mcp-atlassian

SharkyND/mcp-atlassian

3.3

If you are the rightful owner of mcp-atlassian and would like to certify it and/or have it hosted online, please leave a comment on the right or send an email to henry@mcphub.com.

MCP Atlassian is a Model Context Protocol server designed to integrate with Atlassian products like Confluence and Jira, supporting both Cloud and Server/Data Center deployments.

Tools
5
Resources
0
Prompts
0

MCP Atlassian

PyPI Version PyPI - Downloads PePy - Total Downloads Run Tests License

Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Atlassian products (Confluence, Jira and Bitbucket). This integration supports both Confluence, Jira and Bitbucket Cloud and Server/Data Center deployments.

Note: This project is a fork from mcp-atlassian. The project at the time of making a fork has not been maintained for a while with couple of dozen pull requests and a few issues on the github project. Hence, it was about time to fork the project and make some fixes.

Example Usage

Ask your AI assistant to:

  • 📝 Automatic Jira Updates - "Update Jira from our meeting notes"
  • 🔍 AI-Powered Confluence Search - "Find our OKR guide in Confluence and summarize it"
  • 🐛 Smart Jira Issue Filtering - "Show me urgent bugs in PROJ project from last week"
  • 📄 Content Creation & Management - "Create a tech design doc for XYZ feature"

Feature Demo

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/35303504-14c6-4ae4-913b-7c25ea511c3e

Confluence Demo

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7fe9c488-ad0c-4876-9b54-120b666bb785

Compatibility

ProductDeployment TypeSupport Status
ConfluenceCloud✅ Fully supported
ConfluenceServer/Data Center✅ Supported (version 6.0+)
JiraCloud✅ Fully supported
JiraServer/Data Center✅ Supported (version 8.14+)
BitbucketCloud⚠️ Not Tested
BitbucketServer/Data Center✅ Supported (version 9.0+)

Quick Start Guide

🔐 1. Authentication Setup

MCP Atlassian supports four authentication methods:

A. API Token Authentication (Cloud) - Recommended
  1. Go to https://id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens
  2. Click Create API token, name it
  3. Copy the token immediately
B. Personal Access Token (Server/Data Center)
  1. Go to your profile (avatar) → ProfilePersonal Access Tokens
  2. Click Create token, name it, set expiry
  3. Copy the token immediately
C. OAuth 2.0 Authentication (Cloud) - Advanced

[!NOTE] OAuth 2.0 is more complex to set up but provides enhanced security features. For most users, API Token authentication (Method A) is simpler and sufficient.

  1. Go to Atlassian Developer Console
  2. Create an "OAuth 2.0 (3LO) integration" app
  3. Configure Permissions (scopes) for Jira/Confluence
  4. Set Callback URL (e.g., http://localhost:8080/callback)
  5. Run setup wizard:
    docker run --rm -i \
      -p 8080:8080 \
      -v "${HOME}/.mcp-atlassian:/home/app/.mcp-atlassian" \
      ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest --oauth-setup -v
    
  6. Follow prompts for Client ID, Secret, URI, and Scope
  7. Complete browser authorization
  8. Add obtained credentials to .env or IDE config:
    • ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID (from wizard)
    • ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID
    • ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET
    • ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI
    • ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_SCOPE

[!IMPORTANT] For the standard OAuth flow described above, include offline_access in your scope (e.g., read:jira-work write:jira-work offline_access). This allows the server to refresh the access token automatically.

Alternative: Using a Pre-existing OAuth Access Token (BYOT)

If you are running mcp-atlassian part of a larger system that manages Atlassian OAuth 2.0 access tokens externally (e.g., through a central identity provider or another application), you can provide an access token directly to this MCP server. This method bypasses the interactive setup wizard and the server's internal token management (including refresh capabilities).

Requirements:

  • A valid Atlassian OAuth 2.0 Access Token with the necessary scopes for the intended operations.
  • The corresponding ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID for your Atlassian instance.

