v1.3.0 - MCP SDK Upgrade & Enhanced Tool Guidance

🎉 What's New in v1.3.0

• 🆙 MCP SDK v1.17.4: Latest Model Context Protocol SDK with enhanced compatibility
• 🎯 DXT Format Compliance: Fixed manifest format to follow official Anthropic specification
• 📝 Enhanced Tool Guidance: Clear distinction between listing (searchConversations) vs content-based searches (comprehensiveConversationSearch)
• 🔧 Improved Search UX: Better tool descriptions prevent empty search term confusion
• 🛠️ Enhanced Version Management: Automated version bump script for all 6 version-sensitive files
• ✅ Test Reliability: Fixed async test handling and improved timeout management
• 🔒 Production Ready: Complete release workflow with DXT building and GitHub releases

📦 Installation Options

🎯 Claude Desktop (One-Click DXT)

1. Download helpscout-mcp-extension.dxt below
2. Double-click to install in Claude Desktop
3. Enter Help Scout OAuth2 credentials
4. Start using immediately!

📋 Manual NPM Installation

npx help-scout-mcp-server@1.3.0

🐳 Docker

docker pull drewburchfield/help-scout-mcp-server:1.3.0

🔧 Key Improvements

This release specifically addresses tool selection confusion by making it crystal clear:

• Use searchConversations (without query) for "show me recent tickets"
• Use comprehensiveConversationSearch (with search terms) for "find tickets about billing"

Assets

• NPM Package: help-scout-mcp-server@1.3.0
• Docker Image: drewburchfield/help-scout-mcp-server:1.3.0
• DXT Extension: helpscout-mcp-extension.dxt (attached below)

v1.2.1 - DXT Documentation Update

🔗 DXT Enhancement Release

Minor update to improve the DXT extension experience:

✨ What's New

• 📚 Documentation Link: DXT now includes direct link to README documentation
• 🎨 Icon Fix: Corrected icon reference in DXT manifest

🎯 DXT Installation

Download the .dxt file below and double-click to install in Claude Desktop:

• One-click installation with OAuth2 credential setup
• Automatic updates when new versions are released
• No Node.js installation required

📦 Installation Options

• 🎯 DXT Extension: Download .dxt file for Claude Desktop
• 💻 Command Line: npx help-scout-mcp-server
• 🐳 Docker: docker run drewburchfield/help-scout-mcp-server

🔄 Auto-Update Test

This release tests the DXT auto-update mechanism in Claude Desktop. Existing DXT users should receive an automatic update notification.

v1.2.0: DXT Extension for One-Click Claude Desktop Installation

🎯 Major Feature: DXT Extension

The biggest addition in v1.2.0 is the DXT (Desktop Extensions) package for one-click installation in Claude Desktop, eliminating the need for manual Node.js setup and configuration.

✅ DXT Benefits:

• One-click installation in Claude Desktop
• Bundled dependencies (no Node.js setup required)
• Secure credential storage in OS keychain/Credential Manager
• User-friendly configuration UI
• Cross-platform support (macOS, Windows, Linux)

🚀 Other New Features

• Dependency injection with ServiceContainer for better code organization
• HTTP connection pooling for improved performance
• Reverse logic validation system for Help Scout API constraints
• Enhanced conversation search with multi-status support

🔧 Technical Improvements

• Windows compatibility for DXT extension builds
• Comprehensive test coverage with integration tests
• Security fixes addressing Semgrep findings
• Improved error handling with MCP-compliant responses
• Connection reuse and performance optimizations

📦 Installation Options

🎉 Recommended: Claude Desktop (DXT Extension)

Download the .dxt file below and install in Claude Desktop for the easiest setup experience.

NPM Package

npm install -g help-scout-mcp-server@1.2.0

Docker

docker pull help-scout-mcp-server:1.2.0

🔗 Links

• NPM Package
• Documentation