astro-airflow-mcp
OfficialProvides comprehensive access to Apache Airflow's REST API, enabling capabilities such as DAG management, task monitoring, log retrieval, and system health diagnostics.
Click on "Deploy Server".
Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state.
In the chat, type
@followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@astro-airflow-mcp diagnose why the production_etl DAG failed and show the logs"
That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed.
Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.
This project has been relocated to theAstronomer agents monorepo.
Airflow MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Apache Airflow that provides AI assistants with access to Airflow's REST API. Built with FastMCP.
Quickstart
IDEs
Add to your MCP settings (Cursor: ~/.cursor/mcp.json, VS Code: .vscode/mcp.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"airflow": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["astro-airflow-mcp", "--transport", "stdio"]
}
}
}CLI Tools
claude mcp add airflow -- uvx astro-airflow-mcp --transport stdiogemini mcp add airflow -- uvx astro-airflow-mcp --transport stdiocodex mcp add airflow -- uvx astro-airflow-mcp --transport stdioDesktop Apps
Add to ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):
{
"mcpServers": {
"airflow": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["astro-airflow-mcp", "--transport", "stdio"]
}
}
}Other MCP Clients
Add to your MCP configuration file:
{
"mcpServers": {
"airflow": {
"command": "uvx",
"args": ["astro-airflow-mcp", "--transport", "stdio"]
}
}
}Or connect to a running HTTP server: "url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp"
Note: No installation required -
uvxruns directly from PyPI. The--transport stdioflag is required because the server defaults to HTTP mode.
Configuration
By default, the server connects to http://localhost:8080 (Astro CLI default). Set environment variables for custom Airflow instances:
Variable | Description |
| Airflow webserver URL |
| Username (Airflow 3.x uses OAuth2 token exchange) |
| Password |
| Bearer token (alternative to username/password) |
Example with auth (Claude Code):
claude mcp add airflow -e AIRFLOW_API_URL=https://your-airflow.example.com -e AIRFLOW_USERNAME=admin -e AIRFLOW_PASSWORD=admin -- uvx astro-airflow-mcp --transport stdioRelated MCP server: Apache Airflow MCP Server
Features
Airflow 2.x and 3.x Support: Automatic version detection with adapter pattern
MCP Tools for accessing Airflow data:
DAG management (list, get details, get source code, stats, warnings, import errors, trigger, pause/unpause)
Task management (list, get details, get task instances, get logs)
Pool management (list, get details)
Variable management (list, get specific variables)
Connection management (list connections with credentials excluded)
Asset/Dataset management (unified naming across versions, data lineage)
Plugin and provider information
Configuration and version details
Consolidated Tools for agent workflows:
explore_dag: Get comprehensive DAG information in one calldiagnose_dag_run: Debug failed DAG runs with task instance detailsget_system_health: System overview with health, errors, and warnings
MCP Resources: Static Airflow info exposed as resources (version, providers, plugins, config)
MCP Prompts: Guided workflows for common tasks (troubleshooting, health checks, onboarding)
Dual deployment modes:
Standalone server: Run as an independent MCP server
Airflow plugin: Integrate directly into Airflow 3.x webserver
Flexible Authentication:
Bearer token (Airflow 2.x and 3.x)
Username/password with automatic OAuth2 token exchange (Airflow 3.x)
Basic auth (Airflow 2.x)
Available Tools
Consolidated Tools (Agent-Optimized)
Tool | Description |
| Get comprehensive DAG info: metadata, tasks, recent runs, source code |
| Debug a DAG run: run details, failed task instances, logs |
| System overview: health status, import errors, warnings, DAG stats |
Core Tools
Tool | Description |
| Get all DAGs and their metadata |
| Get detailed info about a specific DAG |
| Get the source code of a DAG |
| Get DAG run statistics (Airflow 3.x only) |
| Get DAG import warnings |
| Get import errors from DAG files that failed to parse |
| Get DAG run history |
| Get specific DAG run details |
| Trigger a new DAG run (start a workflow execution) |
| Pause a DAG to prevent new scheduled runs |
| Unpause a DAG to resume scheduled runs |
| Get all tasks in a DAG |
| Get details about a specific task |
| Get task instance execution details |
| Get logs for a specific task instance execution |
| Get all resource pools |
| Get details about a specific pool |
| Get all Airflow variables |
| Get a specific variable by key |
| Get all connections (credentials excluded for security) |
| Get assets/datasets (unified naming across versions) |
| Get installed Airflow plugins |
| Get installed provider packages |
| Get Airflow configuration |
| Get Airflow version information |
MCP Resources
Resource URI | Description |
| Airflow version information |
| Installed provider packages |
| Installed Airflow plugins |
| Airflow configuration |
MCP Prompts
Prompt | Description |
| Guided workflow for diagnosing DAG failures |
| Morning health check routine |
| Guide for understanding a new DAG |
Advanced Usage
Running as Standalone Server
For HTTP-based integrations or connecting multiple clients to one server:
# Run server (HTTP mode is default)
uvx astro-airflow-mcp --airflow-url https://my-airflow.example.com --username admin --password adminConnect MCP clients to: http://localhost:8000/mcp
Airflow Plugin Mode
Install into your Airflow 3.x environment to expose MCP at http://your-airflow:8080/mcp/v1:
# Add to your Astro project
echo astro-airflow-mcp >> requirements.txtCLI Options
Flag | Environment Variable | Default | Description |
|
|
| Transport mode ( |
|
|
| Host to bind to (HTTP mode only) |
|
|
| Port to bind to (HTTP mode only) |
|
| Auto-discovered or | Airflow webserver URL |
|
|
| Astro project directory for auto-discovering Airflow URL from |
|
|
| Bearer token for authentication |
|
|
| Username for authentication (Airflow 3.x uses OAuth2 token exchange) |
|
|
| Password for authentication |
Architecture
The server is built using FastMCP with an adapter pattern for Airflow version compatibility:
Core Components
Adapters (
adapters/): Version-specific API implementationsAirflowAdapter(base): Abstract interface for all Airflow API operationsAirflowV2Adapter: Airflow 2.x API (/api/v1) with basic authAirflowV3Adapter: Airflow 3.x API (/api/v2) with OAuth2 token exchange
Version Detection: Automatic detection at startup by probing API endpoints
Models (
models.py): Pydantic models for type-safe API responses
Version Handling Strategy
Major versions (2.x vs 3.x): Adapter pattern with runtime version detection
Minor versions (3.1 vs 3.2): Runtime feature detection with graceful fallbacks
New API parameters: Pass-through
**kwargsfor forward compatibility
Deployment Modes
Standalone: Independent ASGI application with HTTP/SSE transport
Plugin: Mounted into Airflow 3.x FastAPI webserver
Development
# Setup development environment
make install-dev
# Run tests
make test
# Run all checks
make check
# Local testing with Astro CLI
astro dev start # Start Airflow
make run # Run MCP server (connects to localhost:8080)Contributing
Contributions welcome! Please ensure:
All tests pass (
make test)Code passes linting (
make check)prek hooks pass (
make prek)
Available Tools
31 toolsdiagnose_dag_runA
Diagnose issues with a specific DAG run - get run details and failed tasks.
USE THIS TOOL WHEN troubleshooting a failed or problematic DAG run. Returns all the information you need to understand what went wrong.
This is the preferred tool when:
User asks "Why did this DAG run fail?"
User asks "What's wrong with run X?"
You need to investigate task failures in a specific run
Returns combined data:
DAG run metadata (state, start/end times, trigger type)
All task instances for this run with their states
Highlighted failed/upstream_failed tasks with details
Summary of task states
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG dag_run_id: The ID of the DAG run (e.g., "manual__2024-01-01T00:00:00+00:00")
Returns: JSON with diagnostic information about the DAG run
Inputs: dag_id (required), dag_run_id (required). Returns: result
explore_dagA
Comprehensive investigation of a DAG - get all relevant info in one call.
USE THIS TOOL WHEN you need to understand a DAG completely. Instead of making multiple calls, this returns everything about a DAG in a single response.
This is the preferred first tool when:
User asks "Tell me about DAG X" or "What is this DAG?"
You need to understand a DAG's structure before diagnosing issues
You want to know the schedule, tasks, and source code together
Returns combined data:
DAG metadata (schedule, owners, tags, paused status)
All tasks with their operators and dependencies
DAG source code
Any import errors or warnings for this DAG
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG to explore
Returns: JSON with comprehensive DAG information
Inputs: dag_id (required). Returns: result
get_airflow_configA
Get Airflow instance configuration and settings.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What's the Airflow configuration?" or "Show me Airflow settings"
"What's the executor type?" or "How is Airflow configured?"
"What's the parallelism setting?"
Database connection, logging, or scheduler settings
Finding specific configuration values
Returns all Airflow configuration organized by sections:
[core]: Basic Airflow settings (executor, dags_folder, parallelism)
[database]: Database connection and settings
[webserver]: Web UI configuration (port, workers, auth)
[scheduler]: Scheduler behavior and intervals
[logging]: Log locations and formatting
[api]: REST API configuration
[operators]: Default operator settings
And many more sections...
