Sequential Thinking

Enables structured problem-solving through iterative reasoning with revision and branching capabilities.

Core Capabilities

• Iterative reasoning: Break complex problems into sequential thought steps

• Dynamic scope: Adjust total thought count as understanding evolves

• Revision tracking: Reconsider and modify previous conclusions

• Branch exploration: Explore alternative reasoning paths from any point

• Maintained context: Keep track of reasoning chain throughout analysis

When to Use

Use mcp__reasoning__sequentialthinking when:

• Problem requires multiple interconnected reasoning steps

• Initial scope or approach is uncertain

• Need to filter through complexity to find core issues

• May need to backtrack or revise earlier conclusions

• Want to explore alternative solution paths

Don't use for: Simple queries, direct facts, or single-step tasks.

Basic Usage

The MCP tool mcp__reasoning__sequentialthinking accepts these parameters:

Required Parameters

• thought (string): Current reasoning step

• nextThoughtNeeded (boolean): Whether more reasoning is needed

• thoughtNumber (integer): Current step number (starts at 1)

• totalThoughts (integer): Estimated total steps needed

Optional Parameters

• isRevision (boolean): Indicates this revises previous thinking

• revisesThought (integer): Which thought number is being reconsidered

• branchFromThought (integer): Thought number to branch from

• branchId (string): Identifier for this reasoning branch

Workflow Pattern

1. Start with initial thought (thoughtNumber: 1)
2. For each step:
   • Express current reasoning in thought
   • Estimate remaining work via totalThoughts (adjust dynamically)
   • Set nextThoughtNeeded: true to continue
3. When reaching conclusion, set nextThoughtNeeded: false

Simple Example

// First thought { thought: "Problem involves optimizing database queries. Need to identify bottlenecks first.", thoughtNumber: 1, totalThoughts: 5, nextThoughtNeeded: true }

// Second thought { thought: "Analyzing query patterns reveals N+1 problem in user fetches.", thoughtNumber: 2, totalThoughts: 6, // Adjusted scope nextThoughtNeeded: true }

// ... continue until done

Advanced Features

Revision Pattern

When you realize an earlier conclusion was wrong:

{ thought: "Reconsidering thought #2: The N+1 problem isn't the main bottleneck - missing index is.", thoughtNumber: 5, totalThoughts: 8, nextThoughtNeeded: true, isRevision: true, revisesThought: 2 }

Branching Pattern

When exploring alternative approaches:

{ thought: "Branch A: What if we solve this with caching instead of query optimization?", thoughtNumber: 6, totalThoughts: 10, nextThoughtNeeded: true, branchFromThought: 3, branchId: "caching-approach" }

Tips

• Start with rough estimate for totalThoughts , refine as you progress

• Use revision when assumptions prove incorrect

• Branch when multiple approaches seem viable

• Express uncertainty explicitly in thoughts

• Adjust scope freely - accuracy matters less than progress visibility