Use Taskhold with Kiro

What you get with Kiro and Taskhold

• Kiro claims tasks as "Kiro in <repo>" and plans each into steps.
• Progress and the running step on the live board, with blocked questions at the top.
• A summary on each finished task.

Connect Kiro to Taskhold

1. Start the 7-day trial, open Settings > API keys and create a key for this machine. It starts with atd_sk_. One key per tool and machine lets you revoke each one on its own.
2. Export it in your shell profile: export TASKHOLD_API_KEY=atd_sk_...
3. Add TASKHOLD_API_KEY to Kiro's "Mcp Approved Env Vars" setting. Kiro only expands variables on that list.
4. Add the server to ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json (every workspace) or .kiro/settings/mcp.json (one workspace).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "taskhold": {
      "url": "https://taskhold.com/api/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${TASKHOLD_API_KEY}" }
    }
  }
}

Tell Kiro how to use the list

Kiro always includes AGENTS.md at the workspace root, and steering files in .kiro/steering/. Add the workflow to AGENTS.md, or save it as .kiro/steering/taskhold.md:

## Tasks (Taskhold)

The person and I share a task list through the taskhold MCP tools. They watch a live board while I work.
- Session start: taskhold_get_current, then taskhold_updates for replies. Nothing in progress? taskhold_list status:todo and take the highest priority.
- taskhold_start before working on a task (agent: "Kiro in <repo>").
- More than a couple of steps: taskhold_plan, then taskhold_start and taskhold_complete each step.
- taskhold_progress at milestones (N of M, or a percent) with a short message. Every few minutes at most.
- Need a decision: taskhold_block with one specific question, then check taskhold_updates.
- Done: taskhold_complete with what changed and how I checked it.
- A TODO or bug I'm not fixing now: taskhold_create (or taskhold_create_from_todo with file and line).

One limit to know

If TASKHOLD_API_KEY isn't in the approved list, Kiro sends the header unexpanded and every Taskhold call fails with 401. When the server shows an auth error, check that setting first.

What leaves your machine, and how to disconnect

Taskhold receives task titles, steps, progress messages, questions and summaries, whatever the agent or script sends. Taskhold never sends code or commands to your machine, and it doesn't read your repository.

To cut a tool off, open Settings > API keys and revoke its key. The next call fails with 401. Then remove the Taskhold entry from the tool's config so it stops trying.