Skip to main content
Glama
zalab-inc

Sequential Thinking MCP Server

by zalab-inc

Sequential Thinking MCP Server

An MCP server implementation that provides a tool for dynamic and reflective problem-solving through a structured thinking process.

Features

  • Break down complex problems into manageable steps

  • Revise and refine thoughts as understanding deepens

  • Branch into alternative paths of reasoning

  • Adjust the total number of thoughts dynamically

  • Generate and verify solution hypotheses

Related MCP server: Think MCP

Tool

sequential_thinking

Facilitates a detailed, step-by-step thinking process for problem-solving and analysis.

Inputs:

  • thought (string): The current thinking step

  • nextThoughtNeeded (boolean): Whether another thought step is needed

  • thoughtNumber (integer): Current thought number

  • totalThoughts (integer): Estimated total thoughts needed

  • isRevision (boolean, optional): Whether this revises previous thinking

  • revisesThought (integer, optional): Which thought is being reconsidered

  • branchFromThought (integer, optional): Branching point thought number

  • branchId (string, optional): Branch identifier

  • needsMoreThoughts (boolean, optional): If more thoughts are needed

Usage

The Sequential Thinking tool is designed for:

  • Breaking down complex problems into steps

  • Planning and design with room for revision

  • Analysis that might need course correction

  • Problems where the full scope might not be clear initially

  • Tasks that need to maintain context over multiple steps

  • Situations where irrelevant information needs to be filtered out

Configuration

Usage with Claude Desktop

Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json:

npx

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sequential-thinking": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

docker

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sequentialthinking": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "mcp/sequentialthinking"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Building

Docker:

docker build -t mcp/sequentialthinking -f src/sequentialthinking/Dockerfile .

License

This MCP server is licensed under the MIT License. This means you are free to use, modify, and distribute the software, subject to the terms and conditions of the MIT License. For more details, please see the LICENSE file in the project repository.

Available Tools

1 tool
sequentialthinkingA

A detailed tool for dynamic and reflective problem-solving through thoughts. This tool helps analyze problems through a flexible thinking process that can adapt and evolve. Each thought can build on, question, or revise previous insights as understanding deepens.

When to use this tool:

  • Breaking down complex problems into steps

  • Planning and design with room for revision

  • Analysis that might need course correction

  • Problems where the full scope might not be clear initially

  • Problems that require a multi-step solution

  • Tasks that need to maintain context over multiple steps

  • Situations where irrelevant information needs to be filtered out

Key features:

  • You can adjust total_thoughts up or down as you progress

  • You can question or revise previous thoughts

  • You can add more thoughts even after reaching what seemed like the end

  • You can express uncertainty and explore alternative approaches

  • Not every thought needs to build linearly - you can branch or backtrack

  • Generates a solution hypothesis

  • Verifies the hypothesis based on the Chain of Thought steps

  • Repeats the process until satisfied

  • Provides a correct answer

Parameters explained:

  • thought: Your current thinking step, which can include:

  • Regular analytical steps

  • Revisions of previous thoughts

  • Questions about previous decisions

  • Realizations about needing more analysis

  • Changes in approach

  • Hypothesis generation

  • Hypothesis verification

  • next_thought_needed: True if you need more thinking, even if at what seemed like the end

  • thought_number: Current number in sequence (can go beyond initial total if needed)

  • total_thoughts: Current estimate of thoughts needed (can be adjusted up/down)

  • is_revision: A boolean indicating if this thought revises previous thinking

  • revises_thought: If is_revision is true, which thought number is being reconsidered

  • branch_from_thought: If branching, which thought number is the branching point

  • branch_id: Identifier for the current branch (if any)

  • needs_more_thoughts: If reaching end but realizing more thoughts needed

You should:

  1. Start with an initial estimate of needed thoughts, but be ready to adjust

  2. Feel free to question or revise previous thoughts

  3. Don't hesitate to add more thoughts if needed, even at the "end"

  4. Express uncertainty when present

  5. Mark thoughts that revise previous thinking or branch into new paths

  6. Ignore information that is irrelevant to the current step

  7. Generate a solution hypothesis when appropriate

  8. Verify the hypothesis based on the Chain of Thought steps

  9. Repeat the process until satisfied with the solution

  10. Provide a single, ideally correct answer as the final output

  11. Only set next_thought_needed to false when truly done and a satisfactory answer is reached

ParametersJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
thoughtYesYour current thinking step
nextThoughtNeededYesWhether another thought step is needed
thoughtNumberYesCurrent thought number
totalThoughtsYesEstimated total thoughts needed
isRevisionNoWhether this revises previous thinking
revisesThoughtNoWhich thought is being reconsidered
branchFromThoughtNoBranching point thought number
branchIdNoBranch identifier
needsMoreThoughtsNoIf more thoughts are needed

