mcp-server-rt

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that connects AI assistants to a live RT (Request Tracker) instance. Search tickets, view history, create and update tickets — all from a natural language conversation.

Features

• Search tickets using RT's full TicketSQL query language
• Read ticket details including full transaction history
• Create tickets setting initial content and all ticket metadata: status, owner, requestors, due dates, custom fields, custom roles, and links
• Update tickets reply, comment, and update tickets, with the same full field support
• Queue and user discovery — list queues, inspect custom field definitions, look up users by name or email
• TicketSQL grammar reference — the AI can consult the full RT 6.0.2 syntax guide before constructing complex queries

Requirements

• RT 6.0 or later with REST 2.0 API enabled (included by default)
• Node.js 18 or later
• An RT authentication token

Installation

npm install -g mcp-server-rt

Or use without installing via npx mcp-server-rt.

Creating an RT Auth Token

In RT: Logged in as → Settings → Auth Tokens → Create

Give the token a name (e.g. "Claude") and copy the generated token string.

The token is associated with the user account, so all operations in RT from Claude using that token will be logged as performed by that user. So everything you do via Claude still gets logged in RT as you, including emails sent on comments and replies.

Users need to be granted the right ManageAuthTokens to see the Auth Tokens menu.

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AI Client Setup

MCP is an open standard — this server works with any MCP-compatible AI client. Configuration varies by client.

Claude Desktop ✓ (tested)

Install the .mcpb extension package from the releases page. In the Claude app, go to Customize → Connectors, find RT, and enter your RT URL and auth token.

Alternatively, add manually to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rt": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-server-rt"],
      "env": {
        "RT_URL": "https://rt.example.com",
        "RT_TOKEN": "your-auth-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Code ✓ (tested)

Add to .mcp.json in your project root:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "rt": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-server-rt"],
      "env": {
        "RT_URL": "https://rt.example.com",
        "RT_TOKEN": "your-auth-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Other MCP-compatible clients

Any client that supports MCP stdio servers should work. Consult your client's documentation for how to register a stdio MCP server with environment variables. The server entry point is mcp-server-rt (or node /path/to/dist/index.js for a local build).

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Tools

Tool	Description
search_tickets	Search tickets using RT's TicketSQL query language
get_ticket	Get details for a specific ticket by ID
get_ticket_history	Get transaction history (comments, replies, status changes)
get_transaction	Get full details of a single transaction, including decoded message content
get_queue	Get details about a queue by ID or name
list_queues	List all available queues
get_queue_fields	Get custom field definitions and lifecycle name for a queue
lookup_user	Search for RT users by name or email
get_current_user	Get the RT user associated with the configured auth token
get_ticketsql_grammar	Fetch the full TicketSQL grammar reference (for complex queries)
create_ticket	Create a new ticket
update_ticket	Update ticket fields (status, owner, priority, dates, watchers, links, custom fields)
add_comment	Add an internal comment (not visible to the requestor)
add_reply	Send a reply to the requestor
get_ticket_attachments	List all attachments on a ticket
get_attachment	Retrieve a single attachment by ID
save_attachment	Save an attachment to a local file

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Usage Examples

Example 1: Finding and triaging unowned tickets

User: "Show me active tickets in the Support queue with no owner."

Claude calls: search_tickets with query Queue = 'Support' AND Status = '__Active__' AND Owner = 'Nobody', requesting Subject, Status, Created, and Requestor fields.

Result: A table of unowned active tickets with subject, age, and requestor, ready to assign or act on.

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Example 2: Reading recent correspondence on a ticket

User: "Show me the most recent reply on ticket 1234."

Claude calls: get_ticket_history to get the list of transactions, identifies the most recent Correspond entry, then calls get_transaction to fetch and decode the full message content.

Result: The decoded text of the reply, including who sent it and when.

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Example 3: Creating a fully configured ticket

User: "Create a ticket in the Projects queue titled 'Update onboarding docs', assign it to alice, set the due date to next Friday, and link it to ticket 500."

Claude calls: create_ticket with Queue, Subject, Owner, Due, and RefersTo all set in a single API call.

Result: New ticket created with all fields set. Claude confirms the ticket number and a summary of what was set.

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Example 4: Updating ticket status with a reply

User: "Resolve ticket 789 and let the requestor know we've pushed a fix in version 6.0.3."

Claude calls: add_reply with the message content and Status: 'resolved' to close the ticket and notify the requestor in one step.

Result: Ticket resolved, requestor notified. Claude confirms both actions completed.

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Example 5: Querying with custom fields

User: "Find all open tickets in the General queue where the Category field is set to 'Bug'."

Claude calls: get_queue_fields to confirm the exact custom field name, then search_tickets with Queue = 'General' AND Status = '__Active__' AND CF.{Category} = 'Bug'.

Result: A list of matching bug tickets with subject, owner, and creation date.

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How It Works

This server implements the Model Context Protocol over stdio. The AI client translates natural language requests into TicketSQL queries or RT API calls, invokes the appropriate tool, and presents the results. The server itself is a thin proxy — it passes queries directly to RT's REST 2.0 API and returns the JSON response.

For complex searches, the AI can call get_ticketsql_grammar to consult the full TicketSQL syntax reference before constructing a query.

Configuration Reference

Environment Variable	Description
RT_URL	Base URL of your RT instance (e.g. https://rt.example.com)
RT_TOKEN	RT authentication token

Development

npm install
npm run build     # compile TypeScript to dist/
npm test          # run tests
npm run dev       # watch mode

Run locally against your RT instance:

RT_URL=https://rt.example.com RT_TOKEN=your-token node dist/index.js

Compatibility

• RT 6.0+ (REST 2.0 API)
• Node.js 18+

Privacy

This server does not collect, store, or transmit any data to Best Practical or any third party. All communication is directly between your AI client and your own RT instance using the URL and credentials you provide. No usage data, ticket content, or credentials are sent anywhere other than your configured RT server.

See the Best Practical Privacy Policy for general information about our privacy practices.

Support

For questions and discussion, visit the Best Practical Community Forum.

To report a bug, create a ticket on our public RT instance. Note that this is a public RT instance, so the information you share will be visible to others.

Is RT mission critical for you? Commercial support for RT and this connector is available from Best Practical. Contact us at sales@bestpractical.com.

License

GPL-2.0