Overview
What is MCP YNAB Server 💰?
MCP YNAB Server 💰 is a TypeScript implementation of the Model Context Protocol (MCP) that acts as a bridge to the official YNAB API. It provides standardized tools for reading and writing YNAB data from MCP-compatible environments, enabling AI assistants like Cursor's to interact with your financial data directly from your editor.
How to use MCP YNAB Server 💰?
Clone the repository, install dependencies with npm install, compile with npm run build, and configure your YNAB Personal Access Token in ~/.cursor/mcp.json under the env key as YNAB_API_TOKEN. Restart Cursor to load the server, then ask the AI assistant to use available tools (e.g., “List my YNAB budgets”).
Key features of MCP YNAB Server 💰
- Connects Cursor or any MCP client to YNAB accounts.
- Provides eight read/write tools for YNAB data.
- Lists budgets, accounts, categories, and transactions.
- Fetches account balances and budget summaries.
- Creates new transactions and split transactions.
- Supports filtering by account, category, and date.
Use cases of MCP YNAB Server 💰
- Ask an AI assistant to list all your YNAB budgets.
- Query the current balance of a specific account.
- View or filter transactions for a budget in your editor.
- Create a new transaction without leaving your IDE.
- Get a monthly budget summary (income, budgeted, activity).
FAQ from MCP YNAB Server 💰
What data system does it integrate with?
It integrates with the You Need A Budget (YNAB) API, requiring a valid YNAB Personal Access Token.
How do I configure the server for Cursor?
Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json and add an entry for mcp-ynab with command: "node", args pointing to the compiled script, cwd to the project path, and env: { "YNAB_API_TOKEN": "your_token" }.
Where does authentication data live?
The API token is stored as the environment variable YNAB_API_TOKEN in the MCP client configuration (e.g., ~/.cursor/mcp.json). An alternative .env file requires code modification.
What tools does the server provide?
It provides eight tools: listBudgets, listAccounts, getAccountBalance, listCategories, getCategoryInfo, getBudgetSummary, listTransactions, and createTransaction.
Does the server support development mode?
Yes, run npm run dev for hot-reload development, npm test for tests, and npm run build to compile for production or MCP use. CLI mode is currently commented out to avoid interfering with Cursor’s MCP server mode.
