Triggers
Add Followers to ProjectTool to add followers to a project in Asana.
Add Followers to TaskTool to add followers to a task in Asana.
Add item to portfolioAdd a project (or other supported item) to an Asana portfolio using the native addItem endpoint.
Add Members to ProjectTool to add users to a project in Asana.
Add Project to TaskTool to add a project to a task in Asana.
Add Supporting Relationship to GoalTool to add a supporting goal relationship to a goal.
Add Tag to TaskTool to add an existing tag to a task in Asana.
Add Task DependenciesTool to add dependency relationships to an Asana task.
Add task to sectionAdds an existing task to a section, optionally positioning it before or after another task in that section; if no position is specified, the task is added to the end.
Add User for TeamTool to add a user to a team in Asana.
Add User for WorkspaceTool to add a user to a workspace or organization in Asana.
Approve Access RequestTool to approve an access request in Asana.
Create Access RequestTool to create an access request in Asana.
Create AllocationCreates a new allocation.
Create a projectCreates a new Asana project in the specified workspace.
Create a tag in a workspaceCreates a new tag, with properties like name and color defined in the request body, within a specific Asana workspace (using `workspace_gid`); this tag helps categorize tasks, is confined to the workspace, and is not automatically applied to tasks.
Create task in asana with specific detailsCreates a new Asana task; requires 'workspace', 'parent', or 'projects' for association, and 'followers', 'projects', 'tags' are set only at creation.
Create Attachment for ObjectTool to upload an attachment or link an external resource to a task, project, or project_brief in Asana.
Create Attachment for TaskTool to upload an attachment to a task.
Create Custom FieldTool to create a new custom field in a workspace.
Create Enum Option for Custom FieldTool to create a new enum option for a custom field in Asana.
Create MembershipTool to create a membership by adding a user or team to a project, goal, or portfolio.
Create Project BriefTool to create a project brief for a project.
Create project for teamTool to create a project in a team.
Create project for workspaceTool to create a project in a workspace.
Create Project Status UpdateTool to create a new status update on a project.
Create a section in a projectCreates a new SECTION (not a task) in a project.
Create Status Update for ObjectTool to create a status update on a project, portfolio, or goal.
Create subtaskCreates a new Asana subtask under an existing parent task (`task_gid`); `due_on` and `due_at` are mutually exclusive and cannot be set simultaneously.
Create a tagTool to create a new tag in an Asana workspace.
Create task commentAdds a new text comment (story) to an existing Asana task, appearing in its activity feed.
Create TeamTool to create a new team in an Asana workspace.
Delete AllocationTool to delete an allocation by its ID.
Delete AttachmentTool to delete an attachment by its globally unique identifier.
Delete Custom FieldTool to delete a custom field by its globally unique identifier.
Delete MembershipTool to delete a membership by its GID.
Delete a projectDelete a project.
Delete Project BriefTool to delete a project brief by its GID.
Delete Project StatusTool to delete a project status by its GID.
Delete a sectionTool to delete a section by its GID.
Delete Status UpdateTool to delete a status update by its GID.
Delete StoryTool to delete a story by its GID.
Delete a TagTool to delete a specific tag by its GID.
Delete a taskDelete a task.
Duplicate ProjectDuplicate a project.
Duplicate TaskDuplicate a task
Get Access RequestsTool to retrieve access requests for a target object.
Get AllocationGet an allocation by ID.
Get AllocationsTool to get multiple allocations.
Get a projectRetrieves a specific Asana project by its `project_gid`, with an option to include additional fields for comprehensive details using `opt_fields`; this action does not return tasks within the project.
Get a taskRetrieves full details for a specified task GID accessible by the user; use `opt_fields` to customize returned data.
Get AttachmentTool to get a single attachment by its globally unique identifier.
Get Audit Log EventsTool to get audit log events for a workspace.
Get a user task listRetrieves a specific user's task list from Asana by its `user_task_list_gid`, optionally returning extended details like name, owner, and workspace if specified in `opt_fields`.
Get current userRetrieves the authenticated user's full record, including accessible workspaces, often used as an initial call to establish user context for subsequent operations.
Get Custom FieldTool to get a single custom field by its globally unique identifier.
Get Custom Fields for WorkspaceTool to get all custom fields in a workspace.
Get Custom TypesTool to get all custom types associated with a project.
Get Events on a ResourceRetrieve events on a resource to monitor changes.
Get Favorites for UserTool to get a user's favorites within a specified workspace.
Get GoalRetrieve the full record for a single goal by its GID.
Get Goal RelationshipsTool to retrieve goal relationships.
Get GoalsTool to retrieve multiple goals.
Get JobTool to retrieve a job by its globally unique identifier.
Get MembershipTool to retrieve a single membership by its ID.
Get MembershipsTool to retrieve memberships for goals, projects, portfolios, or custom fields.
Get multiple projectsReturns a list of projects filtered by workspace or team (one required), with optional archived status filter, supporting pagination for large datasets.
Get multiple tasksRetrieves a list of tasks, allowing filtering by assignee (requires `workspace`), project, section, `completed_since`, and `modified_since`; `workspace` also requires `assignee`.
Get multiple usersReturns a list of users in an Asana workspace or organization, optionally filtered by workspace or team GID, with support for pagination and specifying optional fields.
Get multiple workspacesRetrieves all workspaces accessible by the authenticated user, returning an empty list if the user has no accessible workspaces.
Get PortfolioRetrieve the full record for a single portfolio by its GID.
Get Portfolio ItemsRetrieve items in a portfolio.