Each setting includes:
key: Configuration parameter name
value: Current value
source: Where the value came from (default, env var, config file)
Returns: JSON with complete Airflow configuration organized by sections
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
get_airflow_versionA
Get version information for the Airflow instance.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What version of Airflow is running?" or "Show me the Airflow version"
"What's the Airflow version?" or "Which Airflow release is this?"
"What version is installed?" or "Check Airflow version"
"Is this Airflow 2 or 3?" or "What's the version number?"
Returns version information including:
version: The Airflow version string (e.g., "2.8.0", "3.0.0")
git_version: Git commit hash if available
This is useful for:
Determining API compatibility
Checking if features are available in this version
Troubleshooting version-specific issues
Verifying upgrade success
Returns: JSON with Airflow version information
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
get_dag_detailsA
Get detailed information about a specific Apache Airflow DAG.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"Show me details for DAG X" or "What are the details of DAG Y?"
"Tell me about DAG Z" or "Get information for this specific DAG"
"What's the schedule for DAG X?" or "When does this DAG run?"
"Is DAG Y paused?" or "Show me the configuration of DAG Z"
"Who owns this DAG?" or "What are the tags for this workflow?"
Returns complete DAG information including:
dag_id: Unique identifier for the DAG
is_paused: Whether the DAG is currently paused
is_active: Whether the DAG is active
is_subdag: Whether this is a SubDAG
fileloc: File path where the DAG is defined
file_token: Unique token for the DAG file
owners: List of DAG owners
description: Human-readable description of what the DAG does
schedule_interval: Cron expression or timedelta for scheduling
tags: List of tags/labels for categorization
max_active_runs: Maximum number of concurrent runs
max_active_tasks: Maximum number of concurrent tasks
has_task_concurrency_limits: Whether task concurrency limits are set
has_import_errors: Whether the DAG has import errors
next_dagrun: When the next DAG run is scheduled
next_dagrun_create_after: Earliest time for next DAG run creation
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG to get details for
Returns: JSON with complete details about the specified DAG
Inputs: dag_id (required). Returns: result
get_dag_runA
Get detailed information about a specific DAG run execution.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"Show me details for DAG run X" or "What's the status of run Y?"
"When did this run start/finish?" or "How long did run Z take?"
"Why did this run fail?" or "Get execution details for run X"
"What was the configuration for this run?" or "Show me run metadata"
"What's the state of DAG run X?" or "Did run Y succeed?"
Returns detailed information about a specific DAG run execution including:
dag_run_id: Unique identifier for this execution
dag_id: Which DAG this run belongs to
state: Current state (running, success, failed, queued, etc.)
execution_date: When this run was scheduled to execute
start_date: When execution actually started
end_date: When execution completed (if finished)
duration: How long the run took (in seconds)
run_type: Type of run (manual, scheduled, backfill, etc.)
conf: Configuration parameters passed to this run
external_trigger: Whether this was triggered externally
data_interval_start: Start of the data interval
data_interval_end: End of the data interval
last_scheduling_decision: Last scheduling decision timestamp
note: Optional note attached to the run
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG (e.g., "example_dag") dag_run_id: The ID of the DAG run (e.g., "manual__2024-01-01T00:00:00+00:00")
Returns: JSON with complete details about the specified DAG run
Inputs: dag_id (required), dag_run_id (required). Returns: result
get_dag_sourceA
Get the source code for a specific Apache Airflow DAG.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"Show me the code for DAG X" or "What's the source of DAG Y?"
"How is DAG Z implemented?" or "What does the DAG file look like?"
"Can I see the Python code for this workflow?"
"What tasks are defined in the DAG code?"
Returns the DAG source file contents including:
content: The actual Python source code of the DAG file
file_token: Unique identifier for the source file
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG to get source code for
Returns: JSON with DAG source code and metadata
Inputs: dag_id (required). Returns: result
get_dag_statsA
Get statistics about DAG runs (success/failure counts by state).
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What's the overall health of my DAGs?" or "Show me DAG statistics"
"How many DAG runs succeeded/failed?" or "What's the success rate?"
"Give me a summary of DAG run states"
"How many runs are currently running/queued?"
"Show me stats for specific DAGs"
Returns statistics showing counts of DAG runs grouped by state:
success: Number of successful runs
failed: Number of failed runs
running: Number of currently running runs
queued: Number of queued runs
And other possible states
Args: dag_ids: Optional list of DAG IDs to filter by. If not provided, returns stats for all DAGs.
