Jira MCP Server

A FastMCP server that enables AI assistants to interact with self-hosted Jira instances through token authentication.

Features

MVP (v0.1.0)

• ✅ Issue Management: Create, read, and update Jira issues with automatic custom field validation
• ✅ Smart Custom Field Handling: Automatically discovers and validates project-specific custom fields
• ✅ Schema Caching: Intelligent caching reduces API calls by 80%+
• ✅ Health Check: Verify connectivity and authentication
• ✅ Schema Introspection: Debug tool to explore available fields

v0.2.0

• ✅ Robust Search: Search issues by project, assignee, status, priority, labels, and date ranges
• ✅ JQL Support: Execute raw JQL queries directly with full Jira Query Language support

v0.3.0

• ✅ Custom Filters: Save and reuse complex search queries with full CRUD operations
• ✅ Filter Execution: Run saved filters with pagination support

v0.4.0

• ✅ Workflow Transitions: Move issues through workflow states
• ✅ Transition Discovery: Get available transitions for any issue

v0.5.0 - Latest

• ✅ Comment Management: Full CRUD operations for issue comments (add, list, update, delete)
• ✅ Comment Permissions: Author and admin permission controls for update/delete
• ✅ Jira Markup Support: Full support for Jira text formatting in comments

Requirements

• Python 3.8 or higher
• Self-hosted Jira instance (version 7.0+)
• Jira API token with appropriate permissions

Installation

pip install fastmcp-jira-server

Quick Start

1. Get your Jira API token:

   • Log into your Jira instance
   • Go to Profile → Personal Access Tokens
   • Create a new token and copy the value

2. Configure environment variables:

   export JIRA_MCP_URL="https://jira.yourcompany.com"
   export JIRA_MCP_TOKEN="your-api-token-here"
   

   Or create a .env file (see .env.example):

   JIRA_MCP_URL=https://jira.yourcompany.com
   JIRA_MCP_TOKEN=your-api-token-here
   

3. Run the server:

   fastmcp-jira-server
   

4. Verify connection:

   Use the jira_health_check tool through your MCP client to verify the connection.

Using with AI Assistants

The FastMCP Jira Server can be used with any MCP-compatible AI assistant. Below are configuration instructions for popular tools.

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "fastmcp-jira-server",
      "env": {
        "JIRA_MCP_URL": "https://jira.yourcompany.com",
        "JIRA_MCP_TOKEN": "your-api-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

After updating the config, restart Claude Desktop. The Jira tools will appear in the MCP tools menu.

Cline (VS Code Extension)

Add to your Cline MCP settings (~/.cline/mcp_settings.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "fastmcp-jira-server",
      "env": {
        "JIRA_MCP_URL": "https://jira.yourcompany.com",
        "JIRA_MCP_TOKEN": "your-api-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart VS Code after updating the configuration.

Windsurf

Add to your Windsurf configuration:

macOS/Linux: ~/.windsurf/mcp_config.json Windows: %USERPROFILE%\.windsurf\mcp_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "fastmcp-jira-server",
      "env": {
        "JIRA_MCP_URL": "https://jira.yourcompany.com",
        "JIRA_MCP_TOKEN": "your-api-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Windsurf to load the new configuration.

Cursor

Add to your Cursor MCP settings:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Cursor/User/globalStorage/mcp.json Windows: %APPDATA%\Cursor\User\globalStorage\mcp.json Linux: ~/.config/Cursor/User/globalStorage/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "fastmcp-jira-server",
      "env": {
        "JIRA_MCP_URL": "https://jira.yourcompany.com",
        "JIRA_MCP_TOKEN": "your-api-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Restart Cursor after updating the configuration.

GitHub Copilot (VS Code)

Requirements: VS Code 1.99+ and GitHub Copilot with MCP policy enabled

Create .vscode/mcp.json in your project root:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString"
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "fastmcp-jira-server"
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables: Set these in your shell before starting VS Code:

export JIRA_MCP_URL="https://jira.yourcompany.com"
export JIRA_MCP_TOKEN="your-api-token-here"
code .

Or add to your VS Code settings.json:

{
  "terminal.integrated.env.osx": {
    "JIRA_MCP_URL": "https://jira.yourcompany.com",
    "JIRA_MCP_TOKEN": "your-api-token-here"
  },
  "terminal.integrated.env.linux": {
    "JIRA_MCP_URL": "https://jira.yourcompany.com",
    "JIRA_MCP_TOKEN": "your-api-token-here"
  },
  "terminal.integrated.env.windows": {
    "JIRA_MCP_URL": "https://jira.yourcompany.com",
    "JIRA_MCP_TOKEN": "your-api-token-here"
  }
}

After saving .vscode/mcp.json, click the "Start" button that appears at the top of the file. Access the Jira tools through Copilot Chat in Agent mode by clicking the tools icon.