Configuration: To use this method, set the following environment variables (or use the corresponding command-line flags when starting the server):

  • ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID: Your Atlassian Cloud ID. (CLI: --oauth-cloud-id)
  • ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_ACCESS_TOKEN: Your pre-existing OAuth 2.0 access token. (CLI: --oauth-access-token)

Important Considerations for BYOT:

  • Token Lifecycle Management: When using BYOT, the MCP server does not handle token refresh. The responsibility for obtaining, refreshing (before expiry), and revoking the access token lies entirely with you or the external system providing the token.
  • Unused Variables: The standard OAuth client variables (ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET, ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI, ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_SCOPE) are not used and can be omitted when configuring for BYOT.
  • No Setup Wizard: The --oauth-setup wizard is not applicable and should not be used for this approach.
  • No Token Cache Volume: The Docker volume mount for token storage (e.g., -v "${HOME}/.mcp-atlassian:/home/app/.mcp-atlassian") is also not necessary if you are exclusively using the BYOT method, as no tokens are stored or managed by this server.
  • Scope: The provided access token must already have the necessary permissions (scopes) for the Jira/Confluence operations you intend to perform.

This option is useful in scenarios where OAuth credential management is centralized or handled by other infrastructure components.

D. Dynamic Header-Based Authentication - Multi-Tenant

[!NOTE] Header-based authentication enables dynamic, per-request credential management without requiring environment variables or server restarts. This is ideal for multi-tenant applications, serverless environments, or when credentials need to be managed dynamically.

With header-based authentication, you can pass Jira, Confluence, and Bitbucket credentials directly through HTTP headers on each request. This method supports both Personal Access Tokens (PAT) for Server/Data Center and API tokens for Cloud deployments.

Required Headers:

For Jira authentication:

  • X-Atlassian-Jira-Personal-Token: Your Jira PAT or API token
  • X-Atlassian-Jira-Url: Your Jira instance URL

For Confluence authentication:

  • X-Atlassian-Confluence-Personal-Token: Your Confluence PAT or API token
  • X-Atlassian-Confluence-Url: Your Confluence instance URL

For Bitbucket authentication:

  • X-Atlassian-Bitbucket-Personal-Token: Your Bitbucket PAT or app password
  • X-Atlassian-Bitbucket-Url: Your Bitbucket instance URL

Benefits:

  • ✅ No environment variables required
  • ✅ Per-request authentication
  • ✅ Multi-tenant support
  • ✅ Dynamic credential management
  • ✅ Zero server configuration needed
  • ✅ Works with both Cloud and Server/Data Center

Example MCP Client Configuration:

{
  "Atlassian": {
    "url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp",
    "headers": {
      "X-Atlassian-Read-Only-Mode": "true",
      "X-Atlassian-Jira-Personal-Token": "your_jira_pat_or_api_token",
      "X-Atlassian-Jira-Url": "https://your-jira-instance.com",
      "X-Atlassian-Confluence-Personal-Token": "your_confluence_pat_or_api_token",
      "X-Atlassian-Confluence-Url": "https://your-confluence-instance.com",
      "X-Atlassian-Bitbucket-Personal-Token": "your_bitbucket_pat_or_app_password",
      "X-Atlassian-Bitbucket-Url": "https://your-bitbucket-instance.com"
    },
    "type": "http"
  }
}

[!TIP] Multi-Cloud OAuth Support: If you're building a multi-tenant application where users provide their own OAuth tokens, see the Multi-Cloud OAuth Support section for minimal configuration setup.

📦 2. Installation

MCP Atlassian is distributed as a Docker image. This is the recommended way to run the server, especially for IDE integration. Ensure you have Docker installed.

# Pull Pre-built Image
docker pull ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest

🛠️ IDE Integration

MCP Atlassian is designed to be used with AI assistants through IDE integration.

[!TIP] For Claude Desktop: Locate and edit the configuration file directly:

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

For Cursor: Open Settings → MCP → + Add new global MCP server

⚙️ Configuration Methods

There are three main approaches to configure the Docker container:

  1. Passing Variables Directly (shown in examples below)
  2. Using an Environment File with --env-file flag (shown in collapsible sections)
  3. Header-Based Authentication (no environment variables required - see Header-Based Authentication Configuration)

[!NOTE] Common environment variables include:

  • CONFLUENCE_SPACES_FILTER: Filter by space keys (e.g., "DEV,TEAM,DOC")
  • JIRA_PROJECTS_FILTER: Filter by project keys (e.g., "PROJ,DEV,SUPPORT")
  • READ_ONLY_MODE: Set to "true" to disable write operations
  • MCP_VERBOSE: Set to "true" for more detailed logging
  • MCP_LOGGING_STDOUT: Set to "true" to log to stdout instead of stderr
  • ENABLED_TOOLS: Comma-separated list of tool names to enable (e.g., "confluence_search,jira_get_issue")

New: Header-Based Authentication Headers (no environment variables needed):

  • X-Atlassian-Jira-Personal-Token: Jira PAT/API token (passed as HTTP header)
  • X-Atlassian-Jira-Url: Jira instance URL (passed as HTTP header)
  • X-Atlassian-Confluence-Personal-Token: Confluence PAT/API token (passed as HTTP header)
  • X-Atlassian-Confluence-Url: Confluence instance URL (passed as HTTP header)
  • X-Atlassian-Read-Only-Mode: Per-request read-only mode (passed as HTTP header)

See the .env.example file for all available options.

