Jira MCP server

The Python Jira MCP Server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that enables AI models to interact with Jira through a standardized interface. It allows AI assistants to perform Jira operations like searching issues and retrieving specific issue details using tools that communicate via the stdio transport mechanism.

Requirements

• Python 3.8+
• Jira API access (API token, email, and domain)
• Required Python packages:
  • mcp (Model Context Protocol Python SDK)
  • aiohttp (for HTTP requests)
  • pydantic (for validation)
  • python-dotenv (for environment variables)

Installation

Step 1: Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/python-jira-mcp.git
cd python-jira-mcp

Step 2: Install Dependencies

pip install -r requirements.txt

Step 3: Configure Jira Credentials

cp .env.example .env

Then edit the .env file to add your Jira credentials:

JIRA_API_TOKEN=your_api_token
[email protected]
JIRA_DOMAIN=your-domain.atlassian.net

Usage

Starting the Server

Run the server using Python:

python main.py

Or use the executable directly:

./main.py

The server will listen for MCP messages on standard input (stdin) and respond on standard output (stdout).

Integrating with Cursor

To use this MCP server with Cursor:

1. Start the server as shown above
2. In Cursor, configure the MCP server path to point to main.py
3. Use Jira tools directly within your Cursor environment

Available Tools

JQL Search

Search for Jira issues using JQL (Jira Query Language).

Example Request:

{
  "type": "tool_call",
  "id": "123",
  "name": "jql_search",
  "parameters": {
    "jql": "project = XYZ AND status = 'In Progress'",
    "max_results": 10,
    "fields": ["summary", "description", "status"]
  }
}

Get Issue

Retrieve details about a specific Jira issue by its ID or key.

Example Request:

{
  "type": "tool_call",
  "id": "456",
  "name": "get_issue",
  "parameters": {
    "issue_id_or_key": "XYZ-123",
    "fields": ["summary", "description", "status", "assignee"],
    "expand": "changelog"
  }
}

Features

• JQL Search Tool: Search for Jira issues using JQL queries
• Get Issue Tool: Retrieve detailed information about a specific Jira issue
• MCP SDK Integration: Compatible with the official MCP Python SDK
• Fallback Mode: Minimal implementation when the SDK is not available
• Environment Configuration: Load Jira credentials from environment variables

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "jira" '{"command":"python","args":["main.py"]}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "jira": {
            "command": "python",
            "args": [
                "main.py"
            ]
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your 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 this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "jira": {
            "command": "python",
            "args": [
                "main.py"
            ]
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect