Zoho Timeline MCP Server

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that enables Claude Desktop to interactively capture and analyze Zoho CRM timeline screenshots.

Features

• Interactive Screenshot Capture: Click on Zoho CRM windows and let Claude capture them
• Automatic OCR & Parsing: Extracts timeline events, workflows, and functions
• Chronological Analysis: Orders events and identifies patterns
• Export to Multiple Formats: JSON and Markdown reports

Prerequisites

1. Python 3.10+
2. Claude Desktop (with MCP support)
3. Anthropic API Key
4. Tesseract OCR (for text extraction)
   • Windows: Download from https://github.com/UB-Mannheim/tesseract/wiki
   • Add to PATH: C:\Program Files\Tesseract-OCR

Installation

1. Install Tesseract OCR

Download and install Tesseract from: https://github.com/UB-Mannheim/tesseract/wiki

Make sure to add it to your PATH during installation.

2. Clone or Download This Project

cd %USERPROFILE%\Documents
# If you received this as a zip, extract it here
# Or if in a git repo: git clone <repo-url> zoho-timeline-mcp
cd zoho-timeline-mcp

3. Create Virtual Environment

python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate

4. Install Dependencies

pip install -e .

5. Install Windows-Specific Dependencies

For active window capture on Windows:

pip install pywin32

6. Set Up Anthropic API Key

Create a .env file in the project root:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Or set it as an environment variable:

setx ANTHROPIC_API_KEY "your_api_key_here"

Configuration for Claude Desktop

Add this to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

Location: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zoho-timeline": {
      "command": "python",
      "args": [
        "-m",
        "zoho_timeline_mcp.server"
      ],
      "cwd": "C:\\Users\\YourUsername\\Documents\\zoho-timeline-mcp",
      "env": {
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: Replace YourUsername and your_api_key_here with your actual values.

Usage

1. Start Claude Desktop

After configuring, restart Claude Desktop. The MCP server will start automatically.

2. Capture Screenshots

In Claude Desktop, say:

Capture a screenshot of the Zoho timeline

Claude will:

1. Capture the active window
2. Save it temporarily
3. Ask if you want to capture more

3. Capture Multiple Screenshots

Keep capturing:

Capture another screenshot

Or click on the next part of the timeline and say:

Capture this screen too

4. Process Timeline

When done capturing:

Process the timeline screenshots

Claude will:

1. Analyze all screenshots using vision API
2. Extract timeline events chronologically
3. Identify workflows and functions
4. Return comprehensive JSON and report

5. Export Results

Export the results to files

Files are saved to: %USERPROFILE%\Documents\ZohoTimelineAnalysis\

Available Tools

The MCP server provides these tools to Claude:

capture_screenshot

Captures a screenshot of the active window or full screen.

Parameters:

• capture_type: "active_window" or "full_screen" (default: "active_window")

list_screenshots

Lists all captured screenshots with IDs and timestamps.

process_timeline

Processes all captured screenshots and extracts timeline data.

Parameters:

• api_key: Optional Anthropic API key (uses env var if not provided)

clear_screenshots

Clears all captured screenshots to start fresh.

export_results

Exports timeline analysis to JSON and Markdown files.

Parameters:

• output_dir: Optional output directory (default: Documents/ZohoTimelineAnalysis)

Output Format

Timeline JSON

{
  "lead_timeline": {
    "date": "Nov 25, 2025",
    "events": [
      {
        "timestamp": "02:30 PM",
        "event_type": "Lead Created",
        "action": "Lead Created",
        "triggered_by": "Function",
        "function_name": "Leads CR Process Power Almanac Files"
      },
      ...
    ]
  }
}

Workflows & Functions JSON

{
  "workflow_rules": {
    "count": 13,
    "list": [
      "Leads - Cr - Format Phone",
      ...
    ]
  },
  "functions": {
    "count": 9,
    "list": [
      "Lead_VerifyEmailHunterIO",
      ...
    ]
  }
}

Troubleshooting

Screenshots Not Capturing

1. Make sure the Zoho window is active and visible
2. Try full screen mode: capture_type: "full_screen"
3. Check that mss library is installed: pip install mss

pywin32 Errors

If you get errors about pywin32:

python venv\Scripts\pywin32_postinstall.py -install

API Key Issues

Verify your API key is set:

echo %ANTHROPIC_API_KEY%

Tesseract Not Found

Make sure Tesseract is installed and in your PATH:

tesseract --version

If not found, add to PATH:

C:\Program Files\Tesseract-OCR

MCP Server Not Starting

1. Check Claude Desktop logs: %APPDATA%\Claude\logs
2. Test the server manually:

   python -m zoho_timeline_mcp.server
   

3. Verify configuration file syntax (must be valid JSON)

Example Workflow

User: "Capture the current Zoho timeline window"
Claude: [captures screenshot] ✓ Screenshot 1 captured. Ready for another?

User: "Scroll down and capture the next section"
Claude: [captures screenshot] ✓ Screenshot 2 captured. Continue?

User: "One more"
Claude: [captures screenshot] ✓ Screenshot 3 captured. Ready to process?

User: "Process all the screenshots"
Claude: [processes with vision API] ✓ Timeline analyzed!
       Found 13 workflow rules and 9 functions...
       [displays full report]

User: "Export these results"
Claude: ✓ Saved to Documents\ZohoTimelineAnalysis\

Development

Running Tests

pytest

Code Formatting

black src/

License

MIT License - feel free to modify and use as needed.

Support

For issues or questions:

1. Check the troubleshooting section
2. Review Claude Desktop MCP logs
3. Test the server in standalone mode

Roadmap

• Support for multiple monitors
• Automatic scroll detection
• Batch processing of saved screenshots
• Export to Excel format
• Template-based report generation
• Integration with Zoho API for validation