Session Think MCP

A JavaScript native MCP server implementing a session-based "think" tool with structured session naming and search capabilities.

Based on Anthropic's research on enhancing Claude's complex problem-solving abilities through dedicated thinking workspaces.

npm: https://www.npmjs.com/package/session-think-mcp
git: https://github.com/differentstuff/session-think-mcp

Overview

This MCP server provides a persistent thinking workspace that preserves reasoning text without modification, creating dedicated space for structured thinking during complex tasks. The tool follows the zero-interference principle - it simply preserves and structures your reasoning without any cognitive overhead.

Features

• Structured Session Naming: Semantic names like thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance for easy reference
• Session Search: Search within sessions or across all sessions by keyword
• Persistent Storage: Thoughts preserved across sessions in local files
• Pagination: Efficient retrieval with configurable limits
• Thinking Modes: Optional support for different thinking strategies
• Relationship Tracking: Link thoughts with relationships (builds_on, supports, contradicts, etc.)
• Native MCP Protocol: Built with @modelcontextprotocol/sdk for optimal performance
• Minimal Dependencies: Only the MCP SDK and Zod for validation

Quick Start

Option 1: NPX (Recommended)

No installation required. Add to your Claude Desktop configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "session-think": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "session-think-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Option 2: Global Installation

npm install -g session-think-mcp

Then configure Claude Desktop:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "session-think": {
      "command": "session-think-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Configuration

Claude Desktop Configuration File

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Environment Variables

Configure behavior via environment variables:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "session-think": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "session-think-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "SESSION_DIR": "/path/to/sessions",
        "SESSION_MAX_RETURN": "50",
        "SESSION_NAME_PATTERN": "^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+(:[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+){2,}$"
      }
    }
  }
}

Variable	Description	Default
SESSION_DIR	Storage location for session files	./.session-think-sessions
SESSION_MAX_RETURN	Maximum thoughts returned by default	50
SESSION_NAME_PATTERN	Regex pattern for session name validation	^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+(:[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+){2,}$

Session Naming Convention

Sessions use structured names for easy reference and organization:

Format: category:name:subcategory

Examples:

• thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance - Investment thesis about NVIDIA's AI position
• topic:research:quantum_computing - Research topic on quantum computing
• project:website:redesign - Project notes for website redesign
• analysis:competitor:openai - Competitor analysis of OpenAI

Rules:

• At least 3 parts separated by colons
• Each part: alphanumeric, underscores, or hyphens
• If no name provided, generates TEMP:timestamp:random

Available Tools

think

Add a thought to a session.

{
  "reasoning": "Your thinking text here...",
  "sessionName": "thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance",
  "mode": "critical",
  "tags": ["analysis", "investment"]
}

Parameters:

• reasoning (required): Your thinking text
• sessionName (optional): Session name in format category:name:subcategory
• mode (optional): Thinking mode - linear, creative, critical, strategic, empathetic
• tags (optional): Array of tags for categorization
• relates_to (optional): ID of related thought
• relationship_type (optional): builds_on, supports, contradicts, refines, synthesizes

list_sessions

List all available sessions with metadata.

{
  "limit": 50,
  "offset": 0
}

view_session

View contents of a specific session.

{
  "sessionName": "thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance",
  "limit": 50,
  "offset": 0
}

search_in_session

Search for thoughts within a specific session.

{
  "sessionName": "thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance",
  "query": "market share",
  "limit": 10,
  "offset": 0
}

search_all_sessions

Search across all sessions for matching content.

{
  "query": "artificial intelligence",
  "limit": 20,
  "offset": 0
}

get_session_info

Get metadata about a session without loading thoughts.

{
  "sessionName": "thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance"
}

rename_session

Rename an existing session.

{
  "oldSessionName": "TEMP:1740387654321:abc123",
  "newSessionName": "thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance"
}

delete_session

Delete a session permanently.

{
  "sessionName": "thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance"
}

cleanup_sessions

Remove old sessions based on age.

{
  "maxAgeDays": 90
}

find_thought_relationships

Search for related thoughts within a session.

{
  "sessionName": "thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance",
  "query": "competition",
  "relationship_types": ["builds_on", "contradicts"],
  "limit": 10
}

Session Storage

Sessions are stored locally as JSON files:

• Default location: ./.session-think-sessions (current directory)
• Override: Set SESSION_DIR environment variable
• Format: One JSON file per session
• Filename: Session name with colons replaced by ___ (e.g., thesis___NVDA___ai_dominance.json)

Usage Examples

Starting a New Session

Claude, please use the think tool to analyze NVIDIA's AI market position.
Use session name: thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance

Continuing a Session

Claude, continue my thinking in session thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance about competitive threats.

Searching for Sessions

Claude, search all my sessions for anything related to "artificial intelligence".

Viewing a Session

Claude, show me the last 20 thoughts from session thesis:NVDA:ai_dominance.

Architecture

• Server: Native JavaScript MCP server using official SDK
• Storage: File-based persistent session storage (JSON)
• Transport: StdioServerTransport for maximum compatibility
• Validation: Zod schemas for input validation
• Output: Structured JSON with preserved reasoning and session context

Development

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/differentstuff/session-think-mcp.git
cd session-think-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Start development server
npm start

# Run verification
npm run verify

Testing

Test the server locally:

# Run with stdio transport
node index.js

# Test with MCP Inspector
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector session-think-mcp

Performance

• Startup time: < 100ms
• Memory usage: < 20MB
• Response time: < 10ms for typical operations
• Zero processing overhead: Direct text preservation

Research Background

This implementation is based on Anthropic's engineering research demonstrating that a "think" tool creates dedicated space for structured thinking, resulting in:

• 54% improvement in customer service simulations
• Better policy adherence in complex scenarios
• Enhanced multi-step problem solving capabilities
• More consistent decision making across tasks

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

Links

• Model Context Protocol
• Anthropic Think Tool Research
• MCP TypeScript SDK
• Claude Desktop

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Note: This tool requires Node.js 18+ and is optimized for use with Claude Desktop and the Model Context Protocol ecosystem.