Jira MCP Server

Speak to Jira in natural language to get information on and modify your project. Use it with Claude Desktop in combination with a custom README that you will create with project information, so that you can delegate PM tasks, (e.g. given yoou have a list of my team and their specialities, assign any new issue to the most relevant person).

Built using the Model Context Protocol.

The server enables:

• Project creation and configuration
• Issue and subtask management
• Issue linking and dependencies
• Automated issue workflows

Configuration

Required environment variables:

• JIRA_HOST: Your Jira instance hostname
• JIRA_EMAIL: Your Jira account email
• JIRA_API_TOKEN: API token from https://id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens

Available Tools

1. User Management

// Get user's account ID by email
{
  email: "user@example.com";
}

2. Issue Type Management

// List all available issue types
// Returns: id, name, description, subtask status
// No parameters required

3. Issue Link Types

// List all available issue link types
// Returns: id, name, inward/outward descriptions
// No parameters required

4. Issue Management

Retrieving Issues

// Get all issues in a project
{
  projectKey: "PROJECT"
}

// Get issues with JQL filtering
{
  projectKey: "PROJECT",
  jql: "status = 'In Progress' AND assignee = currentUser()"
}

// Get issues assigned to user
{
  projectKey: "PROJECT",
  jql: "assignee = 'user@example.com' ORDER BY created DESC"
}

Creating Issues

// Create a standard issue
{
  projectKey: "PROJECT",
  summary: "Issue title",
  issueType: "Task",  // or "Story", "Bug", etc.
  description: "Detailed description",
  assignee: "accountId",  // from get_user tool
  labels: ["frontend", "urgent"],
  components: ["ui", "api"],
  priority: "High"
}

// Create a subtask
{
  parent: "PROJECT-123",
  projectKey: "PROJECT",
  summary: "Subtask title",
  issueType: "Subtask",
  description: "Subtask details",
  assignee: "accountId"
}

Updating Issues

// Update issue fields
{
  issueKey: "PROJECT-123",
  summary: "Updated title",
  description: "New description",
  assignee: "accountId",
  status: "In Progress",
  priority: "High"
}

Issue Dependencies

// Create issue link
{
  linkType: "Blocks",  // from list_link_types
  inwardIssueKey: "PROJECT-124",  // blocked issue
  outwardIssueKey: "PROJECT-123"  // blocking issue
}

Deleting Issues

// Delete single issue
{
  issueKey: "PROJECT-123"
}

// Delete issue with subtasks
{
  issueKey: "PROJECT-123",
  deleteSubtasks: true
}

// Delete multiple issues
{
  issueKeys: ["PROJECT-123", "PROJECT-124"]
}

Field Formatting

Description Field

The description field supports markdown-style formatting:

• Use blank lines between paragraphs
• Use "- " for bullet points
• Use "1. " for numbered lists
• Use headers ending with “:” (followed by blank line)

Example:

Task Overview:

This task involves implementing new features:
- Feature A implementation
- Feature B testing

Steps:
1. Design component
2. Implement logic
3. Add tests

Acceptance Criteria:
- All tests passing
- Documentation updated

Error Handling

The server provides detailed error messages for:

• Invalid issue keys
• Missing required fields
• Permission issues
• API rate limits

Setup Instructions

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/George5562/Jira-MCP-Server.git
   cd Jira-MCP-Server
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Configure environment variables: Create a .env file in the root directory:

   JIRA_HOST=your-instance.atlassian.net
   JIRA_EMAIL=your-email@example.com
   JIRA_API_TOKEN=your-api-token
   

4. Build the project:

   npm run build
   

5. Start the server:

   npm start
   

Configuring Claude Desktop

To use this MCP server with Claude Desktop:

1. Locate your Claude Desktop configuration file:

   • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Windows: %APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
   • Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add the Jira MCP server to your configuration:

   {
     "mcp_servers": [
       {
         "name": "jira-server",
         "command": "npm start",
         "cwd": "/path/to/jira-server",
         "env": {
           "JIRA_HOST": "your-instance.atlassian.net",
           "JIRA_EMAIL": "your-email@example.com",
           "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your-api-token"
         }
       }
     ]
   }
   

   Replace /path/to/jira-server with the absolute path to your cloned repository.

3. Restart Claude Desktop to apply the changes.

References

• Model Context Protocol
• Jira REST API Documentation
• Jira REST API Examples