About when
when bundles six WhenLabs developer tools into one installable toolkit for Claude Code workflows. A single MCP server provides project checks and coding-task timing, alongside CLI operations.
Key features
- 01Generate AI context files
- 02Detect development port conflicts
- 03Validate .env files against schemas
- 04Find documentation drift
- 05Scan dependency licenses
- 06Record coding task durations
Use cases
- 01Initialize projects and generate configuration
- 02Check ports before starting a dev server
- 03Review environment variables and license policies
- 04Check whether documentation matches code
MCP support
The whenlabs MCP server exposes eight stdio endpoints covering the six tools and a unified summary. The installer can register it in Claude Code.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
Tools
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project README@whenlabs/when
Six tools. One install.
A single installable toolkit that brings six WhenLabs developer tools into your Claude Code workflow. After install, the tools are exposed over a single MCP server and Claude calls them automatically when relevant.
Install
npx @whenlabs/when install
One-time setup. The installer:
- Registers a single MCP server (
whenlabs) in your Claude Code configuration - Injects a CLAUDE.md block so Claude knows when to use each tool
- Cleans up any legacy
velocity-mcpregistration (velocity is now bundled)
The six tools
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| aware | Auto-detect stack and generate AI context files (CLAUDE.md, .cursorrules, …) |
| berth | Detect port conflicts before starting dev servers |
| envalid | Validate .env files against a schema |
| stale | Detect documentation drift between docs and code |
| vow | Scan dependency licenses and validate against policy |
| velocity | Time coding tasks and learn from historical data |
MCP tools
Eight endpoints across the six tools:
| Endpoint | What it does |
|---|---|
aware_sync | Detect stack and regenerate AI context files |
berth_check | Scan project for port conflicts |
envalid_validate | Validate .env files against schema |
stale_scan | Detect documentation drift |
vow_scan | Scan licenses and validate against policy |
velocity_start_task | Start timing a coding task |
velocity_end_task | End timing and record results |
whenlabs_summary | Unified rollup across all five scanners in one call |
All eight are served by the single whenlabs MCP server (stdio, Node 20+). Fix/init/auxiliary commands remain available via each tool's CLI (npx @whenlabs/<tool> --help).
CLI
when init # Onboard a project — detect stack, bootstrap configs, run all checks
when doctor # Run all six tools and show a unified health report
when install # Register MCP server in Claude Code
when uninstall # Remove MCP server
For per-tool operations, use the tool directly:
npx @whenlabs/stale scan
npx @whenlabs/envalid validate
npx @whenlabs/berth check
npx @whenlabs/aware sync
npx @whenlabs/vow scan
Manual MCP configuration
If you're not using the install command, add this to your Claude Code MCP config:
{
"mcpServers": {
"whenlabs": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@whenlabs/when", "when-mcp"]
}
}
}
License
MIT — see LICENSE
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.