Jira MCP for Evoke

A pre-configured Model Context Protocol (MCP) server config that lets Claude Code interact with Jira: create tickets, query the backlog, transition issues, and add comments — all from a chat.

What you can do once configured

• "Create a story in PROJ for adding password reset"
• "What are the unassigned P0 bugs in PROJ?"
• "Move PROJ-123 to In Progress and assign to me"
• "Show me everything in the current sprint"
• "Add a comment to PROJ-456 saying we deployed the fix"

Setup

Step 1: Generate a Jira API token

1. Go to https://id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens
2. Click "Create API token"
3. Name it "Claude Code MCP"
4. Copy the token immediately — you can't see it again

Step 2: Set environment variables

Add these to your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

export JIRA_HOST="evoke.atlassian.net"
export JIRA_EMAIL="you@evoke.com"
export JIRA_API_TOKEN="your-token-from-step-1"

Reload: source ~/.zshrc

Step 3: Pick a Jira MCP server

Three solid options as of 2026, in descending order of simplicity:

| Option | Auth | Best for | Notes | |---|---|---|---| | Atlassian Remote MCP | OAuth via Atlassian Cloud | Anyone on Jira Cloud who wants zero local setup | Hosted by Atlassian; no npx process to manage | | mcp-atlassian (community, pip / uv) | API token (Cloud) or PAT (Server / DC) | Most teams — broadest coverage, supports both Cloud and Server / DC | Maintained Python project; supports Jira + Confluence in one server | | @modelcontextprotocol/server-atlassian (npm) | API token | Node-only shops who don't want Python on the dev machine | Smaller surface area than mcp-atlassian but no Python dep |

Step 4: Add the MCP config to Claude Code

Edit ~/.config/claude-code/mcp.json (or wherever your Claude Code config lives). Use ONE of the blocks below.

Option A — mcp-atlassian (recommended for most teams)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": ["mcp-atlassian"],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_URL": "https://${JIRA_HOST}",
        "JIRA_USERNAME": "${JIRA_EMAIL}",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "${JIRA_API_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

(Install uv first if needed: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh. The uvx runner downloads mcp-atlassian on first run and caches it.)

For Jira Server / Data Center, swap JIRA_API_TOKEN for JIRA_PERSONAL_TOKEN and use the personal access token from your Jira profile.

Option B — Atlassian Remote MCP (Cloud only, OAuth)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "atlassian": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/sse"]
    }
  }
}

First time you call a Jira tool, mcp-remote opens a browser for OAuth. No tokens to manage; the browser session handles auth. Works only against Atlassian Cloud — not Server / DC.

Option C — @modelcontextprotocol/server-atlassian (Node)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "jira": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-atlassian"],
      "env": {
        "ATLASSIAN_HOST": "${JIRA_HOST}",
        "ATLASSIAN_EMAIL": "${JIRA_EMAIL}",
        "ATLASSIAN_API_TOKEN": "${JIRA_API_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 5: Restart Claude Code

Quit and relaunch. The Jira tools should now be available.

Step 6: Test it

Ask Claude Code: "List my Jira projects."

If you see results, you're set. If not, see Troubleshooting below.

Available tools (provided by the MCP server)

• jira_search - JQL-powered search
• jira_get_issue - Fetch a specific ticket
• jira_create_issue - Create a ticket
• jira_update_issue - Update fields
• jira_transition_issue - Move through workflow states
• jira_add_comment - Add a comment
• jira_list_projects - List accessible projects
• jira_list_sprints - List sprints for a board

Recommended pairing

Pair this MCP config with the Jira Ticket Manager Skill for a smoother experience. The skill applies Evoke's templates and conventions on top of the raw MCP tools.

Troubleshooting

"401 Unauthorized"

• Token may be wrong or expired
• Email must match the token's owner
• Some Jira instances require basic auth: email:token base64-encoded

"403 Forbidden"

• Your account may not have permission for that project
• Check the project's "Browse projects" permission

"Cannot find Jira tools"

• MCP server didn't start; check Claude Code logs
• Try running npx -y @evoke/jira-mcp manually to see errors

Tools work but writes fail

• Many Jira fields are required by the project's screen scheme
• Add missing fields explicitly (priority, components, etc.)

Security notes

• Treat your API token like a password
• Never commit it to a repo
• Rotate it every 90 days
• Use a service account token for shared/CI use, not your personal token

Customization

Most teams need to customize:

• Default project key: Add JIRA_DEFAULT_PROJECT env var
• Custom fields: Map them in ~/.config/claude-code/jira-fields.json
• Issue type names: If your Jira uses non-standard names (e.g., "Feature" instead of "Story"), configure in the same file