📝 Configuration Examples

Method 1 (Passing Variables Directly):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_URL",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_USERNAME",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN",
        "-e", "JIRA_URL",
        "-e", "JIRA_USERNAME",
        "-e", "JIRA_API_TOKEN",
        "-e", "BITBUCKET_URL",
        "-e", "BITBUCKET_USERNAME",
        "-e", "BITBUCKET_APP_PASSWORD",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CONFLUENCE_URL": "https://your-company.atlassian.net/wiki",
        "CONFLUENCE_USERNAME": "your.email@company.com",
        "CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN": "your_confluence_api_token",
        "JIRA_URL": "https://your-company.atlassian.net",
        "JIRA_USERNAME": "your.email@company.com",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your_jira_api_token",
        "BITBUCKET_URL": "https://bitbucket.org",
        "BITBUCKET_USERNAME": "your.email@company.com",
        "BITBUCKET_APP_PASSWORD": "your_bitbucket_app_password"
      }
    }
  }
}
Alternative: Using Environment File
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "--env-file",
        "/path/to/your/mcp-atlassian.env",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}
Server/Data Center Configuration

For Server/Data Center deployments, use direct variable passing:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_URL",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_PERSONAL_TOKEN",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_SSL_VERIFY",
        "-e", "JIRA_URL",
        "-e", "JIRA_PERSONAL_TOKEN",
        "-e", "JIRA_SSL_VERIFY",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CONFLUENCE_URL": "https://confluence.your-company.com",
        "CONFLUENCE_PERSONAL_TOKEN": "your_confluence_pat",
        "CONFLUENCE_SSL_VERIFY": "false",
        "JIRA_URL": "https://jira.your-company.com",
        "JIRA_PERSONAL_TOKEN": "your_jira_pat",
        "JIRA_SSL_VERIFY": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

[!NOTE] Set CONFLUENCE_SSL_VERIFY and JIRA_SSL_VERIFY to "false" only if you have self-signed certificates.

OAuth 2.0 Configuration (Cloud Only)

These examples show how to configure mcp-atlassian in your IDE (like Cursor or Claude Desktop) when using OAuth 2.0 for Atlassian Cloud.

Example for Standard OAuth 2.0 Flow (using Setup Wizard):

This configuration is for when you use the server's built-in OAuth client and have completed the OAuth setup wizard.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-v", "<path_to_your_home>/.mcp-atlassian:/home/app/.mcp-atlassian",
        "-e", "JIRA_URL",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_URL",
        "-e", "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID",
        "-e", "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET",
        "-e", "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI",
        "-e", "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_SCOPE",
        "-e", "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_URL": "https://your-company.atlassian.net",
        "CONFLUENCE_URL": "https://your-company.atlassian.net/wiki",
        "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID": "YOUR_OAUTH_APP_CLIENT_ID",
        "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET": "YOUR_OAUTH_APP_CLIENT_SECRET",
        "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI": "http://localhost:8080/callback",
        "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_SCOPE": "read:jira-work write:jira-work read:confluence-content.all write:confluence-content offline_access",
        "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID": "YOUR_CLOUD_ID_FROM_SETUP_WIZARD"
      }
    }
  }
}

[!NOTE]

  • For the Standard Flow:
    • ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID is obtained from the --oauth-setup wizard output or is known for your instance.
    • Other ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_* client variables are from your OAuth app in the Atlassian Developer Console.
    • JIRA_URL and CONFLUENCE_URL for your Cloud instances are always required.
    • The volume mount (-v .../.mcp-atlassian:/home/app/.mcp-atlassian) is crucial for persisting the OAuth tokens obtained by the wizard, enabling automatic refresh.

