Azure DevOps MCP server for AI agents

The Azure DevOps MCP server enables AI assistants to interact with Azure DevOps resources through the Model Context Protocol, acting as a bridge between AI models and Azure DevOps APIs. This server allows you to access projects, work items, repositories, and execute DevOps workflows through natural language.

Prerequisites

Before installing the server, ensure you have:

Node.js (v16+)
npm or yarn
Azure DevOps account with appropriate access
Authentication credentials (Personal Access Token, Azure Identity credentials, or Azure CLI login)

Installation and Setup

Using NPX

The easiest way to use the Azure DevOps MCP server is by running it with NPX. You'll need to configure it based on your preferred authentication method.

Configuration with Claude Desktop/Cursor AI

Add one of the following configurations to your configuration file:

Azure Identity Authentication

First, log in to Azure CLI:

az login

Then add this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "azureDevOps": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@tiberriver256/mcp-server-azure-devops"],
      "env": {
        "AZURE_DEVOPS_ORG_URL": "https://dev.azure.com/your-organization",
        "AZURE_DEVOPS_AUTH_METHOD": "azure-identity",
        "AZURE_DEVOPS_DEFAULT_PROJECT": "your-project-name"
      }
    }
  }
}

Personal Access Token (PAT) Authentication

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "azureDevOps": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@tiberriver256/mcp-server-azure-devops"],
      "env": {
        "AZURE_DEVOPS_ORG_URL": "https://dev.azure.com/your-organization",
        "AZURE_DEVOPS_AUTH_METHOD": "pat",
        "AZURE_DEVOPS_PAT": "<YOUR_PAT>",
        "AZURE_DEVOPS_DEFAULT_PROJECT": "your-project-name"
      }
    }
  }
}

Authentication Methods

The server supports multiple authentication methods:

Personal Access Token (PAT) - Simple token-based authentication
Azure Identity (DefaultAzureCredential) - Flexible authentication using the Azure Identity SDK
Azure CLI - Authentication using your Azure CLI login

Environment Variables

Here are the key environment variables you can configure:

Variable	Description	Required	Default
`AZURE_DEVOPS_AUTH_METHOD`	Authentication method (pat, azure-identity, azure-cli)	No	`azure-identity`
`AZURE_DEVOPS_ORG_URL`	Full URL to your Azure DevOps organization	Yes	-
`AZURE_DEVOPS_PAT`	Personal Access Token (for PAT auth)	Only with PAT auth	-
`AZURE_DEVOPS_DEFAULT_PROJECT`	Default project if none specified	No	-
`AZURE_DEVOPS_API_VERSION`	API version to use	No	Latest
`AZURE_TENANT_ID`	Azure AD tenant ID (for service principals)	Only with service principals	-
`AZURE_CLIENT_ID`	Azure AD application ID (for service principals)	Only with service principals	-
`AZURE_CLIENT_SECRET`	Azure AD client secret (for service principals)	Only with service principals	-
`LOG_LEVEL`	Logging level (debug, info, warn, error)	No	info

Available Tools

The server provides various tools to interact with Azure DevOps resources:

Organization Tools

list_organizations: List all accessible organizations

Project Tools

list_projects: List all projects in an organization
get_project: Get details of a specific project
get_project_details: Get comprehensive project details

Repository Tools

list_repositories: List all repositories in a project
get_repository: Get details of a specific repository
get_repository_details: Get detailed repository information
get_file_content: Get content of a file or directory

Work Item Tools

get_work_item: Retrieve a work item by ID
create_work_item: Create a new work item
update_work_item: Update an existing work item
list_work_items: List work items in a project
manage_work_item_link: Manage links between work items

Search Tools

search_code: Search for code across repositories
search_wiki: Search for content across wiki pages
search_work_items: Search for work items across projects

Pipelines Tools

list_pipelines: List pipelines in a project
get_pipeline: Get details of a specific pipeline
trigger_pipeline: Trigger a pipeline run with parameters

Wiki Tools

get_wikis: List all wikis in a project
get_wiki_page: Get content of a specific wiki page

Pull Requests Tools

create_pull_request: Create a new pull request
list_pull_requests: List and filter pull requests
get_pull_request_comments: Get comments from a pull request
add_pull_request_comment: Add a comment to a pull request

Troubleshooting

Common authentication issues include:

Invalid or expired credentials
Insufficient permissions
Network connectivity problems
Configuration errors

How to add this MCP server to 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 > MCP and click "Add new global MCP server".

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

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "cursor-rules-mcp": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "cursor-rules-mcp"
            ]
        }
    }
}

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 explictly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

Azure DevOps MCP server