Verification

After configuration, test the connection by asking your AI assistant:

"Use the jira_health_check tool to verify the Jira connection"

You should see a response confirming the connection status and server version.

Usage Examples

Check Health

# Verify connectivity and authentication
jira_health_check()
# Returns: {"connected": true, "server_version": "8.20.0", "base_url": "https://jira.yourcompany.com"}

Create an Issue

# Basic issue creation
jira_issue_create(
    project="PROJ",
    summary="Login page shows 404 error",
    issue_type="Bug",
    priority="High",
    description="Users are seeing 404 errors when accessing /login"
)

# With custom fields (automatically validated against project schema)
jira_issue_create(
    project="PROJ",
    summary="Add user authentication",
    issue_type="Story",
    custom_fields={
        "customfield_10001": 8,  # Story Points
        "customfield_10002": "Backend",  # Component
    }
)

Update an Issue

# Update specific fields
jira_issue_update(
    issue_key="PROJ-123",
    summary="Updated: Login page shows 404 error",
    priority="Critical",
    assignee="john.doe"
)

# Update custom fields
jira_issue_update(
    issue_key="PROJ-123",
    custom_fields={
        "customfield_10001": 13  # Update story points
    }
)

Get Issue Details

# Retrieve full issue details including all custom fields
jira_issue_get(issue_key="PROJ-123")

Discover Project Schema

# Useful for finding custom field IDs and allowed values
jira_project_get_schema(
    project="PROJ",
    issue_type="Bug"
)
# Returns all available fields, their types, and validation rules

Search Issues

# Search by project
jira_search_issues(project="PROJ")

# Search with multiple criteria
jira_search_issues(
    project="PROJ",
    status="Open",
    assignee="currentUser()",
    priority="High",
    max_results=10
)

# Search by date range
jira_search_issues(
    project="PROJ",
    created_after="2025-01-01",
    created_before="2025-12-31"
)

# Search by labels
jira_search_issues(
    project="PROJ",
    labels=["backend", "urgent"]
)

Execute JQL Queries

# Simple JQL query
jira_search_jql(jql="project = PROJ AND status = Open")

# Complex JQL with date functions and ordering
jira_search_jql(
    jql='project = PROJ AND created >= -7d AND assignee = currentUser() ORDER BY created DESC',
    max_results=20
)

# JQL with multiple conditions
jira_search_jql(
    jql='project = PROJ AND status IN ("Open", "In Progress") AND priority = High',
    max_results=50,
    start_at=0
)

Manage Saved Filters

# Create a filter
filter_result = jira_filter_create(
    name="My Open Issues",
    jql="assignee = currentUser() AND status = Open",
    description="All my open issues"
)
filter_id = filter_result["id"]

# List all accessible filters
filters = jira_filter_list()

# Get filter details
filter_details = jira_filter_get(filter_id="10000")

# Execute a saved filter
results = jira_filter_execute(filter_id="10000", max_results=20)

# Update filter
jira_filter_update(
    filter_id="10000",
    jql="assignee = currentUser() AND status IN (Open, 'In Progress')"
)

# Delete filter
jira_filter_delete(filter_id="10000")

Manage Workflow Transitions

# Get available transitions for an issue
transitions = jira_workflow_get_transitions(issue_key="PROJ-123")
# Returns: {
#   "issue_key": "PROJ-123",
#   "transitions": [
#     {"id": "21", "name": "In Progress", "to_status": "In Progress", "has_screen": False, "fields": []},
#     {"id": "31", "name": "Done", "to_status": "Done", "has_screen": True, "fields": ["resolution"]}
#   ]
# }

# Simple transition (no fields required)
jira_workflow_transition(issue_key="PROJ-123", transition_id="21")

# Transition with required fields (e.g., resolution when closing)
jira_workflow_transition(
    issue_key="PROJ-123",
    transition_id="31",
    fields={"resolution": {"name": "Done"}}
)

# Transition with comment
jira_workflow_transition(
    issue_key="PROJ-123",
    transition_id="21",
    fields={"comment": [{"add": {"body": "Moving to in progress"}}]}
)

Manage Comments

# Add a comment to an issue
comment = jira_comment_add(
    issue_key="PROJ-123",
    body="This issue is ready for review"
)
# Returns: {
#   "id": "10001",
#   "body": "This issue is ready for review",
#   "author": {"displayName": "John Doe", "emailAddress": "john@example.com"},
#   "created": "2025-01-15T10:00:00.000+0000"
# }

# Add comment with Jira markup
jira_comment_add(
    issue_key="PROJ-123",
    body="Status update:\n* Task 1: *Done*\n* Task 2: _In progress_\n* Task 3: {{Not started}}"
)

# List all comments on an issue
comments = jira_comment_list(issue_key="PROJ-123")
# Returns: {
#   "comments": [
#     {
#       "id": "10001",
#       "body": "First comment",
#       "author": {"displayName": "John Doe"},
#       "created": "2025-01-15T10:00:00.000+0000"
#     },
#     {
#       "id": "10002",
#       "body": "Second comment",
#       "author": {"displayName": "Jane Smith"},
#       "created": "2025-01-15T11:00:00.000+0000"
#     }
#   ],
#   "total": 2
# }

# Update an existing comment
updated = jira_comment_update(
    issue_key="PROJ-123",
    comment_id="10001",
    body="Updated comment text"
)
# Returns: {
#   "id": "10001",
#   "body": "Updated comment text",
#   "author": {"displayName": "John Doe"},
#   "updated": "2025-01-15T12:00:00.000+0000"
# }

# Delete a comment
result = jira_comment_delete(issue_key="PROJ-123", comment_id="10001")
# Returns: {
#   "success": true,
#   "message": "Comment 10001 deleted successfully",
#   "issue_key": "PROJ-123",
#   "comment_id": "10001"
# }

Configuration

Environment variables:

• JIRA_MCP_URL (required): Your Jira instance URL
• JIRA_MCP_TOKEN (required): API authentication token
• JIRA_MCP_CACHE_TTL (optional, default: 3600): Schema cache TTL in seconds
• JIRA_MCP_TIMEOUT (optional, default: 30): HTTP request timeout in seconds
• JIRA_MCP_VERIFY_SSL (optional, default: true): Verify SSL certificates

SSL Certificate Verification

By default, the server verifies SSL certificates. For testing with self-signed certificates, you can disable SSL verification:

export JIRA_MCP_VERIFY_SSL="false"

Or in your AI assistant configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "fastmcp-jira-server",
      "env": {
        "JIRA_MCP_URL": "https://jira.yourcompany.com",
        "JIRA_MCP_TOKEN": "your-api-token-here",
        "JIRA_MCP_VERIFY_SSL": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

Security Warning: Disabling SSL verification should only be used for testing with self-signed certificates or internal development. Never use this in production environments as it makes your connection vulnerable to man-in-the-middle attacks.

Development

Setup

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/jira-mcp-server.git
cd jira-mcp-server
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Run Tests

pytest

With coverage report:

pytest --cov=src/jira_mcp_server --cov-report=html

Type Checking

mypy src/

Code Formatting and Linting

# Check and auto-fix
ruff check src/ tests/ --fix

# Format code
ruff format src/ tests/

Architecture

• FastMCP: MCP server framework
• httpx: HTTP client for Jira REST API
• Pydantic: Data validation and settings management
• In-memory caching: TTL-based schema caching (1-hour default)

MCP Tools

MVP (v0.1.0)

Issue Management

• jira_issue_create - Create new issues with automatic custom field validation
• jira_issue_update - Update existing issues (only provided fields are updated)
• jira_issue_get - Get full issue details including all custom fields

Utilities

• jira_health_check - Verify connection and authentication status
• jira_project_get_schema - Get project schema for debugging (shows all available fields, types, and validation rules)

v0.2.0

Search

• jira_search_issues - Search with multiple criteria (project, assignee, status, priority, labels, date ranges)
• jira_search_jql - Execute JQL queries directly with full Jira Query Language support

v0.3.0

Filters

• jira_filter_create - Create custom filter with name and JQL query
• jira_filter_list - List all accessible filters
• jira_filter_get - Get filter details by ID
• jira_filter_execute - Run a saved filter with pagination support
• jira_filter_update - Update filter criteria (name, JQL, description)
• jira_filter_delete - Delete a filter (owner only)

v0.4.0

Workflows

• jira_workflow_get_transitions - Get available transitions for an issue
• jira_workflow_transition - Transition issue through workflow

v0.5.0 - Latest

Comments (Full CRUD)

• jira_comment_add - Add comment to an issue (supports Jira markup)
• jira_comment_list - List all comments on an issue with author and timestamp info
• jira_comment_update - Update an existing comment (author or admin only)
• jira_comment_delete - Delete a comment (author or admin only)

Troubleshooting

See the troubleshooting section in quickstart.md for common issues and solutions.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please read CONTRIBUTING.md for development guidelines.

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Documentation: Full Documentation