Example for Pre-existing Access Token (BYOT - Bring Your Own Token):

This configuration is for when you are providing your own externally managed OAuth 2.0 access token.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e", "JIRA_URL",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_URL",
        "-e", "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID",
        "-e", "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_URL": "https://your-company.atlassian.net",
        "CONFLUENCE_URL": "https://your-company.atlassian.net/wiki",
        "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID": "YOUR_KNOWN_CLOUD_ID",
        "ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_ACCESS_TOKEN": "YOUR_PRE_EXISTING_OAUTH_ACCESS_TOKEN"
      }
    }
  }
}

[!NOTE]

  • For the BYOT Method:
    • You primarily need JIRA_URL, CONFLUENCE_URL, ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID, and ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_ACCESS_TOKEN.
    • Standard OAuth client variables (ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, CLIENT_SECRET, REDIRECT_URI, SCOPE) are not used.
    • Token lifecycle (e.g., refreshing the token before it expires and restarting mcp-atlassian) is your responsibility, as the server will not refresh BYOT tokens.
Header-Based Authentication Configuration

This configuration uses the new dynamic header-based authentication feature. No environment variables are required - credentials are passed through HTTP headers on each request.

Minimal Docker Configuration (No Environment Variables Needed):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ]
    }
  }
}

MCP Client Configuration with Headers:

Configure your MCP client to send authentication headers with each request:

{
  "Atlassian": {
    "url": "http://localhost:8000/mcp",
    "headers": {
      "X-Atlassian-Read-Only-Mode": "true",
      "X-Atlassian-Jira-Personal-Token": "your_jira_pat_or_api_token",
      "X-Atlassian-Jira-Url": "https://your-jira-instance.com",
      "X-Atlassian-Confluence-Personal-Token": "your_confluence_pat_or_api_token",
      "X-Atlassian-Confluence-Url": "https://your-confluence-instance.com"
    },
    "type": "http"
  }
}

Optional Docker Configuration with Read-Only Mode:

If you want to enable read-only mode globally (rather than per-request), you can still use environment variables:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e", "READ_ONLY_MODE",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "READ_ONLY_MODE": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

[!NOTE] Header-Based Authentication Benefits:

  • Zero Configuration: No environment variables required
  • Multi-Tenant Ready: Different credentials per request
  • Dynamic: Credentials can change without server restart
  • Flexible: Mix and match Jira/Confluence authentication
  • Secure: Credentials are not stored in environment or files

[!TIP] Selective Service Authentication: You can authenticate with just Jira or just Confluence by providing only the relevant headers. The server will automatically detect available services based on the headers provided.

Proxy Configuration - Supports standard `HTTP_PROXY`, `HTTPS_PROXY`, `NO_PROXY`, `SOCKS_PROXY`.
  • Service-specific overrides are available (e.g., JIRA_HTTPS_PROXY, CONFLUENCE_NO_PROXY).
  • Service-specific variables override global ones for that service.

Add the relevant proxy variables to the args (using -e) and env sections of your MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e", "... existing Confluence/Jira vars",
        "-e", "HTTP_PROXY",
        "-e", "HTTPS_PROXY",
        "-e", "NO_PROXY",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "... existing Confluence/Jira vars": "...",
        "HTTP_PROXY": "http://proxy.internal:8080",
        "HTTPS_PROXY": "http://proxy.internal:8080",
        "NO_PROXY": "localhost,.your-company.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Credentials in proxy URLs are masked in logs. If you set NO_PROXY, it will be respected for requests to matching hosts.

Custom HTTP Headers Configuration

MCP Atlassian supports adding custom HTTP headers to all API requests. This feature is particularly useful in corporate environments where additional headers are required for security, authentication, or routing purposes.

Custom headers are configured using environment variables with comma-separated key=value pairs:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_URL",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_USERNAME",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_CUSTOM_HEADERS",
        "-e", "JIRA_URL",
        "-e", "JIRA_USERNAME",
        "-e", "JIRA_API_TOKEN",
        "-e", "JIRA_CUSTOM_HEADERS",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CONFLUENCE_URL": "https://your-company.atlassian.net/wiki",
        "CONFLUENCE_USERNAME": "your.email@company.com",
        "CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN": "your_confluence_api_token",
        "CONFLUENCE_CUSTOM_HEADERS": "X-Confluence-Service=mcp-integration,X-Custom-Auth=confluence-token,X-ALB-Token=secret-token",
        "JIRA_URL": "https://your-company.atlassian.net",
        "JIRA_USERNAME": "your.email@company.com",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your_jira_api_token",
        "JIRA_CUSTOM_HEADERS": "X-Forwarded-User=service-account,X-Company-Service=mcp-atlassian,X-Jira-Client=mcp-integration"
      }
    }
  }
}

