YNAB MCP Server Integration

What does “YNAB” MCP Server do?

The YNAB MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server designed to bridge YNAB (You Need A Budget) with AI systems. It enables AI assistants to securely access, query, and analyze your YNAB financial data, facilitating seamless integration between budgeting tools and advanced AI workflows. By connecting external data sources like YNAB through standardized MCP endpoints, it allows AI-powered clients to perform operations such as fetching account balances, listing transactions, or generating financial insights. This empowers developers and users to automate budgeting tasks, receive personalized financial recommendations, and streamline financial management—all while maintaining the privacy and security of sensitive financial information.

List of Prompts

No prompt templates are explicitly listed in the repository or its manifest.

List of Resources

No explicit resource definitions or details are found in the available documentation or manifest.

List of Tools

No detailed tools are listed in the accessible repository documentation or manifest. The mcp-manifest.json and README.md do not enumerate specific tool actions or endpoints.

Use Cases of this MCP Server

• Personal Financial Analytics: Enable AI assistants to access YNAB account and transaction data for budget tracking and analytics, helping users gain insights into their spending habits.
• Automated Budget Management: Automate tasks such as generating reports, categorizing expenses, and tracking financial goals using AI-powered workflows integrated with YNAB.
• Expense Categorization: Use AI to suggest or automatically assign categories to transactions imported into YNAB, improving financial organization.
• Financial Planning Assistance: Allow AI systems to provide personalized financial recommendations or reminders based on real-time YNAB data.
• Integration with Productivity Apps: Connect YNAB data to other tools (such as calendar or task managers) via AI, enabling holistic financial and productivity workflows.

How to set it up

Windsurf

1. Ensure you have Node.js and the Windsurf app installed.
2. Open your Windsurf configuration file (e.g., windsurf.json or settings panel).
3. Add the YNAB MCP Server to the mcpServers section with the appropriate command.
4. Save the configuration and restart Windsurf.
5. Verify that the YNAB MCP Server is listed and running.

"mcpServers": {
  "ynab-mcp": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["@ynab/mcp-server@latest"]
  }
}

Claude

1. Install Node.js and ensure Claude supports MCP plugins.
2. Locate your Claude plugin configuration file.
3. Insert the YNAB MCP Server entry as shown below.
4. Save and restart Claude.
5. Confirm the server is available via the Claude interface.

"mcpServers": {
  "ynab-mcp": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["@ynab/mcp-server@latest"]
  }
}

Cursor

1. Install Node.js.
2. Open Cursor’s extension or plugin configuration.
3. Add the YNAB MCP Server definition.
4. Save and reload Cursor.
5. Check that the server appears under available MCP integrations.

"mcpServers": {
  "ynab-mcp": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["@ynab/mcp-server@latest"]
  }
}

Cline

1. Make sure Node.js is installed.
2. Edit the Cline MCP configuration file.
3. Add the following entry for the YNAB MCP Server.
4. Save changes and restart Cline.
5. Validate that the setup is successful.

"mcpServers": {
  "ynab-mcp": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["@ynab/mcp-server@latest"]
  }
}

Securing API Keys

To keep your YNAB API keys secure, use environment variables rather than hard-coding them. For example:

"mcpServers": {
  "ynab-mcp": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["@ynab/mcp-server@latest"],
    "env": {
      "YNAB_API_KEY": "${YNAB_API_KEY}"
    },
    "inputs": {
      // other inputs if required
    }
  }
}

How to use this MCP inside flows

Using MCP in FlowHunt

To integrate MCP servers into your FlowHunt workflow, start by adding the MCP component to your flow and connecting it to your AI agent:

Click on the MCP component to open the configuration panel. In the system MCP configuration section, insert your MCP server details using this JSON format:

{
  "ynab-mcp": {
    "transport": "streamable_http",
    "url": "https://yourmcpserver.example/pathtothemcp/url"
  }
}

Once configured, the AI agent is now able to use this MCP as a tool with access to all its functions and capabilities. Remember to change “ynab-mcp” to your actual MCP server name and replace the URL with your own MCP server URL.

Overview

Our opinion

The YNAB MCP Server offers a clear overview and practical instructions for integration, especially around setup and key management. However, it lacks detailed documentation on prompt templates, explicit tool endpoints, and resource definitions, which are essential for maximizing the utility of an MCP server. Thus, while functional and well-integrated with YNAB, it scores lower on documentation completeness and developer onboarding.

MCP Score

MCP Server Rating: 4/10
While the YNAB MCP Server integrates with a popular budgeting tool and provides basic setup guidance, it lacks comprehensive documentation on tools, prompts, and resources, limiting its immediate utility for developers seeking a plug-and-play experience.