Get Portfolio MembershipsTool to retrieve multiple portfolio memberships.
Get PortfoliosRetrieve multiple portfolios.
Get Project BriefTool to retrieve a project brief by its GID.
Get Project MembershipTool to get a project membership by ID.
Get Project Memberships For ProjectTool to get memberships from a specific project.
Get Projects for TaskTool to get all projects a task is in.
Get Projects for TeamTool to get a list of projects for a specific team in Asana.
Get Project StatusTool to retrieve the full record for a single project status by its GID.
Get Project Status UpdatesTool to get status updates for a specific project.
Get Multiple Project TemplatesTool to retrieve multiple project templates.
Get Project Templates for TeamTool to get a team's project templates in Asana.
Get Reactions on ObjectTool to get reactions with a specific emoji base character on an object.
Get SectionRetrieve the full record for a single section by its GID.
Get sections in a projectReturns compact records for all sections (used to group tasks) in a specified project.
Get Status UpdateTool to retrieve the full record for a single status update by its GID.
Get Status UpdatesRetrieve status updates from an object.
Get Stories for TaskTool to get stories (comments, status updates, etc.
Get StoryTool to retrieve a story.
Get TagTool to get a single tag by its globally unique identifier.
Get TagsGet multiple tags in a workspace.
Get Tags for TaskTool to get all tags associated with a specific task.
Get Tags For WorkspaceTool to get all tags in a specific workspace.
Get Task AttachmentsTool to get the list of attachments for a given task, project, or project_brief.
Get Task Counts For ProjectTool to get task count statistics for a project.
Get tasks for tagTool to retrieve tasks associated with a specific Asana tag by tag GID.
Get tasks for user task listTool to retrieve tasks from a user task list by user task list GID.
Retrieve tasks for projectRetrieves tasks from a specified Asana project, allowing filtering by completion status and selection of optional fields for detailed responses.
Get tasks from a sectionTool to retrieve tasks that belong to a specific Asana section (column/header) by section GID.
Get Task SubtasksTool to retrieve multiple task subtasks from a workspace.
Get Task TemplatesTool to retrieve multiple task templates from a workspace.
Get TeamTool to retrieve details of a specific team by its GID.
Get Team MembershipTool to retrieve a complete team membership record by its GID.
Get Team MembershipsTool to retrieve compact team membership records.
Get Team Memberships for TeamTool to get memberships from a specific team.
Get Team Memberships For UserTool to get team memberships for a specific user.
Get Teams for UserTool to get teams for a specific user in an organization.
Get teams in workspaceReturns the compact records for all teams in the workspace visible to the authorized user.
Get Time PeriodTool to retrieve the full record for a single time period by its GID.
Get Time PeriodsTool to retrieve compact or full representations of time periods.
Get Time Tracking EntriesTool to get multiple time tracking entries across workspace, tasks, or projects.
Get Time Tracking Entries for TaskTool to get time tracking entries for a task.
Get Objects via TypeaheadTool to retrieve objects in a workspace via a typeahead search algorithm.
Get UserGet a user by their ID.
Get User in WorkspaceTool to get a user in a workspace or organization by their GID.
Get Users for TeamGet users in a team.
Get Users in WorkspaceGet users in a workspace or organization.
Get User Task ListTool to get a single user task list by its globally unique identifier.
Get WebhooksTool to retrieve multiple webhooks in a workspace.
Get WorkspaceTool to retrieve details of a specific workspace by its GID.
Get Workspace MembershipTool to retrieve a specific workspace membership by its GID.
Get Workspace MembershipsTool to retrieve the workspace memberships for a specific workspace.
Get Workspace Memberships For UserTool to retrieve workspace memberships for a specific user.
Get Workspace ProjectsTool to retrieve the projects associated with a specific workspace.
Reorder Enum Option for Custom FieldTool to reorder an existing enum option within a custom field by moving it before or after another specified enum option.
Move or Insert Section in ProjectTool to move or reorder an existing section within a project by repositioning it before or after another section.
Instantiate Project TemplateInstantiate (create) a real Asana project from a project template, returning the async job record.
Reject access requestTool to reject an access request.
Remove Follower From TaskTool to remove one or more followers from a task.
Remove Followers For ProjectTool to remove followers from a project in Asana.
Remove Item from PortfolioTool to remove an item (e.
Remove Members from ProjectTool to remove users from a project in Asana.
Remove Project from TaskTool to remove a project from a task in Asana.
Remove Tag from TaskTool to remove an existing tag from a task in Asana.
Remove User For TeamTool to remove a user from a team.
Remove User from WorkspaceTool to remove a user from a workspace or organization.
Search Tasks in WorkspaceTool to search tasks across a workspace with advanced filters.
Set parent for taskTool to set the parent of a task in Asana.
Submit Parallel Requests (Batch API)Tool to submit multiple Asana API requests in parallel using the Batch API.
Update AllocationTool to update an existing allocation by its ID.
Update a taskUpdates attributes of an existing Asana task identified by its task_gid.
Update Custom FieldTool to update a custom field by its globally unique identifier.
Update Enum OptionTool to update an enum option for a custom field.
Update a projectUpdate a project.
Update Project BriefTool to update a project brief by its GID.
Update SectionUpdate a section's name or position within a project.
Update StoryTool to update a story on a task.
Update TagTool to update an existing tag by its globally unique identifier.
Update a teamTool to update details of an existing team.
Update UserUpdate a user's custom fields.
Update User for WorkspaceTool to update a user in a workspace or organization.
Update a webhookTool to update an existing Asana webhook's filter configuration.