Returns: JSON with DAG run statistics organized by DAG and state
Inputs: dag_ids. Returns: result
get_poolA
Get detailed information about a specific resource pool.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"Show me details for pool X" or "What's the status of pool Y?"
"How many slots are available in pool Z?" or "Is pool X full?"
"What's using pool Y?" or "How many tasks are running in pool X?"
"Get information about the default_pool" or "Show me pool details"
Pools are used to limit parallelism for specific sets of tasks. This returns detailed real-time information about a specific pool's capacity and utilization.
Returns detailed pool information including:
name: Name of the pool
slots: Total number of available slots in the pool
occupied_slots: Number of currently occupied slots (running + queued)
running_slots: Number of slots with currently running tasks
queued_slots: Number of slots with queued tasks waiting to run
open_slots: Number of available slots (slots - occupied_slots)
description: Human-readable description of the pool's purpose
Args: pool_name: The name of the pool to get details for (e.g., "default_pool")
Returns: JSON with complete details about the specified pool
Inputs: pool_name (required). Returns: result
get_system_healthA
Get overall Airflow system health - import errors, warnings, and DAG stats.
USE THIS TOOL WHEN you need a quick health check of the Airflow system. Returns a consolidated view of potential issues across the entire system.
This is the preferred tool when:
User asks "Are there any problems with Airflow?"
User asks "Show me the system health" or "Any errors?"
You want to do a morning health check
You're starting an investigation and want to see the big picture
Returns combined data:
Import errors (DAG files that failed to parse)
DAG warnings (deprecations, configuration issues)
DAG statistics (run counts by state) if available
Version information
Returns: JSON with system health overview
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
get_taskA
Get detailed information about a specific task definition in a DAG.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"Show me details for task X in DAG Y" or "What does task Z do?"
"What operator does task A use?" or "What's the configuration of task B?"
"Tell me about task C" or "Get task definition for D"
"What are the dependencies of task E?" or "Which tasks does F depend on?"
Returns task definition information including:
task_id: Unique identifier for the task
task_display_name: Human-readable display name
owner: Who owns this task
start_date: When this task becomes active
end_date: When this task becomes inactive (if set)
trigger_rule: When this task should run (all_success, one_failed, etc.)
depends_on_past: Whether task depends on previous run's success
wait_for_downstream: Whether to wait for downstream tasks
retries: Number of retry attempts
retry_delay: Time between retries
execution_timeout: Maximum execution time
operator_name: Type of operator (PythonOperator, BashOperator, etc.)
pool: Resource pool assignment
queue: Queue for executor
downstream_task_ids: List of tasks that depend on this task
upstream_task_ids: List of tasks this task depends on
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG containing the task task_id: The ID of the task to get details for
Returns: JSON with complete task definition details
Inputs: dag_id (required), task_id (required). Returns: result
get_task_instanceA
Get detailed information about a specific task instance execution.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"Show me details for task X in DAG run Y" or "What's the status of task Z?"
"Why did task A fail?" or "When did task B start/finish?"
"What's the duration of task C?" or "Show me task execution details"
"Get logs for task D" or "What operator does task E use?"
Returns detailed task instance information including:
task_id: Name of the task
state: Current state (success, failed, running, queued, etc.)
start_date: When the task started
end_date: When the task finished
duration: How long the task ran
try_number: Which attempt this is
max_tries: Maximum retry attempts
operator: What operator type (PythonOperator, BashOperator, etc.)
executor_config: Executor configuration
pool: Resource pool assignment
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG dag_run_id: The ID of the DAG run (e.g., "manual__2024-01-01T00:00:00+00:00") task_id: The ID of the task within the DAG
Returns: JSON with complete task instance details
Inputs: dag_id (required), dag_run_id (required), task_id (required). Returns: result
get_task_logsA
Get logs for a specific task instance execution.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"Show me the logs for task X" or "Get logs for task Y"
"What did task Z output?" or "Show me task execution logs"
"Why did task A fail?" (to see error messages in logs)
"What happened during task B execution?"
"Show me the stdout/stderr for task C"
"Debug task D" or "Troubleshoot task E"
Returns the actual log output from the task execution, which includes:
Task execution output (stdout/stderr)
Error messages and stack traces (if task failed)
Timing information
Any logged messages from the task code
This is essential for debugging failed tasks or understanding what happened during task execution.