TDQS

A4.2/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations provided, the description fully discloses behavioral traits. It explains the iterative, revisable nature of the process ('adjust total_thoughts up or down', 'question or revise previous thoughts'), the ability to branch or backtrack, and the workflow involving hypothesis generation and verification until satisfaction.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness2/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is excessively long (over 500 words) and not front-loaded. It includes redundant sections (e.g., 'Key features' and 'You should' lists overlap), and verbose explanations that could be condensed. Many sentences do not earn their place, reducing clarity.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

Given the complexity (9 parameters, no annotations, no output schema), the description is mostly complete. It covers purpose, usage, behavior, and parameter semantics thoroughly. However, it lacks explicit information on output format or error handling, and the verbosity hinders effectiveness, preventing a perfect score.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description adds significant value by explaining parameter semantics beyond the schema: it details what 'thought' can include (e.g., 'Revisions of previous thoughts', 'Hypothesis generation'), clarifies the purpose of 'next_thought_needed' and 'needs_more_thoughts', and provides context for revision and branching parameters.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the tool's purpose as 'dynamic and reflective problem-solving through thoughts' and 'analyze problems through a flexible thinking process'. It specifies the verb ('analyze', 'problem-solving') and resource ('problems'), but lacks sibling tools for differentiation, preventing a perfect score.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description provides explicit 'When to use this tool' with 7 specific scenarios (e.g., 'Breaking down complex problems into steps', 'Problems where the full scope might not be clear initially'). It also includes 11 'You should' guidelines that detail when and how to apply the tool effectively.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Tool Schema Changelog

Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections. Dates show when Glama detected each change.

  1. 1 tool update
    • First observedsequentialthinking

TDQS

A4.1/5.0
Disambiguation5/5

With only one tool, there is no possibility of confusion or overlap between tools. The tool's purpose is clearly defined as a dynamic problem-solving process, making it distinct by default.

Naming Consistency5/5

A single tool inherently has consistent naming, as there are no other tools to compare it against. The name 'sequentialthinking' is descriptive and follows a clear, albeit unique, pattern for this server.

Tool Count2/5

One tool is too few for a server that aims to facilitate dynamic and reflective problem-solving, as it forces all functionality into a single, complex interface. This limits flexibility and could overwhelm users or agents with its many parameters, making it feel thin in scope despite its depth.

Completeness3/5

The tool covers a broad range of problem-solving steps, but as a single tool, it lacks modularity. There are no obvious gaps in functionality, but the monolithic design might lead to dead ends or inefficiencies in handling diverse tasks that could benefit from separate, specialized tools.

Maintenance

ActivityInactive
ResponsivenessNo issues

Resources

Unclaimed servers have limited discoverability.

Looking for Admin?

If you are the server author, to access and configure the admin panel.

Related MCP Connectors

Related MCP Servers

  • A
    license
    A
    quality
    D
    maintenance
    Enables structured, step-by-step problem-solving with dynamic revision and branching capabilities. Supports breaking down complex problems into manageable steps while allowing course corrections and alternative reasoning paths.
    1
    102,549
    1
    -
  • A
    license
    A
    quality
    B
    maintenance
    Enables structured step-by-step reasoning with branching, revisions, and self-critique to help break down complex problems into manageable steps with confidence tracking and thought history search.
    7
    19
    7
    MIT
  • A
    license
    A
    quality
    D
    maintenance
    Enables structured, step-by-step problem-solving through dynamic thinking processes that can be revised, branched, and adjusted as understanding deepens. Supports breaking down complex problems into manageable steps with the ability to revise previous thoughts and explore alternative reasoning paths.
    1
    102,549
    -

Latest Blog Posts

MCP directory API

We provide all the information about MCP servers via our MCP API.

curl -X GET 'https://glama.ai/api/mcp/v1/servers/zalab-inc/mcp-sequentialthinking'

If you have feedback or need assistance with the MCP directory API, please join our Discord server