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

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Python 3.9 or higher
  • A Composio account with an active API key
  • Basic familiarity with Python and async programming

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
  • Log in to the Composio dashboard.
  • Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
  • Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

Install dependencies

bash
pip install composio pydantic-ai python-dotenv

Install the required libraries.

What's happening:

  • composio connects your agent to external SaaS tools like Asana
  • pydantic-ai lets you create structured AI agents with tool support
  • python-dotenv loads your environment variables securely from a .env file

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_openai_api_key

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates your agent to Composio's API
  • USER_ID associates your session with your account for secure tool access
  • OPENAI_API_KEY to access OpenAI LLMs

Import dependencies

python
import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from composio import Composio
from pydantic_ai import Agent
from pydantic_ai.mcp import MCPServerStreamableHTTP

load_dotenv()
What's happening:
  • We load environment variables and import required modules
  • Composio manages connections to Asana
  • MCPServerStreamableHTTP connects to the Asana MCP server endpoint
  • Agent from Pydantic AI lets you define and run the AI assistant

Create a Tool Router Session

python
async def main():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")
    if not api_key or not user_id:
        raise RuntimeError("Set COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID in your environment")

    # Create a Composio Tool Router session for Asana
    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=user_id,
        toolkits=["asana"],
    )
    url = session.mcp.url
    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Composio session did not return an MCP URL")
What's happening:
  • We're creating a Tool Router session that gives your agent access to Asana tools
  • The create method takes the user ID and specifies which toolkits should be available
  • The returned session.mcp.url is the MCP server URL that your agent will use