Security Considerations:

  • Custom header values are masked in debug logs to protect sensitive information
  • Ensure custom headers don't conflict with standard HTTP or Atlassian API headers
  • Avoid including sensitive authentication tokens in custom headers if already using basic auth or OAuth
  • Headers are sent with every API request - verify they don't interfere with API functionality
Multi-Cloud OAuth Support

MCP Atlassian supports multi-cloud OAuth scenarios where each user connects to their own Atlassian cloud instance. This is useful for multi-tenant applications, chatbots, or services where users provide their own OAuth tokens.

Minimal OAuth Configuration:

  1. Enable minimal OAuth mode (no client credentials required):

    docker run -e ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_ENABLE=true -p 9000:9000 \
      ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest \
      --transport streamable-http --port 9000
    
  2. Users provide authentication via HTTP headers:

    • Authorization: Bearer <user_oauth_token>
    • X-Atlassian-Cloud-Id: <user_cloud_id>

Example Integration (Python):

import asyncio
from mcp.client.streamable_http import streamablehttp_client
from mcp import ClientSession

user_token = "user-specific-oauth-token"
user_cloud_id = "user-specific-cloud-id"

async def main():
    # Connect to streamable HTTP server with custom headers
    async with streamablehttp_client(
        "http://localhost:9000/mcp",
        headers={
            "Authorization": f"Bearer {user_token}",
            "X-Atlassian-Cloud-Id": user_cloud_id
        }
    ) as (read_stream, write_stream, _):
        # Create a session using the client streams
        async with ClientSession(read_stream, write_stream) as session:
            # Initialize the connection
            await session.initialize()

            # Example: Get a Jira issue
            result = await session.call_tool(
                "jira_get_issue",
                {"issue_key": "PROJ-123"}
            )
            print(result)

asyncio.run(main())

Configuration Notes:

  • Each request can use a different cloud instance via the X-Atlassian-Cloud-Id header
  • User tokens are isolated per request - no cross-tenant data leakage
  • Falls back to global ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID if header not provided
  • Compatible with standard OAuth 2.0 bearer token authentication
Single Service Configurations

For Confluence Cloud only:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_URL",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_USERNAME",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CONFLUENCE_URL": "https://your-company.atlassian.net/wiki",
        "CONFLUENCE_USERNAME": "your.email@company.com",
        "CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN": "your_api_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Confluence Server/DC, use:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_URL",
        "-e", "CONFLUENCE_PERSONAL_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CONFLUENCE_URL": "https://confluence.your-company.com",
        "CONFLUENCE_PERSONAL_TOKEN": "your_personal_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Jira Cloud only:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e", "JIRA_URL",
        "-e", "JIRA_USERNAME",
        "-e", "JIRA_API_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_URL": "https://your-company.atlassian.net",
        "JIRA_USERNAME": "your.email@company.com",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your_api_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Jira Server/DC, use:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e", "JIRA_URL",
        "-e", "JIRA_PERSONAL_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_URL": "https://jira.your-company.com",
        "JIRA_PERSONAL_TOKEN": "your_personal_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

👥 HTTP Transport Configuration

Instead of using stdio, you can run the server as a persistent HTTP service using either:

  • sse (Server-Sent Events) transport at /sse endpoint
  • streamable-http transport at /mcp endpoint

Both transport types support single-user and multi-user authentication:

Authentication Options:

  • Single-User: Use server-level authentication configured via environment variables
  • Multi-User: Each user provides their own authentication:
    • Cloud: OAuth 2.0 Bearer tokens
    • Server/Data Center: Personal Access Tokens (PATs)
Basic HTTP Transport Setup
  1. Start the server with your chosen transport:

    # For SSE transport
    docker run --rm -p 9000:9000 \
      --env-file /path/to/your/.env \
      ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest \
      --transport sse --port 9000 -vv
    
    # OR for streamable-http transport
    docker run --rm -p 9000:9000 \
      --env-file /path/to/your/.env \
      ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest \
      --transport streamable-http --port 9000 -vv
    
  2. Configure your IDE (single-user example):

    SSE Transport Example:

    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "mcp-atlassian-http": {
          "url": "http://localhost:9000/sse"
        }
      }
    }
    

    Streamable-HTTP Transport Example:

