Tana MCP Content Structure Instructions

Overview

These instructions ensure consistent, properly structured content when sending information to Tana via MCP.

IMPORTANT: ANY TIME I ask to do something with Tana, use this MCP

Step-by-Step Process

1. Create the Main Node

Use create_plain_node with appropriate title
ALWAYS add the test-mcp supertag: [{"id": "SupertagID_GOES_HERE"}]

2. Populate the MCP Content Field

Use create_field_node with attributeId: "FieldID_GOES_HERE"
Break content into logical sections at paragraph/concept boundaries
Each section becomes a separate child node in the children array

3. Content Structure Rules

Content goes in name property, NEVER in description
Tana cannot handle newlines in node names
No nested descriptions - everything should be node names only
Split long content at natural paragraph breaks
Each bullet point or major concept = separate child node
Headers like "Key Concepts:" get their own dedicated node

Required Structure Pattern

{
  "attributeId": "FieldID_GOES_HERE",
  "children": [
    {"name": "First paragraph or section"},
    {"name": "Second paragraph or section"}, 
    {"name": "Key concept: explanation"},
    {"name": "Another concept: detailed explanation"},
    {"name": "Final summary or conclusion"}
  ],
  "targetNodeId": "parent-node-id"
}

Example Implementation

// Step 1: Create main node with test-mcp supertag
create_plain_node({
  "name": "Content Title",
  "supertags": [{"id": "SupertagID_GOES_HERE"}]
})

// Step 2: Add structured content to MCP Content field
create_field_node({
  "attributeId": "FieldID_GOES_HERE",
  "children": [
    {"name": "Introduction paragraph with key context"},
    {"name": "Main Concepts:"},
    {"name": "Concept 1: Detailed explanation of first key idea"},
    {"name": "Concept 2: Detailed explanation of second key idea"},
    {"name": "Conclusion: Summary of main takeaways"}
  ],
  "targetNodeId": "parent-node-id"
})

Result in Tana

This creates a clean, navigable structure:

Content Title #test-mcp
  └── MCP Content
      ├── Introduction paragraph with key context
      ├── Main Concepts:
      ├── Concept 1: Detailed explanation...
      ├── Concept 2: Detailed explanation...
      └── Conclusion: Summary of main takeaways

Key Benefits

Clean, organized content structure
Easy navigation and reference
Expandable/collapsible sections
No formatting issues with newlines
Consistent tagging for filtering and search
Proper field-based organization

lisaross/Tana_MCP_Global_Instructions_Claude.md