Shortcut with AutoGen

How to integrate Shortcut MCP with Autogen

Introduction TL;DR What is AutoGen What is the Shortcut MCP server Supported Tools & Triggers Creating MCP Server - Stand-alone vs Tool Router Step-by-step Guide Complete Code Conclusion How to build Shortcut MCP Agent with another framework Explore Other Toolkits FAQ

Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Shortcut to AutoGen 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, make a group for the mobile team through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your AutoGen 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.

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:

Get and set up your OpenAI and Composio API keys
Install the required dependencies for Autogen and Composio
Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Shortcut
Wire that MCP URL into Autogen using McpWorkbench and StreamableHttpServerParams
Configure an Autogen AssistantAgent that can call Shortcut tools
Run a live chat loop where you ask the agent to perform Shortcut operations

What is AutoGen?

Autogen is a framework for building multi-agent conversational AI systems from Microsoft. It enables you to create agents that can collaborate, use tools, and maintain complex workflows.

Key features include:

Multi-Agent Systems: Build collaborative agent workflows
MCP Workbench: Native support for Model Context Protocol tools
Streaming HTTP: Connect to external services through streamable HTTP
AssistantAgent: Pre-built agent class for tool-using assistants

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.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools

Create categoryCreate category allows you to create a new category in shortcut.

Create entity templateCreate a new entity template for the workspace.

Create epicCreate epic allows you to create a new epic in shortcut.

Create epic commentThis endpoint allows you to create a threaded comment on an epic.

Create epic comment commentThis endpoint allows you to create a nested comment reply to an existing epic comment.

Create groupCreates a new group in the shortcut system with customizable properties.

Create iterationThe 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 labelCreate label allows you to create a new label in shortcut.

Create linked fileCreate linked file allows you to create a new linked file in shortcut.

Create milestone(deprecated: use 'create objective') create milestone allows you to create a new milestone in shortcut.

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

Create objectiveCreate objective allows you to create a new objective in shortcut.

Create projectCreate project is used to create a new shortcut project.

Create storyCreate story is used to add a new story to your shortcut workspace.

Create story commentCreate comment allows you to create a comment on any story.

Create story from templateCreate story from template is used to add a new story derived from a template to your shortcut workspace.

Create story linkStory links (called story relationships in the ui) allow you create semantic relationships between two stories.

Create story reactionCreate a reaction to a story comment.

Create taskCreate task is used to create a new task in a story.

Delete categoryDelete category can be used to delete any category.

Delete custom fieldDeletes a specific custom field from the shortcut system using its unique public identifier.

Delete entity templateDeletes a specific entity template from the shortcut api.

Delete epicDelete epic can be used to delete the epic.

Delete epic commentThis endpoint allows you to delete a comment from an epic.

Delete fileDelete file deletes a previously uploaded file.

Delete iterationDeletes a specific iteration from the shortcut project management system.

Delete labelDelete label can be used to delete any label.

Delete linked fileDelete linked file can be used to delete any previously attached linked-file.

Delete milestone(deprecated: use 'delete objective') delete milestone can be used to delete any milestone.

Delete multiple storiesDelete multiple stories allows you to delete multiple archived stories at once.

Delete objectiveDelete objective can be used to delete any objective.

Delete projectDelete project can be used to delete a project.

Delete storyDelete story can be used to delete any story.

Delete story commentDelete a comment from any story.

Delete story linkRemoves the relationship between the stories for the given story link.

Delete story reactionDelete a reaction from any story comment.

Delete taskDelete task can be used to delete any previously created task on a story.

Disable iterationsDisables iterations for the current workspace

Disable story templatesDisables the story template feature for the workspace.

Enable iterationsEnables iterations for the current workspace

Enable story templatesEnables the story template feature for the workspace.

Get categoryGet category returns information about the selected category.

Get current member infoReturns information about the authenticated member.

Get custom fieldRetrieves detailed information about a specific custom field in shortcut using its unique public identifier.

Get entity templateGet entity template returns information about a given entity template.

Get epicGet epic returns information about the selected epic.

Get epic commentThis endpoint returns information about the selected epic comment.

Get epic workflowReturns the epic workflow for the workspace.

Get external link storiesGet stories which have a given external link associated with them.

Get fileGet file returns information about the selected uploadedfile.

Get groupRetrieves detailed information about a specific group in the shortcut workspace using its unique public identifier.

Get iterationRetrieves detailed information about a specific iteration in the shortcut project management system.

Get key resultGet key result returns information about a chosen key result.

Get labelGet label returns information about the selected label.

Get linked fileGet file returns information about the selected linked file.

Get memberReturns information about a member.