    {
      "mcpServers": {
        "mcp-atlassian-service": {
          "url": "http://localhost:9000/mcp"
        }
      }
    }
    
Multi-User Authentication Setup

Here's a complete example of setting up multi-user authentication with streamable-HTTP transport:

  1. First, run the OAuth setup wizard to configure the server's OAuth credentials:

    docker run --rm -i \
      -p 8080:8080 \
      -v "${HOME}/.mcp-atlassian:/home/app/.mcp-atlassian" \
      ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest --oauth-setup -v
    
  2. Start the server with streamable-HTTP transport:

    docker run --rm -p 9000:9000 \
      --env-file /path/to/your/.env \
      ghcr.io/SharkyND/mcp-atlassian:latest \
      --transport streamable-http --port 9000 -vv
    
  3. Configure your IDE's MCP settings:

Choose the appropriate Authorization method for your Atlassian deployment:

  • Cloud (OAuth 2.0): Use this if your organization is on Atlassian Cloud and you have an OAuth access token for each user.
  • Server/Data Center (PAT): Use this if you are on Atlassian Server or Data Center and each user has a Personal Access Token (PAT).

Cloud (OAuth 2.0) Example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian-service": {
      "url": "http://localhost:9000/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <USER_OAUTH_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Server/Data Center (PAT) Example:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "mcp-atlassian-service": {
      "url": "http://localhost:9000/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Token <USER_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}
  1. Required environment variables in .env:
    JIRA_URL=https://your-company.atlassian.net
    CONFLUENCE_URL=https://your-company.atlassian.net/wiki
    ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID=your_oauth_app_client_id
    ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET=your_oauth_app_client_secret
    ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI=http://localhost:8080/callback
    ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_SCOPE=read:jira-work write:jira-work read:confluence-content.all write:confluence-content offline_access
    ATLASSIAN_OAUTH_CLOUD_ID=your_cloud_id_from_setup_wizard
    

[!NOTE]

  • The server should have its own fallback authentication configured (e.g., via environment variables for API token, PAT, or its own OAuth setup using --oauth-setup). This is used if a request doesn't include user-specific authentication.
  • OAuth: Each user needs their own OAuth access token from your Atlassian OAuth app.
  • PAT: Each user provides their own Personal Access Token.
  • Multi-Cloud: For OAuth users, optionally include X-Atlassian-Cloud-Id header to specify which Atlassian cloud instance to use
  • The server will use the user's token for API calls when provided, falling back to server auth if not
  • User tokens should have appropriate scopes for their needed operations

Tools

Key Tools

Jira Tools
  • jira_get_issue: Get details of a specific issue
  • jira_search: Search issues using JQL
  • jira_create_issue: Create a new issue
  • jira_update_issue: Update an existing issue
  • jira_transition_issue: Transition an issue to a new status
  • jira_add_comment: Add a comment to an issue
Confluence Tools
  • confluence_search: Search Confluence content using CQL
  • confluence_get_page: Get content of a specific page
  • confluence_create_page: Create a new page
  • confluence_update_page: Update an existing page
Bitbucket Tools
  • list_workspaces_or_projects: List all accessible workspaces/projects
  • list_repositories: List repositories in a workspace or all accessible repositories
  • get_repository_info: Get detailed information about a specific repository
  • list_branches: List all branches in a repository
  • get_default_branch: Get the default branch of a repository
  • get_file_content: Get content of a specific file from a repository
  • list_directory: List contents of a directory in a repository
  • list_pull_requests: List pull requests for a repository
  • pull_request_activities: Get activities/comments for a pull request
  • get_pull_request: Get detailed information about a specific pull request
  • get_commit_changes: Get changes made in a specific commit
  • get_commits: Get commit history for a repository
  • create_pull_request: Create a new pull request
  • create_branch: Create a new branch in a repository
  • add_pull_request_blocker_comment: Add a blocking comment to a pull request
  • add_pull_request_comment: Add a regular comment to a pull request
View All Tools
OperationJira ToolsConfluence ToolsBitbucket Tools
Readjira_searchconfluence_searchlist_workspaces_or_projects
jira_get_issueconfluence_get_pagelist_repositories
jira_get_all_projectsconfluence_get_page_childrenget_repository_info
jira_get_project_issuesconfluence_get_commentslist_branches
jira_get_worklogconfluence_get_labelsget_default_branch
jira_get_transitionsconfluence_search_userget_file_content
jira_search_fieldslist_directory
jira_get_agile_boardslist_pull_requests
jira_get_board_issuespull_request_activities
jira_get_sprints_from_boardget_pull_request
jira_get_sprint_issuesget_commit_changes
jira_get_issue_link_typesget_commits
jira_batch_get_changelogs*
jira_get_user_profile
jira_download_attachments
jira_get_project_versions
Writejira_create_issueconfluence_create_pagecreate_pull_request
jira_update_issueconfluence_update_pagecreate_branch
jira_delete_issueconfluence_delete_pageadd_pull_request_blocker_comment
jira_batch_create_issuesconfluence_add_labeladd_pull_request_comment
jira_add_commentconfluence_add_comment
jira_transition_issue
jira_add_worklog
jira_link_to_epic
jira_create_sprint
jira_update_sprint
jira_create_issue_link
jira_remove_issue_link
jira_create_version
jira_batch_create_versions

