create_client
Create a new client for project management and billing. Requires client name and supports address and currency configuration.
LABSCO SUMMARY
Everything the account holds is addressable, including the writes that end up on someone's bill.
The read side is filterable rather than a dump: list_time_entries narrows by user, client, project, task, billing state and date range, and returns paginated results. Deletion is not uniform, and the difference matters — delete_project, delete_task, delete_client and delete_user archive the record and keep its history, while delete_time_entry, delete_invoice, delete_expense and delete_estimate are permanent. Writing time has its own shape too: create_time_entry needs project_id, task_id and spent_date, plus either hours or both started_time and ended_time.
What it is
A client for the Harvest time-tracking and billing API, 54 tools reaching from the running timer through projects, tasks, clients and users to invoices, estimates, expenses and reports.
What you get
- Time entries and live timers: list_time_entries, get_time_entry, create_time_entry, update_time_entry and delete_time_entry, with start_timer, stop_timer and restart_timer driving a running entry.
- Project structure: list_projects, get_project, create_project, update_project and delete_project carrying budget, hourly_rate and is_billable, plus list_project_task_assignments, create_project_task_assignment, update_project_task_assignment and delete_project_task_assignment for which tasks a project can book against.
- Tasks and clients as their own records: list_tasks, get_task, create_task, update_task, delete_task; list_clients, get_client, create_client, update_client, delete_client.
- People, permissions and rates: list_users, get_user, get_current_user, create_user, update_user and delete_user, covering is_admin, is_project_manager and is_contractor as well as cost_rate and default_hourly_rate.
- Billing documents: list_invoices, get_invoice, create_invoice, update_invoice and delete_invoice alongside list_estimates, get_estimate, create_estimate, update_estimate and delete_estimate, with currency, discount, tax and payment_term.
- Expenses: list_expenses, get_expense, create_expense, update_expense and delete_expense, with list_expense_categories for classification.
- Reporting: get_time_report and get_expense_report with grouping and billable filters, get_project_budget_report for spend against budget, and get_uninvoiced_report for work that has not been billed.
Requirements
HARVEST_ACCESS_TOKEN and HARVEST_ACCOUNT_ID for the Harvest account the tools act on.
Setup effort
One command plus a key — npm install -g @ianaleck/harvest-mcp-server, then supply credentials
USE CASES
01
Closing out the month's billable work
Pull the time and expenses that were never invoiced, check them against the time report, then raise the invoice for the client and adjust its terms before it goes out.
02
Tracking a working session without leaving the editor
Start a timer against the project and task you are on, stop it when the block ends, and restart an earlier entry when you pick the same work back up.
03
Standing up a new client engagement before the first hour is logged
Create the client, open a project against it with its budget and billing settings, then define the tasks and attach them so time can be booked.
04
Finding out which project is quietly eating its budget
Compare spend against budget across projects, then follow the expense side of the ones that are over before deciding what to do about the rate.
05
Bringing a contractor onto the account with the right rate and access
Create the user with the permissions and rates they should have, correct them once the engagement settles, and check the result against the rest of the team.
54 tools
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
create_estimate
Create a new estimate for a client with optional line items and terms. Supports custom pricing, taxes, and discounts.
create_expense
Create a new expense entry for a project with category and cost details. Supports receipt attachment and billable status.
create_invoice
Create a new invoice for a client with optional line items and billing details. Supports custom terms, taxes, and payment configurations.
create_project
Create a new project for a client. Requires project name and client ID. Supports extensive configuration including budget settings, billing preferences, and project timeline.
create_project_task_assignment
Assign a task to a project, making it available for time tracking on that project. Allows setting project-specific rates and budgets.
create_task
Create a new task that can be assigned to projects for time tracking. Tasks define what type of work is being performed.
create_time_entry
Create a new time entry. Requires project_id, task_id, and spent_date. Must provide either hours OR both started_time and ended_time.
create_user
Create a new user with specified roles and permissions. Supports team member management and access control.
delete_client
Delete (archive) a client. This action archives the client rather than permanently deleting it, preserving historical project and billing data.
delete_estimate
Delete an estimate permanently. This action cannot be undone.
delete_expense
Delete an expense permanently. This action cannot be undone.
delete_invoice
Delete an invoice permanently. This action cannot be undone and will remove all associated billing data.
delete_project
Delete (archive) a project. This action archives the project rather than permanently deleting it, preserving historical data while making it inactive.
delete_project_task_assignment
Remove a task assignment from a project, making the task unavailable for time tracking on that project.
delete_task
Delete (archive) a task. This action archives the task rather than permanently deleting it, preserving historical data while making it inactive.
delete_time_entry
Delete a time entry permanently. This action cannot be undone.
