Kobotoolbox MCP server

KoboToolbox MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol server that lets Claude (or any MCP client) read and export field data directly from KoboToolbox.

Ask in plain language — "How many intakes came in this week that need medical attention?" or "Export this project's data as a CSV" — and the assistant queries the live KoboToolbox API and answers from real records, instead of you logging in and clicking through the dashboard by hand.

As of July 2026, no KoboToolbox MCP server existed in the official MCP registry — this is the first.

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Why KoboToolbox

KoboToolbox is the most widely used data-collection toolkit in humanitarian and development work. It's open-source, free to use, and runs the field operations of UNHCR and thousands of NGOs — surveys, needs assessments, monitoring — often in places with poor connectivity and no dedicated IT staff.

That last part is exactly why an MCP server matters here. The organizations running on KoboToolbox are the ones least likely to have engineers who can pull and analyze their own data on demand. Today, answering "what does this month's data actually say?" means a person logging in, filtering submissions by hand, exporting a spreadsheet, and counting. This server collapses that into a question typed in chat — and turns any MCP-capable assistant into someone who can operate the tool on the team's behalf.

There are already thousands of MCP servers for developer tooling and office apps. There were none for the platform that humanitarian responders actually run their work on. This closes that gap.

What it does

Three tools, mapped directly onto the KoboToolbox REST API v2. All read/export — this server never modifies or deletes your data.

Requirements

• Node.js 18+
• A KoboToolbox account (free — sign up) on either the global server (kf.kobotoolbox.org) or the EU server (eu.kobotoolbox.org)
• Your account's API token

Getting your API token

Log into KoboToolbox, then either:

• Account Settings → Security → Display your API key, or
• visit https:///token/?format=json

Treat this token like a password — it grants full access to your account's data.

Installation

git clone https://github.com/drannakurasova/kobotoolbox-mcp-server.git
cd kobotoolbox-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build

Configuration

Copy the example env file and fill in your token:

cp .env.example .env

KOBO_API_TOKEN=your_kobotoolbox_api_token_here
KOBO_SERVER=kf.kobotoolbox.org      # or eu.kobotoolbox.org

Usage

With Claude Desktop

Add this to your claudedesktopconfig.json (macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/, Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kobotoolbox": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/kobotoolbox-mcp-server/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "KOBO_API_TOKEN": "your_token_here",
        "KOBO_SERVER": "kf.kobotoolbox.org"
      }
    }
  }
}

Shortened. The full README is on GitHub.