*Tool only available on Jira Cloud

Tool Filtering and Access Control

The server provides two ways to control tool access:

  1. Tool Filtering: Use --enabled-tools flag or ENABLED_TOOLS environment variable to specify which tools should be available:

    # Via environment variable
    ENABLED_TOOLS="confluence_search,jira_get_issue,jira_search"
    
    # Or via command line flag
    docker run ... --enabled-tools "confluence_search,jira_get_issue,jira_search" ...
    
  2. Read/Write Control: Tools are categorized as read or write operations. When READ_ONLY_MODE is enabled, only read operations are available regardless of ENABLED_TOOLS setting.

Troubleshooting & Debugging

Common Issues

  • Authentication Failures:
    • For Cloud: Check your API tokens (not your account password)
    • For Server/Data Center: Verify your personal access token is valid and not expired
    • For older Confluence servers: Some older versions require basic authentication with CONFLUENCE_USERNAME and CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN (where token is your password)
  • SSL Certificate Issues: If using Server/Data Center and encounter SSL errors, set CONFLUENCE_SSL_VERIFY=false or JIRA_SSL_VERIFY=false
  • Permission Errors: Ensure your Atlassian account has sufficient permissions to access the spaces/projects
  • Custom Headers Issues: See the "Debugging Custom Headers" section below to analyze and resolve issues with custom headers

Debugging Custom Headers

To verify custom headers are being applied correctly:

  1. Enable Debug Logging: Set MCP_VERY_VERBOSE=true to see detailed request logs

    # In your .env file or environment
    MCP_VERY_VERBOSE=true
    MCP_LOGGING_STDOUT=true
    
  2. Check Header Parsing: Custom headers appear in logs with masked values for security:

    DEBUG Custom headers applied: {'X-Forwarded-User': '***', 'X-ALB-Token': '***'}
    
  3. Verify Service-Specific Headers: Check logs to confirm the right headers are being used:

    DEBUG Jira request headers: service-specific headers applied
    DEBUG Confluence request headers: service-specific headers applied
    
  4. Test Header Format: Ensure your header string format is correct:

    # Correct format
    JIRA_CUSTOM_HEADERS=X-Custom=value1,X-Other=value2
    CONFLUENCE_CUSTOM_HEADERS=X-Custom=value1,X-Other=value2
    
    # Incorrect formats (will be ignored)
    JIRA_CUSTOM_HEADERS="X-Custom=value1,X-Other=value2"  # Extra quotes
    JIRA_CUSTOM_HEADERS=X-Custom: value1,X-Other: value2  # Colon instead of equals
    JIRA_CUSTOM_HEADERS=X-Custom = value1               # Spaces around equals
    

Security Note: Header values containing sensitive information (tokens, passwords) are automatically masked in logs to prevent accidental exposure.

Debugging Tools

# Using MCP Inspector for testing
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector uvx mcp-atlassian ...

# For local development version
npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector uv --directory /path/to/your/mcp-atlassian run mcp-atlassian ...

# View logs
# macOS
tail -n 20 -f ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp*.log
# Windows
type %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\mcp*.log | more

Security

  • Never share API tokens
  • Keep .env files secure and private
  • See for best practices

Contributing

We welcome contributions to MCP Atlassian! If you'd like to contribute:

  1. Check out our guide for detailed development setup instructions.
  2. Make changes and submit a pull request.

We use pre-commit hooks for code quality and follow semantic versioning for releases.

License

Licensed under MIT - see file. This is not an official Atlassian product.