Get milestone(deprecated: use 'get objective') get milestone returns information about a chosen milestone.

Get objectiveGet objective returns information about a chosen objective.

Get projectGet project returns information about the selected project.

Get repositoryGet repository returns information about the selected repository.

Get storyGet story returns information about a chosen story.

Get story commentGet comment is used to get comment information.

Get story linkReturns the stories and their relationship for the given story link.

Get taskReturns information about a chosen task.

Get workflowGet workflow returns information about a chosen workflow.

List categoriesList categories returns a list of all categories and their attributes.

List category milestonesList category milestones returns a list of all milestones with the category.

List category objectivesReturns a list of all objectives with the category.

List custom fieldsRetrieves a list of all custom fields defined in the shortcut api.

List entity templatesList all the entity templates for the workspace.

List epic commentsGet a list of all comments on an epic.

List epicsList epics returns a list of all epics and their attributes.

List epic storiesGet a list of all stories in an epic.

List filesList files returns a list of all uploadedfiles in the workspace.

List groupsA group in our api maps to a "team" within the shortcut product.

List group storiesList the stories assigned to the group.

List iterationsRetrieves a list of all iterations in the shortcut project management system.

List iteration storiesGet a list of all stories in an iteration.

List label epicsList all of the epics with the label.

List labelsList labels returns a list of all labels and their attributes.

List label storiesList all of the stories with the label.

List linked filesList linked files returns a list of all linked-files and their attributes.

List membersReturns information about members of the workspace.

List milestone epics(deprecated: use 'list objective epics') list all of the epics within the milestone.

List milestones(deprecated: use 'list objectives') list milestones returns a list of all milestones and their attributes.

List objective epicsList all of the epics within the objective.

List objectivesList objectives returns a list of all objectives and their attributes.

List projectsList projects returns a list of all projects and their attributes.

List repositoriesList repositories returns a list of all repositories and their attributes.

List storiesList stories returns a list of all stories in a selected project and their attributes.

List story commentLists comments associated with a story

List workflowsReturns a list of all workflows in the workspace.

SearchSearch lets you search epics and stories based on desired parameters.

Search epicsSearch epics lets you search epics based on desired parameters.

Search iterationsSearch iterations lets you search iterations based on desired parameters.

Search milestonesSearch milestones lets you search milestones based on desired parameters.

Search objectivesSearch objectives lets you search objectives based on desired parameters.

Search storiesSearch stories lets you search stories based on desired parameters.

Search stories oldSearch stories lets you search stories based on desired parameters.

Story historyRetrieves the complete history of changes for a specific story in the shortcut project management system.

Unlink comment thread from slackUnlinks a comment from its linked slack thread (comment replies and slack replies will no longer be synced)

Unlink productboard from epicThis endpoint allows you to unlink a productboard epic.

Update categoryUpdate category allows you to replace a category name with another name.

Update custom fieldUpdate custom field can be used to update the definition of a custom field.

Update entity templateUpdate an entity template's name or its contents.

Update epicUpdate epic can be used to update numerous fields in the epic.

Update epic commentThis endpoint allows you to update a threaded comment on an epic.

Update fileUpdate file updates the properties of an uploadedfile (but not its content).

Update groupUpdates an existing group in the shortcut workspace.

Update iterationThis endpoint allows you to update an existing iteration in shortcut.

Update key resultUpdate key result allows updating a key result's name or initial, observed, or target values.

Update labelUpdate label allows you to replace a label name with another name.

Update linked fileUpdated linked file allows you to update properties of a previously attached linked-file.

Update milestone(deprecated: use 'update objective') update milestone can be used to update milestone properties.

Update multiple storiesUpdate multiple stories allows you to make changes to numerous stories at once.

Update objectiveUpdate objective can be used to update objective properties.

Update projectUpdate project can be used to change properties of a project.

Update storyUpdate story can be used to update story properties.

Update story commentUpdate comment replaces the text of the existing comment.

Update story linkUpdates the stories and/or the relationship for the given story link.

Update taskUpdate task can be used to update task properties.

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

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

What is Tool Router?

Composio's Tool Router 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 Tool Router

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

How the Tool Router works

The Tool Router follows a three-phase workflow:

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

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

You will need:

A Composio API key
An OpenAI API key (used by Autogen's OpenAIChatCompletionClient)
A Shortcut account you can connect to Composio
Some basic familiarity with Autogen and Python async

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 python-dotenv
pip install autogen-agentchat autogen-ext-openai autogen-ext-tools

Install Composio, Autogen extensions, and dotenv.

