Jira MCP Server

An MCP server for Jira — connect any MCP-compatible client to your Jira projects, issues, sprints, and boards.

What is this?

An MCP (Model Context Protocol) server that gives AI assistants and agents full access to your Jira instance — search issues with JQL, create and update tickets, manage sprints and boards, transition issues through workflows, and link related work — all through natural language.

Use it with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline, Continue, or any MCP-compatible client to manage your projects without leaving the chat.

Why use this?

14 built-in tools — covers search, CRUD, transitions, comments, projects, boards, sprints, and backlog
Full JQL support — search issues with any Jira Query Language expression
Workflow transitions — move issues through your custom workflows by name
Sprint management — query sprint states, goals, and board backlogs
Works with Jira Cloud — connects to any *.atlassian.net instance

Quick Start

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "jira-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_HOST": "your-domain.atlassian.net",
        "JIRA_EMAIL": "you@example.com",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your-api-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor / VS Code

Add to your MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "jira-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_HOST": "your-domain.atlassian.net",
        "JIRA_EMAIL": "you@example.com",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your-api-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Manual

npm install -g jira-mcp-server
export JIRA_HOST=your-domain.atlassian.net
export JIRA_EMAIL=you@example.com
export JIRA_API_TOKEN=your-api-token
jira-mcp-server

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Description
`JIRA_HOST`	Yes	Your Jira hostname (e.g. `your-domain.atlassian.net`)
`JIRA_API_TOKEN`	Yes	Jira API token or Personal Access Token
`JIRA_EMAIL`	Cond.	Your Jira email (required for Basic auth)
`JIRA_AUTH_TYPE`	No	`basic` (default) or `bearer` (for PAT)
`JIRA_API_VERSION`	No	REST API version (default: `3`)

Getting your API token

Go to Atlassian API Tokens
Click Create API token
Give it a name (e.g. "MCP Server") and copy the token
Use your Atlassian email as JIRA_EMAIL

Tools

Tool	Description
`jira_search`	Search issues with JQL
`jira_get_issue`	Get full issue details
`jira_create_issue`	Create a new issue
`jira_update_issue`	Update issue fields
`jira_transition_issue`	Transition issue to new status
`jira_add_comment`	Add a comment to an issue
`jira_delete_issue`	Delete an issue (permanent)
`jira_list_projects`	List accessible projects
`jira_get_project`	Get project details
`jira_get_issue_types`	List issue types for a project
`jira_link_issues`	Create a link between two issues
`jira_get_boards`	List Jira Software boards
`jira_get_sprints`	List sprints for a board
`jira_get_backlog`	Get board backlog items

Usage Examples

Search issues with JQL

{ "tool": "jira_search", "arguments": { "jql": "project = PROJ AND status = Open ORDER BY created DESC" } }

Create a bug

{
  "tool": "jira_create_issue",
  "arguments": {
    "projectKey": "PROJ",
    "summary": "Login page broken on mobile",
    "issueType": "Bug",
    "priority": "High",
    "labels": "mobile,urgent"
  }
}

Transition an issue

{ "tool": "jira_transition_issue", "arguments": { "issueKey": "PROJ-123", "transitionName": "In Progress" } }

Get sprint backlog

{ "tool": "jira_get_backlog", "arguments": { "boardId": "42" } }

Use Cases

Project management — "Show me all open bugs in the mobile project" → jira_search with JQL
Sprint planning — "What's in the current sprint?" → jira_get_sprints + jira_get_backlog
Issue triage — "Create a bug for the login timeout" → jira_create_issue
Workflow automation — "Move PROJ-456 to In Review" → jira_transition_issue
Cross-project overview — "List all projects I have access to" → jira_list_projects

API Coverage

Resource	Tools
Issues	`jira_search`, `jira_get_issue`, `jira_create_issue`, `jira_update_issue`, `jira_transition_issue`, `jira_delete_issue`
Comments	`jira_add_comment`
Projects	`jira_list_projects`, `jira_get_project`
Issue Types	`jira_get_issue_types`
Links	`jira_link_issues`
Boards	`jira_get_boards`
Sprints	`jira_get_sprints`
Backlog	`jira_get_backlog`

Development

git clone https://github.com/friendlygeorge/jira-mcp-server.git
cd jira-mcp-server
npm install
npm run build
npm start

License

MIT

jira mcp server