Initialize the Pydantic AI Agent

python
# Attach the MCP server to a Pydantic AI Agent
asana_mcp = MCPServerStreamableHTTP(url, headers={"x-api-key": COMPOSIO_API_KEY})
agent = Agent(
    "openai:gpt-5",
    toolsets=[asana_mcp],
    instructions=(
        "You are a Asana assistant. Use Asana tools to help users "
        "with their requests. Ask clarifying questions when needed."
    ),
)
What's happening:
  • The MCP client connects to the Asana endpoint
  • The agent uses GPT-5 to interpret user commands and perform Asana operations
  • The instructions field defines the agent's role and behavior

Build the chat interface

python
# Simple REPL with message history
history = []
print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")
print("Try asking the agent to help you with Asana.\n")

while True:
    user_input = input("You: ").strip()
    if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit", "bye"}:
        print("\nGoodbye!")
        break
    if not user_input:
        continue

    print("\nAgent is thinking...\n", flush=True)

    async with agent.run_stream(user_input, message_history=history) as stream_result:
        collected_text = ""
        async for chunk in stream_result.stream_output():
            text_piece = None
            if isinstance(chunk, str):
                text_piece = chunk
            elif hasattr(chunk, "delta") and isinstance(chunk.delta, str):
                text_piece = chunk.delta
            elif hasattr(chunk, "text"):
                text_piece = chunk.text
            if text_piece:
                collected_text += text_piece
        result = stream_result

    print(f"Agent: {collected_text}\n")
    history = result.all_messages()
What's happening:
  • The agent reads input from the terminal and streams its response
  • Asana API calls happen automatically under the hood
  • The model keeps conversation history to maintain context across turns

Run the application

python
if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())
What's happening:
  • The asyncio loop launches the agent and keeps it running until you exit

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Asana and Pydantic AI:

python
import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from composio import Composio
from pydantic_ai import Agent
from pydantic_ai.mcp import MCPServerStreamableHTTP

load_dotenv()

async def main():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    user_id = os.getenv("USER_ID")
    if not api_key or not user_id:
        raise RuntimeError("Set COMPOSIO_API_KEY and USER_ID in your environment")

    # Create a Composio Tool Router session for Asana
    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=user_id,
        toolkits=["asana"],
    )
    url = session.mcp.url
    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Composio session did not return an MCP URL")

    # Attach the MCP server to a Pydantic AI Agent
    asana_mcp = MCPServerStreamableHTTP(url, headers={"x-api-key": COMPOSIO_API_KEY})
    agent = Agent(
        "openai:gpt-5",
        toolsets=[asana_mcp],
        instructions=(
            "You are a Asana assistant. Use Asana tools to help users "
            "with their requests. Ask clarifying questions when needed."
        ),
    )

    # Simple REPL with message history
    history = []
    print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")
    print("Try asking the agent to help you with Asana.\n")

    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit", "bye"}:
            print("\nGoodbye!")
            break
        if not user_input:
            continue

        print("\nAgent is thinking...\n", flush=True)

        async with agent.run_stream(user_input, message_history=history) as stream_result:
            collected_text = ""
            async for chunk in stream_result.stream_output():
                text_piece = None
                if isinstance(chunk, str):
                    text_piece = chunk
                elif hasattr(chunk, "delta") and isinstance(chunk.delta, str):
                    text_piece = chunk.delta
                elif hasattr(chunk, "text"):
                    text_piece = chunk.text
                if text_piece:
                    collected_text += text_piece
            result = stream_result

        print(f"Agent: {collected_text}\n")
        history = result.all_messages()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())

Conclusion

You've built a Pydantic AI agent that can interact with Asana through Composio's Tool Router. With this setup, your agent can perform real Asana actions through natural language. You can extend this further by:
  • Adding other toolkits like Gmail, HubSpot, or Salesforce
  • Building a web-based chat interface around this agent
  • Using multiple MCP endpoints to enable cross-app workflows (for example, Gmail + Asana for workflow automation)
This architecture makes your AI agent "agent-native", able to securely use APIs in a unified, composable way without custom integrations.

How to build Asana MCP Agent with another framework

FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Asana MCP?

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

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Pydantic AI?

Yes, you can. Pydantic AI 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 Asana tools.

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Asana while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Asana 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.

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

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 Asana data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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