Jira MCP Server

A clean and focused Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides seamless integration between AI assistants and Jira, enabling natural language interaction with your Jira projects, issues, and workflows.

🎯 Features

• 11 Comprehensive Tools for full Jira interaction

• Natural Language Interface - Ask AI to manage your Jira work

• Real-time Updates - Get current project status and issue information

• Secure Authentication - API token-based authentication

• Cross-platform - Works with any MCP-compatible client

• Easy Setup - Simple configuration and testing

🛠️ Available Tools

🚀 Quick Start (5 minutes)

Prerequisites

• Python 3.8 or higher

• Jira account with API access

• MCP-compatible client (Cursor, VS Code, etc.)

1. Clone and Setup

cd jira-mcp-server
pip install -r requirements.txt

2. Configure Credentials

Create a .env file with your Jira details:

JIRA_SERVER=https://your-company.atlassian.net
JIRA_EMAIL=your-email@company.com
JIRA_API_TOKEN=your-api-token

Getting Your API Token:

1. Go to https://id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens

2. Click "Create API token"

3. Copy the token to your .env file

3. Test Connection

python3 test_connection.py

4. Configure MCP Client

For Cursor:

Add to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/full/path/to/jira-mcp-server/server.py"],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_SERVER": "https://your-company.atlassian.net",
        "JIRA_EMAIL": "your-email@company.com",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your-api-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

For VS Code:

Add to your VS Code MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "python3",
      "args": ["/full/path/to/jira-mcp-server/server.py"],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_SERVER": "https://your-company.atlassian.net",
        "JIRA_EMAIL": "your-email@company.com",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your-api-token"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important:

• Use the full absolute path to server.py!

• The "type": "stdio" field is required for proper MCP communication

• If using a virtual environment, use the full path to the Python interpreter: "/path/to/venv/bin/python3"

5. Start the Server

python3 server.py

6. Restart and Test

Restart your MCP client and try these commands:

• "Show me all open issues in project XYZ"

• "Create a new task for fixing the login bug"

• "Search for high priority bugs assigned to me"

📁 Project Structure

jira-mcp-server/
├── server.py              # Main MCP server implementation
├── test_connection.py     # Connection test script
├── requirements.txt       # Python dependencies
├── .env                   # Environment variables (create this)
└── README.md              # This file

🔗 Related Projects

• Jira Weekly Reports - Generate automated weekly team summaries from Jira tickets

🎯 Usage Examples

Get Your Issues

# Get issues assigned to you
get_my_issues(max_results=10)

Search for Specific Issues

# Find high priority bugs
search_issues(jql="project = PROJ AND priority = High AND type = Bug")

# Find recent updates
search_issues(jql="project = PROJ AND updated >= -7d")

Create New Issue

create_issue(
    project_key="PROJ",
    issue_type="Task",
    summary="Implement new feature",
    description="Add support for advanced filtering",
    priority="Medium"
)

Update Issue Status

transition_issue(
    issue_key="PROJ-12345",
    transition_name="In Progress"
)

Get Issue Details

# Get details for issue PROJ-12345
get_issue(issue_key="PROJ-12345")

Search Issues

# Search for open issues in PROJ project
search_issues(jql="project = PROJ AND status = Open", max_results=10)

🔍 JQL Query Examples

Common Patterns

# Your assigned issues
assignee = currentUser()

# Issues in specific project
project = PROJ

# Open issues
status = Open

# Issues updated in last 7 days
updated >= -7d

# High priority issues
priority = High

# Issues with specific component
component = "Backend"

# Status filters
status IN ("In Progress", "Code Review")

# Date filters
created >= "2025-01-01"

# Priority filters
priority IN ("High", "Critical")

# Combined queries
project = PROJ AND status = Open AND priority = High
assignee = currentUser() AND updated >= -3d

🧪 Testing Your Setup

1. Connection Test

python3 test_connection.py

✅ Should show: "Successfully connected to Jira"

2. Start Server (Optional Test)

python3 server.py

✅ Should start the MCP server and wait for connections.

3. Individual Tool Test

# Test search functionality
python3 -c "
import asyncio
from server import JiraMCPServer

async def test():
    server = JiraMCPServer()
    await server._init_jira_client()
    result = await server._search_issues('project = PROJ', max_results=3)
    print(f'Found {len(result)} results')

asyncio.run(test())
"

🚀 Starting the Server

Simply run the server directly:

python3 server.py

Note: Make sure you've completed the setup steps above (installing dependencies, creating .env file, and testing connection) before starting the server.

🔒 Security Best Practices

1. Never commit .env file - Add to .gitignore

2. Use API tokens instead of passwords

3. Rotate tokens regularly

4. Limit token permissions to minimum required

5. Use environment variables for sensitive data

🐛 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Authentication Error

   • Check your API token is correct

   • Ensure your email matches your Jira account

   • Verify token hasn't expired

2. Connection Error

   • Check your internet connection

   • Verify JIRA_SERVER URL is correct

   • Ensure firewall allows HTTPS connections

3. Permission Error

   • Check your Jira permissions

   • Verify you have access to the project/issue

   • Contact your Jira administrator

4. "Permission denied" errors

   • Run: chmod +x server.py test_connection.py

5. "Module not found" errors

   • Run: pip install -r requirements.txt

6. Cursor doesn't see the server

   • Double-check the absolute path in your MCP config

   • Restart Cursor completely

   • Check that the .env file has the correct credentials

   • "No tools or prompts" error: Ensure "type": "stdio" is included in your MCP configuration

   • Virtual environment: Use the full path to your Python interpreter (e.g., /path/to/venv/bin/python3)

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging by modifying the logging level in server.py:

logging.basicConfig(level=logging.DEBUG)

🛠️ Development

Adding New Tools

1. Add tool definition to list_tools() method

2. Add handler in call_tool() method

3. Implement the actual tool method

4. Update this README

Error Handling

The server includes comprehensive error handling:

• Connection errors

• Authentication failures

• Invalid issue keys

• JQL syntax errors

• Permission errors

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository

2. Create a feature branch

3. Make your changes

4. Add tests if applicable

5. Submit a pull request

🎉 Success!

Your Jira MCP server is now properly configured and ready to use! You can:

• ✅ Search and view Jira issues

• ✅ Create and update issues

• ✅ Manage comments and transitions

• ✅ Get project information

• ✅ Handle your assigned work

The server provides a powerful interface between AI assistants and your Jira workflow, making it easier to manage projects and track progress.

📈 What's Next?

Once it's working, you can:

• Ask about specific issues: "What's the status of PROJ-123?"

• Create issues: "Create a bug report for the navbar not working"

• Search with JQL: "Find all issues in project ABC that are in review"

• Add comments: "Add a comment to PROJ-456 saying testing is complete"

• Transition issues: "Move PROJ-789 to Done"

Enjoy your new Jira integration! 🎉