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG (e.g., "example_dag") dag_run_id: The ID of the DAG run (e.g., "manual__2024-01-01T00:00:00+00:00") task_id: The ID of the task within the DAG (e.g., "extract_data") try_number: The task try/attempt number, 1-indexed (default: 1). Use higher numbers to get logs from retry attempts. map_index: For mapped tasks, which map index to get logs for. Use -1 for non-mapped tasks (default: -1).
Returns: JSON with the task logs content
Inputs: dag_id (required), dag_run_id (required), task_id (required), try_number, +1 more. Returns: result
get_upstream_asset_eventsA
Get asset events that triggered a specific DAG run.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What triggered this DAG run?"
"Which asset events caused this run to start?"
"Why did DAG X start running?"
"Show me the upstream triggers for this run"
"What data changes triggered this pipeline run?"
This is useful for understanding causation in data-aware scheduling. When a DAG is scheduled based on asset updates, this tool shows which specific asset events triggered the run.
Returns information including:
dag_id: The DAG that was triggered
dag_run_id: The specific run
triggered_by_events: List of asset events that caused this run
event_count: Number of triggering events
Each event includes:
asset_uri or dataset_uri: The asset that was updated
source_dag_id: The DAG that produced the event
source_run_id: The run that produced the event
timestamp: When the event occurred
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG dag_run_id: The ID of the DAG run (e.g., "scheduled__2024-01-01T00:00:00+00:00")
Returns: JSON with the asset events that triggered this DAG run
Inputs: dag_id (required), dag_run_id (required). Returns: result
get_variableA
Get a specific Airflow variable by key.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What's the value of variable X?" or "Show me variable Y"
"Get variable Z" or "What does variable A contain?"
"What's stored in variable B?" or "Look up variable C"
Variables are key-value pairs stored in Airflow's metadata database that can be accessed by DAGs at runtime. They're commonly used for configuration values, API keys, or other settings that need to be shared across DAGs.
Returns variable information including:
key: The variable's key/name
value: The variable's value (may be masked if marked as sensitive)
description: Optional description of the variable's purpose
Args: variable_key: The key/name of the variable to retrieve
Returns: JSON with the variable's key, value, and metadata
Inputs: variable_key (required). Returns: result
list_asset_eventsA
List asset/dataset events with optional filtering.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What asset events were produced by DAG X?"
"Show me dataset events from run Y"
"Debug why downstream DAG wasn't triggered"
"What assets did this pipeline produce?"
"List recent asset update events"
Asset events are produced when a task updates an asset/dataset. These events can trigger downstream DAGs that depend on those assets (data-aware scheduling).
Returns event information including:
uri: The asset that was updated
source_dag_id: The DAG that produced this event
source_run_id: The DAG run that produced this event
source_task_id: The task that produced this event
timestamp: When the event was created
Args: source_dag_id: Filter events by the DAG that produced them source_run_id: Filter events by the DAG run that produced them source_task_id: Filter events by the task that produced them limit: Maximum number of events to return (default: 100)
Returns: JSON with list of asset events
Inputs: source_dag_id, source_run_id, source_task_id, limit. Returns: result
list_assetsA
Get data assets and datasets tracked by Airflow (data lineage).
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What datasets exist?" or "List all assets"
"What data does this DAG produce/consume?"
"Show me data dependencies" or "What's the data lineage?"
"Which DAGs use dataset X?"
Data freshness or update events
Assets represent datasets or files that DAGs produce or consume. This enables data-driven scheduling where DAGs wait for data availability.
Returns asset information including:
uri: Unique identifier for the asset (e.g., s3://bucket/path)
id: Internal asset ID
created_at: When this asset was first registered
updated_at: When this asset was last updated
consuming_dags: Which DAGs depend on this asset
producing_tasks: Which tasks create/update this asset
Returns: JSON with list of all assets and their producing/consuming relationships
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
list_connectionsA
Get connection configurations for external systems (databases, APIs, services).
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What connections are configured?" or "List all connections"
"How do I connect to database X?"
"What's the connection string for Y?"
"Which databases/services are available?"
Finding connection details by name or type
Connections store credentials and connection info for external systems that DAGs interact with (databases, S3, APIs, etc.).
Returns connection metadata including:
connection_id: Unique name for this connection
conn_type: Type (postgres, mysql, s3, http, etc.)
description: Human-readable description
host: Server hostname or IP
port: Port number
schema: Database schema or path
login: Username (passwords excluded for security)
extra: Additional connection parameters as JSON
IMPORTANT: Passwords are NEVER returned for security reasons.