What's happening:

composio connects your agent to Shortcut via MCP
autogen-agentchat provides the AssistantAgent class
autogen-ext-openai provides the OpenAI model client
autogen-ext-tools provides MCP workbench support

Set up environment variables

bash

COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your-composio-api-key
OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-api-key
USER_ID=your-user-identifier@example.com

Create a .env file in your project folder.

What's happening:

COMPOSIO_API_KEY is required to talk to Composio
OPENAI_API_KEY is used by Autogen's OpenAI client
USER_ID is how Composio identifies which user's Shortcut connections to use

Import dependencies and create Tool Router session

python

import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from composio import Composio

from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient
from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench, StreamableHttpServerParams

load_dotenv()

async def main():
    # Initialize Composio and create a Shortcut session
    composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY"))
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["shortcut"]
    )
    url = session.mcp.url

What's happening:

load_dotenv() reads your .env file
Composio(api_key=...) initializes the SDK
create(...) creates a Tool Router session that exposes Shortcut tools
session.mcp.url is the MCP endpoint that Autogen will connect to

Configure MCP parameters for Autogen

python

# Configure MCP server parameters for Streamable HTTP
server_params = StreamableHttpServerParams(
    url=url,
    timeout=30.0,
    sse_read_timeout=300.0,
    terminate_on_close=True,
    headers={"x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")}
)

Autogen expects parameters describing how to talk to the MCP server. That is what StreamableHttpServerParams is for.

What's happening:

url points to the Tool Router MCP endpoint from Composio
timeout is the HTTP timeout for requests
sse_read_timeout controls how long to wait when streaming responses
terminate_on_close=True cleans up the MCP server process when the workbench is closed

Create the model client and agent

python

# Create model client
model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient(
    model="gpt-5",
    api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY")
)

# Use McpWorkbench as context manager
async with McpWorkbench(server_params) as workbench:
    # Create Shortcut assistant agent with MCP tools
    agent = AssistantAgent(
        name="shortcut_assistant",
        description="An AI assistant that helps with Shortcut operations.",
        model_client=model_client,
        workbench=workbench,
        model_client_stream=True,
        max_tool_iterations=10
    )

What's happening:

OpenAIChatCompletionClient wraps the OpenAI model for Autogen
McpWorkbench connects the agent to the MCP tools
AssistantAgent is configured with the Shortcut tools from the workbench

Run the interactive chat loop

python

print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n")
print("Ask any Shortcut related question or task to the agent.\n")

# Conversation loop
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")

    # Run the agent with streaming
    try:
        response_text = ""
        async for message in agent.run_stream(task=user_input):
            if hasattr(message, "content") and message.content:
                response_text = message.content

        # Print the final response
        if response_text:
            print(f"Agent: {response_text}\n")
        else:
            print("Agent: I encountered an issue processing your request.\n")

    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Agent: Sorry, I encountered an error: {str(e)}\n")

What's happening:

The script prompts you in a loop with You:
Autogen passes your input to the model, which decides which Shortcut tools to call via MCP
agent.run_stream(...) yields streaming messages as the agent thinks and calls tools
Typing exit, quit, or bye ends the loop

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Shortcut and AutoGen:

python

import asyncio
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv
from composio import Composio

from autogen_agentchat.agents import AssistantAgent
from autogen_ext.models.openai import OpenAIChatCompletionClient
from autogen_ext.tools.mcp import McpWorkbench, StreamableHttpServerParams

load_dotenv()

async def main():
    # Initialize Composio and create a Shortcut session
    composio = Composio(api_key=os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY"))
    session = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["shortcut"]
    )
    url = session.mcp.url

    # Configure MCP server parameters for Streamable HTTP
    server_params = StreamableHttpServerParams(
        url=url,
        timeout=30.0,
        sse_read_timeout=300.0,
        terminate_on_close=True,
        headers={"x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")}
    )

    # Create model client
    model_client = OpenAIChatCompletionClient(
        model="gpt-5",
        api_key=os.getenv("OPENAI_API_KEY")
    )

    # Use McpWorkbench as context manager
    async with McpWorkbench(server_params) as workbench:
        # Create Shortcut assistant agent with MCP tools
        agent = AssistantAgent(
            name="shortcut_assistant",
            description="An AI assistant that helps with Shortcut operations.",
            model_client=model_client,
            workbench=workbench,
            model_client_stream=True,
            max_tool_iterations=10
        )

        print("Chat started! Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end the conversation.\n")
        print("Ask any Shortcut related question or task to the agent.\n")

        # Conversation loop
        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")

            # Run the agent with streaming
            try:
                response_text = ""
                async for message in agent.run_stream(task=user_input):
                    if hasattr(message, 'content') and message.content:
                        response_text = message.content

