> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://taskmaster-49ce32d5-claude-issue-1550-20260102-1153.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configuration

> Configure Task Master through environment variables in a .env file

## Required Configuration

<Note>
  Task Master requires an Anthropic API key to function. Add this to your `.env` file:

  ```bash theme={null}
  ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-api03-your-api-key
  ```

  You can obtain an API key from the [Anthropic Console](https://console.anthropic.com/).
</Note>

## Optional Configuration

| Variable             | Default Value                  | Description                     | Example                               |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------ | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| `MODEL`              | `"claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219"` | Claude model to use             | `MODEL=claude-3-opus-20240229`        |
| `MAX_TOKENS`         | `"4000"`                       | Maximum tokens for responses    | `MAX_TOKENS=8000`                     |
| `TEMPERATURE`        | `"0.7"`                        | Temperature for model responses | `TEMPERATURE=0.5`                     |
| `DEBUG`              | `"false"`                      | Enable debug logging            | `DEBUG=true`                          |
| `LOG_LEVEL`          | `"info"`                       | Console output level            | `LOG_LEVEL=debug`                     |
| `DEFAULT_SUBTASKS`   | `"3"`                          | Default subtask count           | `DEFAULT_SUBTASKS=5`                  |
| `DEFAULT_PRIORITY`   | `"medium"`                     | Default priority                | `DEFAULT_PRIORITY=high`               |
| `PROJECT_NAME`       | `"MCP SaaS MVP"`               | Project name in metadata        | `PROJECT_NAME=My Awesome Project`     |
| `PROJECT_VERSION`    | `"1.0.0"`                      | Version in metadata             | `PROJECT_VERSION=2.1.0`               |
| `PERPLEXITY_API_KEY` | -                              | For research-backed features    | `PERPLEXITY_API_KEY=pplx-...`         |
| `PERPLEXITY_MODEL`   | `"sonar-medium-online"`        | Perplexity model                | `PERPLEXITY_MODEL=sonar-large-online` |

## TDD Workflow Configuration

Additional options for autonomous TDD workflow:

| Variable          | Default     | Description                                     |
| ----------------- | ----------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `TM_MAX_ATTEMPTS` | `3`         | Max attempts per subtask before marking blocked |
| `TM_AUTO_COMMIT`  | `true`      | Auto-commit after GREEN phase                   |
| `TM_PROJECT_ROOT` | Current dir | Default project root                            |

## Example .env File

```
# Required
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-api03-your-api-key

# Optional - Claude Configuration
MODEL=claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219
MAX_TOKENS=4000
TEMPERATURE=0.7

# Optional - Perplexity API for Research
PERPLEXITY_API_KEY=pplx-your-api-key
PERPLEXITY_MODEL=sonar-medium-online

# Optional - Project Info
PROJECT_NAME=My Project
PROJECT_VERSION=1.0.0

# Optional - Application Configuration
DEFAULT_SUBTASKS=3
DEFAULT_PRIORITY=medium
DEBUG=false
LOG_LEVEL=info

# TDD Workflow
TM_MAX_ATTEMPTS=3
TM_AUTO_COMMIT=true
```

## Troubleshooting

### If `task-master init` doesn't respond:

Try running it with Node directly:

```bash theme={null}
node node_modules/claude-task-master/scripts/init.js
```

Or clone the repository and run:

```bash theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/eyaltoledano/claude-task-master.git
cd claude-task-master
node scripts/init.js
```

<Note>
  For advanced configuration options and detailed customization, see our \[Advanced Configuration Guide] page.
</Note>