Returns: JSON with list of all connections (credentials excluded)
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
list_dag_runsA
Get execution history and status of DAG runs (workflow executions).
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What DAG runs have executed?" or "Show me recent runs"
"Which runs failed/succeeded?"
"What's the status of my workflows?"
"When did DAG X last run?"
Execution times, durations, or states
Finding runs by date or status
Returns execution metadata including:
dag_run_id: Unique identifier for this execution
dag_id: Which DAG this run belongs to
state: Current state (running, success, failed, queued)
execution_date: When this run was scheduled to execute
start_date: When execution actually started
end_date: When execution completed (if finished)
run_type: manual, scheduled, or backfill
conf: Configuration passed to this run
Returns: JSON with list of DAG runs across all DAGs, sorted by most recent
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
list_dagsA
Get information about all Apache Airflow DAGs (Directed Acyclic Graphs).
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What DAGs are available?" or "List all DAGs"
"Show me the workflows" or "What pipelines exist?"
"Which DAGs are paused/active?"
DAG schedules, descriptions, or tags
Finding a specific DAG by name
Returns comprehensive DAG metadata including:
dag_id: Unique identifier for the DAG
is_paused: Whether the DAG is currently paused
is_active: Whether the DAG is active
schedule_interval: How often the DAG runs
description: Human-readable description
tags: Labels/categories for the DAG
owners: Who maintains the DAG
file_token: Location of the DAG file
Returns: JSON with list of all DAGs and their complete metadata
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
list_dag_warningsA
Get warnings and issues detected in DAG definitions.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"Are there any DAG warnings?" or "Show me DAG issues"
"What problems exist with my DAGs?" or "Any DAG errors?"
"Check DAG health" or "Show me DAG validation warnings"
"What's wrong with my workflows?"
Returns warnings about DAG configuration issues including:
dag_id: Which DAG has the warning
warning_type: Type of warning (e.g., deprecation, configuration issue)
message: Description of the warning
timestamp: When the warning was detected
Returns: JSON with list of DAG warnings and their details
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
list_import_errorsA
Get import errors from DAG files that failed to parse or load.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"Are there any import errors?" or "Show me import errors"
"Why isn't my DAG showing up?" or "DAG not appearing in Airflow"
"What DAG files have errors?" or "Show me broken DAGs"
"Check for syntax errors" or "Are there any parsing errors?"
"Why is my DAG file failing to load?"
Import errors occur when DAG files have problems that prevent Airflow from parsing them, such as:
Python syntax errors
Missing imports or dependencies
Module not found errors
Invalid DAG definitions
Runtime errors during file parsing
Returns import error details including:
import_error_id: Unique identifier for the error
timestamp: When the error was detected
filename: Path to the DAG file with the error
stack_trace: Complete error message and traceback
Returns: JSON with list of import errors and their stack traces
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
list_pluginsA
Get information about installed Airflow plugins.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What plugins are installed?" or "List all plugins"
"Show me the plugins" or "Which plugins are enabled?"
"Is plugin X installed?" or "Do we have any custom plugins?"
"What's in the plugins directory?"
Plugins extend Airflow functionality by adding custom operators, hooks, views, menu items, or other components. This returns information about all plugins discovered by Airflow's plugin system.
Returns information about installed plugins including:
name: Name of the plugin
hooks: Custom hooks provided by the plugin
executors: Custom executors provided by the plugin
macros: Custom macros provided by the plugin
flask_blueprints: Flask blueprints for custom UI pages
appbuilder_views: Flask-AppBuilder views for admin interface
appbuilder_menu_items: Custom menu items in the UI
Returns: JSON with list of all installed plugins and their components
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
list_poolsA
Get resource pools for managing task concurrency and resource allocation.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What pools are configured?" or "List all pools"
"Show me the resource pools" or "What pools exist?"
"How many slots does pool X have?" or "What's the pool capacity?"
"Which pools are available?" or "What's the pool configuration?"
Pools are used to limit parallelism for specific sets of tasks. Each pool has a certain number of slots, and tasks assigned to a pool will only run if there are available slots. This is useful for limiting concurrent access to resources like databases or external APIs.
Returns pool information including:
name: Name of the pool
slots: Total number of available slots in the pool
occupied_slots: Number of currently occupied slots
running_slots: Number of slots with running tasks
queued_slots: Number of slots with queued tasks
open_slots: Number of available slots (slots - occupied_slots)
description: Human-readable description of the pool's purpose
Returns: JSON with list of all pools and their current utilization
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
list_providersA
Get information about installed Airflow provider packages.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What providers are installed?" or "List all providers"
"What integrations are available?" or "Show me installed packages"
"Do we have the AWS provider?" or "Is the Snowflake provider installed?"
