Claude Desktop answers questions about the plan in a chat window. As soon as an answer needs to go somewhere else, for example into a status report that is ready as a file every Friday, you need a client that runs from the command line. Claude Code is that client. It talks to the same MCP server as Claude Desktop, but prints its answer as text in the terminal, and text can be redirected, passed on, and produced at a fixed time. You will find the connection command here, the way to verify it, and the call that produces the report without a chat window.
The video for this article
The video (in German) is embedded in the German version of this article.
What you need
- Merlin Project, current version, MCP server installed, project shared (guide in the Claude Desktop article, steps 1 and 2)
- Claude Code, installed, started once and logged in
Sharing in Merlin is the same single click as with every other client:
The second point is the most common mistake: if you installed Claude Code but never launched it, the connection command hits nothing. So start Claude Code once, sign in, and quit again.
Step 1: introduce the server to Claude Code
Open the terminal and enter this command:
Connect Terminal
claude mcp add --transport stdio merlin-project -- /usr/local/bin/merlinproject-mcpThe command says three things: Claude Code should register a server named merlin-project, talk to it via stdio, and start the program after the double dash for it. The -- in the middle separates the options for Claude Code from the Merlin server's start command; everything after it belongs to the server. Claude Code confirms with "Added stdio MCP server merlin-project".
Step 2: verify the registration
A second command shows whether the entry arrived cleanly:
Verify Terminal
claude mcp get merlin-projectThe output lists name, transport (stdio), and path. If all three match, the server is registered. Whether the connection actually works, you only see with a real question.
The first question: which tasks are about to slip?
Start Claude Code with claude and ask the question from the video:
Prompt: Which tasks are about to slip?
Identify all tasks in the active project that are at risk of falling behind schedule based on the current plan. Check progress, remaining duration, and dependencies. For each task, state how many days of delay are looming, which successors would be affected, and whether the project end date is at risk.Open this prompt in the library ›
Claude Code calls the Merlin server and returns a table with real data from the shared project. On the first call, Claude Code asks whether it may use the tool; confirm.
Why the terminal? The answer into a file
Up to here, a chat window could have done the same. The difference: the answer is text, and text in the terminal can be processed further, written into a file, or handed to a script. The same job without a chat window, straight from the command line, with the answer redirected into a file:
Without a chat window, answer into a file Terminal
claude -p "List all tasks of the active project that are at risk of slipping, as a table with task, planned finish and responsible resource." > at-risk.mdThe -p switch stands for print mode: Claude Code runs the job, prints the answer, and exits. The > redirects the output into the file at-risk.md. Open it, and the table is there.
Only one step is missing to the Friday report: what runs from the command line, your Mac can start on its own at a fixed time, via a launch agent or a calendar automation for example. Friday, 4 pm, and the report is there without anyone typing. What the report looks like and what else belongs in it, we cover in a separate video on the automated weekly report.
Removing the server again
If you ever want to get rid of the entry:
Remove Terminal
claude mcp remove merlin-projectIf the connection does not work
- "Claude Code not found"? Claude Code is not installed or the terminal does not know the path. Check the installation, open a new terminal.
- Command runs, but no answer from the plan? Claude Code was never launched and logged in, or the project is not shared in Merlin.
- Wrong path? The installer in Merlin Project shows the path. Compare with
claude mcp get merlin-project; if it differs, remove and register again.
Cheat sheet
For practice, use the sample project Produktlaunch Phoenix. If you prefer reading reports in a chat window, take Claude Desktop; the OpenAI counterpart in the terminal is Codex. All guides:
- Claude Desktop: One block in one file, restart
- LM Studio: Download a model, one block in one file
- Claude Code (this article): One command
- Codex: One command
- Antigravity: One block in one file, full restart
- ChatGPT: Copy bridge or Intelligent Assistant
- Which AI client suits you?
If you have any questions about this blog article or would like to discuss it, we look forward to your contribution in our forum.
