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basecamp-automation

Automate Basecamp project management, to-dos, messages, people, and to-do list organization via Rube MCP (Composio). Always search tools first for current schemas.

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name:basecamp-automationdescription:"Automate Basecamp project management, to-dos, messages, people, and to-do list organization via Rube MCP (Composio). Always search tools first for current schemas."requires:mcp:[rube]

Basecamp Automation via Rube MCP

Automate Basecamp operations including project management, to-do list creation, task management, message board posting, people management, and to-do group organization through Composio's Basecamp toolkit.

Prerequisites

  • Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)

  • Active Basecamp connection via RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit basecamp

  • Always call RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas

    • Setup

    Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.


  • Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds

  • Call RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit basecamp

  • If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete Basecamp OAuth

  • Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows

    • Core Workflows

    1. Manage To-Do Lists and Tasks

    When to use: User wants to create to-do lists, add tasks, or organize work within a Basecamp project

    Tool sequence:

  • BASECAMP_GET_PROJECTS - List projects to find the target bucket_id [Prerequisite]

  • BASECAMP_GET_BUCKETS_TODOSETS - Get the to-do set within a project [Prerequisite]

  • BASECAMP_GET_BUCKETS_TODOSETS_TODOLISTS - List existing to-do lists to avoid duplicates [Optional]

  • BASECAMP_POST_BUCKETS_TODOSETS_TODOLISTS - Create a new to-do list in a to-do set [Required for list creation]

  • BASECAMP_GET_BUCKETS_TODOLISTS - Get details of a specific to-do list [Optional]

  • BASECAMP_POST_BUCKETS_TODOLISTS_TODOS - Create a to-do item in a to-do list [Required for task creation]

  • BASECAMP_CREATE_TODO - Alternative tool for creating individual to-dos [Alternative]

  • BASECAMP_GET_BUCKETS_TODOLISTS_TODOS - List to-dos within a to-do list [Optional]

    • Key parameters for creating to-do lists:

  • bucket_id: Integer project/bucket ID (from GET_PROJECTS)

  • todoset_id: Integer to-do set ID (from GET_BUCKETS_TODOSETS)

  • name: Title of the to-do list (required)

  • description: HTML-formatted description (supports Rich text)

    • Key parameters for creating to-dos:

  • bucket_id: Integer project/bucket ID

  • todolist_id: Integer to-do list ID

  • content: What the to-do is for (required)

  • description: HTML details about the to-do

  • assignee_ids: Array of integer person IDs

  • due_on: Due date in YYYY-MM-DD format

  • starts_on: Start date in YYYY-MM-DD format

  • notify: Boolean to notify assignees (defaults to false)

  • completion_subscriber_ids: Person IDs notified upon completion

    • Pitfalls:

  • A project (bucket) can contain multiple to-do sets; selecting the wrong todoset_id creates lists in the wrong section

  • Always check existing to-do lists before creating to avoid near-duplicate names

  • Success payloads include user-facing URLs (app_url, app_todos_url); prefer returning these over raw IDs

  • All IDs (bucket_id, todoset_id, todolist_id) are integers, not strings

  • Descriptions support HTML formatting only, not Markdown

    • 2. Post and Manage Messages

    When to use: User wants to post messages to a project message board or update existing messages

    Tool sequence:

  • BASECAMP_GET_PROJECTS - Find the target project and bucket_id [Prerequisite]

  • BASECAMP_GET_MESSAGE_BOARD - Get the message board ID for the project [Prerequisite]

  • BASECAMP_CREATE_MESSAGE - Create a new message on the board [Required]

  • BASECAMP_POST_BUCKETS_MESSAGE_BOARDS_MESSAGES - Alternative message creation tool [Fallback]

  • BASECAMP_GET_MESSAGE - Read a specific message by ID [Optional]

  • BASECAMP_PUT_BUCKETS_MESSAGES - Update an existing message [Optional]

    • Key parameters:

  • bucket_id: Integer project/bucket ID

  • message_board_id: Integer message board ID (from GET_MESSAGE_BOARD)

  • subject: Message title (required)

  • content: HTML body of the message

  • status: Set to "active" to publish immediately

  • category_id: Message type classification (optional)

  • subscriptions: Array of person IDs to notify; omit to notify all project members

    • Pitfalls:

  • status="draft" can produce HTTP 400; use status="active" as the reliable option

  • bucket_id and message_board_id must belong to the same project; mismatches fail or misroute

  • Message content supports HTML tags only; not Markdown

  • Updates via PUT_BUCKETS_MESSAGES replace the entire body -- include the full corrected content, not just a diff

  • Prefer app_url from the response for user-facing confirmation links

  • Both CREATE_MESSAGE and POST_BUCKETS_MESSAGE_BOARDS_MESSAGES do the same thing; use CREATE_MESSAGE first and fall back to POST if it fails