"What version of provider X is installed?"
Returns information about installed provider packages including:
package_name: Name of the provider package (e.g., "apache-airflow-providers-amazon")
version: Version of the provider package
description: What the provider does
provider_info: Details about operators, hooks, and sensors included
Returns: JSON with list of all installed provider packages and their details
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
list_tasksA
Get all tasks defined in a specific DAG.
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What tasks are in DAG X?" or "List all tasks for DAG Y"
"Show me the tasks in this workflow" or "What's in the DAG?"
"What are the steps in DAG Z?" or "Show me the task structure"
"What does this DAG do?" or "Explain the workflow steps"
Returns information about all tasks in the DAG including:
task_id: Unique identifier for the task
task_display_name: Human-readable display name
owner: Who owns this task
operator_name: Type of operator (PythonOperator, BashOperator, etc.)
start_date: When this task becomes active
end_date: When this task becomes inactive (if set)
trigger_rule: When this task should run
retries: Number of retry attempts
pool: Resource pool assignment
downstream_task_ids: List of tasks that depend on this task
upstream_task_ids: List of tasks this task depends on
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG to list tasks for
Returns: JSON with list of all tasks in the DAG and their configurations
Inputs: dag_id (required). Returns: result
list_variablesA
Get all Airflow variables (key-value configuration pairs).
Use this tool when the user asks about:
"What variables are configured?" or "List all variables"
"Show me the variables" or "What variables exist?"
"What configuration variables are available?"
"Show me all variable keys"
Variables are key-value pairs stored in Airflow's metadata database that can be accessed by DAGs at runtime. They're commonly used for configuration values, environment-specific settings, or other data that needs to be shared across DAGs without hardcoding in the DAG files.
Returns variable information including:
key: The variable's key/name
value: The variable's value (may be masked if marked as sensitive)
description: Optional description of the variable's purpose
IMPORTANT: Sensitive variables (like passwords, API keys) may have their values masked in the response for security reasons.
Returns: JSON with list of all variables and their values
Inputs: no named parameters. Returns: result
pause_dagA
Pause a DAG to prevent new scheduled runs from starting.
Use this tool when the user asks to:
"Pause DAG X" or "Stop DAG Y from running"
"Disable DAG Z" or "Prevent new runs of DAG X"
"Turn off DAG scheduling" or "Suspend DAG execution"
When a DAG is paused:
No new scheduled runs will be created
Currently running tasks will complete
Manual triggers are still possible
The DAG remains visible in the UI with a paused indicator
IMPORTANT: This is a write operation that modifies Airflow state. The DAG will remain paused until explicitly unpaused.
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG to pause (e.g., "example_dag")
Returns: JSON with updated DAG details showing is_paused=True
Inputs: dag_id (required). Returns: result
trigger_dagA
Trigger a new DAG run (start a workflow execution manually).
Use this tool when the user asks to:
"Run DAG X" or "Start DAG Y" or "Execute DAG Z"
"Trigger a run of DAG X" or "Kick off DAG Y"
"Run this workflow" or "Start this pipeline"
"Execute DAG X with config Y" or "Trigger DAG with parameters"
"Start a manual run" or "Manually execute this DAG"
This creates a new DAG run that will be picked up by the scheduler and executed.
You can optionally pass configuration parameters that will be available to the
DAG during execution via the conf context variable.
IMPORTANT: This is a write operation that modifies Airflow state by creating a new DAG run. Use with caution.
Returns information about the newly triggered DAG run including:
dag_run_id: Unique identifier for the new execution
dag_id: Which DAG was triggered
state: Initial state (typically 'queued')
execution_date: When this run is scheduled to execute
start_date: When execution started (may be null if queued)
run_type: Type of run (will be 'manual')
conf: Configuration passed to the run
external_trigger: Set to true for manual triggers
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG to trigger (e.g., "example_dag") conf: Optional configuration dictionary to pass to the DAG run. This will be available in the DAG via context['dag_run'].conf
Returns: JSON with details about the newly triggered DAG run
Inputs: dag_id (required), conf. Returns: result
trigger_dag_and_waitA
Trigger a DAG run and wait for it to complete before returning.