delete_user
Delete (archive) a user. This action archives the user rather than permanently deleting them, preserving time tracking history.
get_client
Retrieve a specific client by its ID. Returns complete client details including contact information and billing configuration.
get_company
Retrieve company information and settings for the authenticated account. Returns comprehensive company details including billing configuration, time tracking preferences, and enabled features.
get_current_user
Retrieve the currently authenticated user's profile and permissions.
get_estimate
Retrieve a specific estimate by ID with complete details including line items, terms, and client information.
get_expense
Retrieve a specific expense by ID with complete details including receipts and billing information.
get_expense_report
Generate comprehensive expense reports with filtering by date range, users, clients, projects, and categories. Supports grouping and billing status filtering.
get_invoice
Retrieve a specific invoice by ID with complete details including line items, payments, and billing information.
get_project
Retrieve a specific project by its ID. Returns complete project details including client information, budget settings, billing configuration, and project dates.
get_project_budget_report
Generate project budget reports showing spending vs budgets across projects. Helps track project profitability and budget utilization.
get_task
Retrieve a specific task by its ID. Returns complete task details including default billing settings and activity status.
get_time_entry
Retrieve a specific time entry by its ID. Returns complete time entry details including project, task, user, and timing information.
get_time_report
Generate comprehensive time tracking reports with filtering by date range, users, clients, projects, and tasks. Supports grouping and billable status filtering.
get_uninvoiced_report
Generate reports of uninvoiced time and expenses within a date range. Essential for identifying billable work that hasn't been invoiced yet.
get_user
Retrieve a specific user by ID. Returns complete user profile including roles, permissions, and billing rates.
list_clients
Retrieve a list of clients with optional filtering by active status and updated date. Returns paginated results with client details including billing information.
list_estimates
Retrieve estimates with filtering by client, state, and date ranges. Returns paginated results with estimate details.
list_expense_categories
Retrieve available expense categories for expense classification and organization.
list_expenses
Retrieve expenses with filtering by user, client, project, billing status, and date ranges. Returns paginated results with expense details.
list_invoices
Retrieve invoices with optional filtering by client, project, state, and date ranges. Returns paginated results with complete invoice details.
list_project_task_assignments
Retrieve task assignments for a specific project. Shows which tasks are available for time tracking on the project and their specific settings.
list_projects
Retrieve a list of projects with optional filtering by client, active status, and updated date. Returns paginated results with comprehensive project details.
list_tasks
Retrieve a list of tasks with optional filtering. Tasks are the building blocks for time tracking and can be assigned to projects.
list_time_entries
Retrieve a list of time entries with optional filtering. Supports filtering by user, client, project, task, billing status, date ranges, and more. Returns paginated results.
list_users
Retrieve a list of users with optional filtering by active status and updated date. Returns paginated results with user profiles and permissions.
restart_timer
Restart a previously stopped timer, creating a new running time entry based on an existing entry.
start_timer
Start a timer for a new time entry. Creates a running time entry that tracks time automatically.
stop_timer
Stop a running timer and finalize the time entry with calculated hours.
update_client
Update an existing client. Can modify name, active status, address, and currency. Only provided fields will be updated.
update_estimate
Update an existing estimate including subject, terms, taxes, and other details. Only provided fields will be updated.
update_expense
Update an existing expense including project, category, cost, and billing details. Only provided fields will be updated.
update_invoice
Update an existing invoice including subject, dates, terms, taxes, and other billing details. Only provided fields will be updated.
update_project
Update an existing project. Can modify any project settings including name, billing configuration, budget settings, and project timeline. Only provided fields will be updated.
update_project_task_assignment
Update an existing project task assignment including rates, budget, and active status. Only provided fields will be updated.
update_task
Update an existing task. Can modify task name, billing settings, and activity status. Only provided fields will be updated.
update_time_entry
Update an existing time entry. Can modify project, task, hours, notes, and other fields. Only provided fields will be updated.
update_user
Update an existing user's profile, permissions, and rates. Only provided fields will be updated.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
54 tools when we connected.
Requires
- npx on PATH
- Node.js 18+
- HARVEST_ACCESS_TOKEN in your environment
- HARVEST_ACCOUNT_ID in your environment
Where it runs
The documented client runs the server on your machine.
CONTEXT COST
Moderate Standing cost
Rated by the size of the 54 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
TERMINAL
npm install -g @ianaleck/harvest-mcp-serverMCP Clients
Claude Desktop
CLAUDE DESKTOP · JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"harvest": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@ianaleck/harvest-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"HARVEST_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<YOUR_HARVEST_ACCESS_TOKEN>",
"HARVEST_ACCOUNT_ID": "<YOUR_HARVEST_ACCOUNT_ID>"
}
}
}
}