    • 3. Manage People and Access

    When to use: User wants to list people, manage project access, or add new users

    Tool sequence:

  • BASECAMP_GET_PEOPLE - List all people visible to the current user [Required]

  • BASECAMP_GET_PROJECTS - Find the target project [Prerequisite]

  • BASECAMP_LIST_PROJECT_PEOPLE - List people on a specific project [Required]

  • BASECAMP_GET_PROJECTS_PEOPLE - Alternative to list project members [Alternative]

  • BASECAMP_PUT_PROJECTS_PEOPLE_USERS - Grant or revoke project access [Required for access changes]

    • Key parameters for PUT_PROJECTS_PEOPLE_USERS:

  • project_id: Integer project ID

  • grant: Array of integer person IDs to add to the project

  • revoke: Array of integer person IDs to remove from the project

  • create: Array of objects with name, email_address, and optional company_name, title for new users

  • At least one of grant, revoke, or create must be provided

    • Pitfalls:

  • Person IDs are integers; always resolve names to IDs via GET_PEOPLE first

  • project_id for people management is the same as bucket_id for other operations

  • LIST_PROJECT_PEOPLE and GET_PROJECTS_PEOPLE are near-identical; use either

  • Creating users via create also grants them project access in one step

    • 4. Organize To-Dos with Groups

    When to use: User wants to organize to-dos within a list into color-coded groups

    Tool sequence:

  • BASECAMP_GET_PROJECTS - Find the target project [Prerequisite]

  • BASECAMP_GET_BUCKETS_TODOLISTS - Get the to-do list details [Prerequisite]

  • BASECAMP_GET_TODOLIST_GROUPS - List existing groups in a to-do list [Optional]

  • BASECAMP_GET_BUCKETS_TODOLISTS_GROUPS - Alternative group listing [Alternative]

  • BASECAMP_POST_BUCKETS_TODOLISTS_GROUPS - Create a new group in a to-do list [Required]

  • BASECAMP_CREATE_TODOLIST_GROUP - Alternative group creation tool [Alternative]

    • Key parameters:

  • bucket_id: Integer project/bucket ID

  • todolist_id: Integer to-do list ID

  • name: Group title (required)

  • color: Visual color identifier -- one of: white, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, aqua, purple, gray, pink, brown

  • status: Filter for listing -- "archived" or "trashed" (omit for active groups)

    • Pitfalls:

  • POST_BUCKETS_TODOLISTS_GROUPS and CREATE_TODOLIST_GROUP are near-identical; use either

  • Color values must be from the fixed palette; arbitrary hex/rgb values are not supported

  • Groups are sub-sections within a to-do list, not standalone entities

    • 5. Browse and Inspect Projects

    When to use: User wants to list projects, get project details, or explore project structure

    Tool sequence:

  • BASECAMP_GET_PROJECTS - List all active projects [Required]

  • BASECAMP_GET_PROJECT - Get comprehensive details for a specific project [Optional]

  • BASECAMP_GET_PROJECTS_BY_PROJECT_ID - Alternative project detail retrieval [Alternative]

    • Key parameters:

  • status: Filter by "archived" or "trashed"; omit for active projects

  • project_id: Integer project ID for detailed retrieval

    • Pitfalls:

  • Projects are sorted by most recently created first

  • The response includes a dock array with tools (todoset, message_board, etc.) and their IDs

  • Use the dock tool IDs to find todoset_id, message_board_id, etc. for downstream operations

    • Common Patterns

    ID Resolution


    Basecamp uses a hierarchical ID structure. Always resolve top-down:
  • Project (bucket_id): BASECAMP_GET_PROJECTS -- find by name, capture the id

  • To-do set (todoset_id): Found in project dock or via BASECAMP_GET_BUCKETS_TODOSETS

  • Message board (message_board_id): Found in project dock or via BASECAMP_GET_MESSAGE_BOARD

  • To-do list (todolist_id): BASECAMP_GET_BUCKETS_TODOSETS_TODOLISTS

  • People (person_id): BASECAMP_GET_PEOPLE or BASECAMP_LIST_PROJECT_PEOPLE

  • Note: bucket_id and project_id refer to the same entity in different contexts

    • Pagination


    Basecamp uses page-based pagination on list endpoints:
  • Response headers or body may indicate more pages available

  • GET_PROJECTS, GET_BUCKETS_TODOSETS_TODOLISTS, and list endpoints return paginated results

  • Continue fetching until no more results are returned

    • Content Formatting


  • All rich text fields use HTML, not Markdown

  • Wrap content in
    tags; use , ,
      • basecamp-automation - Agent Skills