Use OpenProject with AI via MCP
Organizations that self-host for data protection reasons often run their projects in OpenProject – which is exactly where the current state of tasks, dates and responsibilities lives. The vendor does not offer an MCP server, but community servers built on the REST API v3 do exist, and we operate them inside your CompanyGPT environment.
What is OpenProject?
OpenProject is open source project management software from OpenProject GmbH in Berlin. Teams use it to plan work packages, Gantt schedules, agile boards, time tracking and project wikis. It runs either as the vendor’s cloud offering or – the norm for public authorities, universities and organizations with strong data sovereignty requirements – as an installation in their own data center.
For AI agents, OpenProject matters less as a document store than as a source of status: who owns which work package, what is overdue, which dependencies exist. All of this is available in structured form through the REST API v3, so it can be queried in natural language instead of assembled from filters and reports.
Connection at a Glance
- MCP server
- Community, self-hosted – no official server from the vendor
- Repositories
- jtauschl/openproject-ce-mcp, AndyEverything/openproject-mcp-server
- Interface
- OpenProject REST API v3 (HAL/JSON)
- Authentication
- API key (access token, basic auth scheme apikey) or OAuth2
- Operating model
- Self-hosted or OpenProject Cloud
- Data flow
- MCP container inside your CompanyGPT environment
How to Connect OpenProject to CompanyGPT
OpenProject does not publish an official MCP server. What exists are several community MCP servers built on the REST API v3 – among them jtauschl/openproject-ce-mcp, which exposes up to 128 tools across the full v3 interface, and AndyEverything/openproject-mcp-server. We select the server that matches your use case based on the functional scope you need.
We run the MCP server as a container inside your CompanyGPT environment. Authentication uses an API key from the OpenProject user account (My Account → Access Tokens, basic auth scheme apikey); OAuth2 is available as an alternative. The key therefore stays in your own tenant, and project data never leaves the path between CompanyGPT and OpenProject.
How the connection is established depends on your operating model. With the vendor-hosted OpenProject Cloud, the container reaches the API directly over the internet. With a self-hosted instance in your own data center, we set up the network connectivity together with your IT team. Inside CompanyGPT, your administrators then control by role and group which teams may use the OpenProject integration.
Note for on-premises operation: CompanyGPT runs in your own Azure tenant – so your on-premises network can be connected directly: via a site-to-site VPN (Azure VPN Gateway) or ExpressRoute between your corporate network and the virtual network of your CompanyGPT environment. The system does not need to be publicly reachable; we set up the connection together with your IT team.
Typical Use Cases
How AI agents in CompanyGPT work with OpenProject
Project status on demand
Project leads ask which work packages are overdue or have no assignee and get a sorted overview instead of hand-built filter views.
Prepare a status report
Ahead of a steering committee, an agent condenses progress, open risks and upcoming milestones from the work packages into a draft that only needs sharpening.
Turn meeting notes into tasks
From a set of minutes, the assistant derives new work packages with title, description and assignment – within the permissions of the configured access.
Frequently Asked Questions
OpenProject and AI – the most important answers
Does OpenProject have an official MCP server?
No. The vendor does not currently provide one. However, several community servers built on the REST API v3 exist, such as openproject-ce-mcp with up to 128 tools covering the scope of the interface.
Where does the MCP server run?
As a container inside your CompanyGPT environment. No third-party service sits between your instance and OpenProject, and the API key stays in your tenant.
We use OpenProject Cloud – do we still need network connectivity?
No. With the vendor's cloud offering the API is reachable over the internet and the MCP container talks to it directly. A secured network connection is only required if you run OpenProject yourself in your own data center.
Does the AI see more than a user is allowed to see?
Access runs through the configured API account and its permissions in OpenProject. We usually set up a dedicated account with clearly scoped project permissions; in CompanyGPT the integration is additionally released only to selected roles and groups.
Can the assistant also modify work packages?
That depends on the permissions of the account used and the tools enabled. We recommend starting with read access and adding write operations once the workflows have settled.
OpenProject and Your AI – GDPR-Compliant with CompanyGPT
CompanyGPT is the enterprise AI assistant in your own cloud tenant: all relevant AI models, your company data and integrations like OpenProject – centrally managed, with roles and permissions. We set up the connection together with you.
OpenProject is a trademark of its respective owner (OpenProject GmbH). Its mention describes compatibility and does not imply any partnership or endorsement. Availability and scope of the connection depend on the respective vendor.