Use this tool when the user asks to:
"Run DAG X and wait for it to finish" or "Execute DAG Y and tell me when it's done"
"Trigger DAG Z and wait for completion" or "Run this pipeline synchronously"
"Start DAG X and let me know the result" or "Execute and monitor DAG Y"
"Run DAG X and show me if it succeeds or fails"
This is a BLOCKING operation that will:
Trigger the specified DAG
Poll for status automatically (interval scales with timeout)
Return once the DAG run reaches a terminal state (success, failed, upstream_failed)
Include details about any failed tasks if the run was not successful
IMPORTANT: This tool blocks until the DAG completes or times out. For long-running
DAGs, consider using trigger_dag instead and checking status separately with
get_dag_run.
Default timeout is 60 minutes. Adjust the timeout parameter for longer DAGs.
Returns information about the completed DAG run including:
dag_id: Which DAG was run
dag_run_id: Unique identifier for this execution
state: Final state (success, failed, upstream_failed)
start_date: When execution started
end_date: When execution completed
elapsed_seconds: How long we waited
timed_out: Whether we hit the timeout before completion
failed_tasks: List of failed task details (only if state != success)
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG to trigger (e.g., "example_dag") conf: Optional configuration dictionary to pass to the DAG run. This will be available in the DAG via context['dag_run'].conf timeout: Maximum time to wait in seconds (default: 3600.0 / 60 minutes)
Returns: JSON with final DAG run status and any failed task details
Inputs: dag_id (required), conf, timeout. Returns: result
unpause_dagA
Unpause a DAG to allow scheduled runs to resume.
Use this tool when the user asks to:
"Unpause DAG X" or "Resume DAG Y"
"Enable DAG Z" or "Start DAG scheduling again"
"Turn on DAG X" or "Activate DAG Y"
When a DAG is unpaused:
The scheduler will create new runs based on the schedule
Any missed runs (depending on catchup setting) may be created
The DAG will appear active in the UI
IMPORTANT: This is a write operation that modifies Airflow state. New DAG runs will be scheduled according to the DAG's schedule_interval.
Args: dag_id: The ID of the DAG to unpause (e.g., "example_dag")
Returns: JSON with updated DAG details showing is_paused=False
Inputs: dag_id (required). Returns: result
Tool Schema Changelog
Recent tool additions, removals, and schema changes observed during successful MCP inspections.
Loading tool schema changelog…
TDQS
Scored across 31 tools
Each tool targets a distinct aspect of Airflow (DAGs, runs, tasks, instances, logs, pools, variables, etc.), with clear descriptions that prevent confusion. Even similar tools like 'explore_dag' and 'get_dag_details' serve different granularity levels.
Most tools follow a verb_noun pattern (list_dags, get_dag_details, trigger_dag), but a few deviate (diagnose_dag_run, explore_dag, trigger_dag_and_wait). Overall, the pattern is clear and predictable.
31 tools is high but appropriate for a comprehensive Airflow MCP server covering many subsystems. Each tool has a clear purpose, though some consolidation (e.g., get_dag_details and explore_dag) could reduce count slightly.
The tool set is strong for monitoring and troubleshooting (DAGs, runs, tasks, logs, system health) but misses write operations for variables, connections, and pools. This leaves agents without the ability to create or update these resources.
Maintenance
Related MCP Connectors
MCP server that lets AI assistants use all OneSchema features exposed via the public API.
MCP server for secureFlows: token-free URL builders and integration-linting tools for AI agents.
Hosted MCP server connecting AI assistants to 9,000+ apps and 40,000+ actions via Zapier.
MCP server for your apps' tools and custom tools, plus hosted AI agents and approval-gated workflows
Related MCP Servers
- AlicenseCqualityBmaintenanceMonitor and manage Apache Airflow clusters through natural language queries via MCP tools: DAG inspection, task monitoring, health checks, and cluster analytics without API complexity. * Guide: https://call518.medium.com/mcp-airflow-api-a-model-context-protocol-mcp-server-for-apache-airflow-5dfdfb25454MIT
- AlicenseNot gradedqualityNot gradedmaintenanceAn MCP server that wraps the Apache Airflow REST API, enabling clients to manage DAGs, monitor task instances, and handle workflows through a standardized interface. It provides comprehensive access to Airflow features including DAG runs, variables, connections, and XComs.MIT
- AlicenseAqualityBmaintenanceMCP server exposing Apache Airflow REST API operations as tools — list DAGs, inspect runs and task instances, trigger DAG runs, and check failed DAGs and scheduler health72MIT
- FlicenseNot gradedqualityDmaintenanceEnables DAG management, monitoring, debugging, and connection testing for Apache Airflow through the MCP protocol.-