                # Print the final response
                if response_text:
                    print(f"Agent: {response_text}\n")
                else:
                    print("Agent: I encountered an issue processing your request.\n")

            except Exception as e:
                print(f"Agent: Sorry, I encountered an error: {str(e)}\n")

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

Conclusion

You now have an Autogen assistant wired into Shortcut through Composio's Tool Router and MCP. From here you can:

Add more toolkits to the toolkits list, for example notion or hubspot
Refine the agent description to point it at specific workflows
Wrap this script behind a UI, Slack bot, or internal tool

Once the pattern is clear for Shortcut, you can reuse the same structure for other MCP-enabled apps with minimal code changes.

How to build Shortcut MCP Agent with another framework

OpenAI Agents SDK

Use Shortcut MCP with OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Agent SDK

Use Shortcut MCP with Claude Agent SDK

Google ADK

Use Shortcut MCP with Google ADK

LangChain

Use Shortcut MCP with LangChain

Vercel AI SDK

Use Shortcut MCP with Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI

Use Shortcut MCP with Mastra AI

LlamaIndex

Use Shortcut MCP with LlamaIndex

CrewAI

Use Shortcut MCP with CrewAI

Explore Other Toolkits

Accelo

OAuth2

Accelo is a unified platform for professional service teams, combining project management, CRM, billing, and analytics. It helps streamline client operations and boost team productivity.

Agiled

API Key

Agiled is an all-in-one business management platform for CRM, projects, and finance. It helps you streamline workflows, consolidate client data, and manage business processes in one place.

Airtable

OAuth2Bearer TokenAPI Key

Airtable combines the flexibility of spreadsheets with the power of a database for easy project and data management. Teams use Airtable to organize, track, and collaborate with custom views and automations.

TOOLKIT MARKETPLACE

FAQ

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

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.

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Autogen?

Yes, you can. Autogen 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.

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

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.

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 Shortcut data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

Used by agents from

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Harsha GaddipatiCo-founder, Slashy

Karan skipped his own birthday party to fix our critical issue. It was 10 pm and he diverted his Waymo to help us instead. This really sets the bar, shows you the commitment you need to have when users rely on your software.

Abhi AryaCo-founder, Opennote

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 has immensely helped in keeping new users on the platform.

Nirman DaveCEO, Zams

We chose Composio over Pipedream because it delivered depth where it mattered. It supported niche tools and tricky edge cases that other platforms simply ignored. Giving us confidence to scale without compromising.

Ryan YuFounder, Extra Thursday

As a solo builder, shipping fast is life or death. The only way I can outcompete incumbents is by outmanoeuvring them. Getting bogged down in the complexities of managing agent auth would have been a death sentence for Extra Thursday.

Tomisin JenrolaFounder & CEO, SwarmZero

Before partnering with Composio, adding tool integrations was a slow, resource-intensive process. Each integration could take weeks or months of engineering time, and maintaining them meant constantly keeping up with API changes.

Jerome LeclancheCo-Founder, Ingram Technologies

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

Harsha GaddipatiCo-founder, Slashy

Abhi AryaCo-founder, Opennote

Nirman DaveCEO, Zams

Ryan YuFounder, Extra Thursday

Tomisin JenrolaFounder & CEO, SwarmZero

Jerome LeclancheCo-Founder, Ingram Technologies

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

Harsha GaddipatiCo-founder, Slashy

Abhi AryaCo-founder, Opennote

Nirman DaveCEO, Zams

Ryan YuFounder, Extra Thursday

Tomisin JenrolaFounder & CEO, SwarmZero

Jerome LeclancheCo-Founder, Ingram Technologies

With hands-on help from their founder, we integrated Gmail and Google Drive in just 30 minutes. This level of personal support and commitment is exactly what startups should strive for.

How to integrate Shortcut MCP with Autogen

Table of Contents

Introduction

TL;DR

What is AutoGen?

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

Supported Tools & Triggers

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

What is Tool Router?

How the Tool Router works

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Getting API Keys for OpenAI and Composio

Install dependencies

Set up environment variables

Import dependencies and create Tool Router session

Configure MCP parameters for Autogen

Create the model client and agent

Run the interactive chat loop

Complete Code

Conclusion

How to build Shortcut MCP Agent with another framework

OpenAI Agents SDK

Claude Agent SDK

Google ADK

LangChain

Vercel AI SDK

Mastra AI

LlamaIndex

CrewAI

Explore Other Toolkits

Accelo

Agiled

Airtable

FAQ

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

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Autogen?

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

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

Used by agents from

Never worry about agent reliability