jira-auth

name	jira-auth
description	Authenticate with Jira Cloud REST API using API tokens. Use when setting up Jira connections, validating credentials, or handling rate limiting.

Jira Authentication Skill

Purpose

Authenticate with Jira Cloud REST API using API tokens or OAuth 2.0. Handle connection setup, credential validation, and rate limiting.

When to Use

• Setting up Jira API connections
• Validating Jira credentials
• Testing API connectivity
• Managing authentication headers

Prerequisites

• Jira Cloud instance URL (e.g., mycompany.atlassian.net)
• API token (generate at Atlassian account settings)
• Email address associated with the Jira account

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the jira skill root directory (.claude/skills/jira/.env):

# Required
JIRA_EMAIL=[e-mail]
JIRA_API_TOKEN=ATATT3xFfGF0...
JIRA_BASE_URL=https://mycompany.atlassian.net

# Optional (defaults shown)
JIRA_PROJECT_KEY=SCRUM
JIRA_BOARD_ID=1

Copy from .env.example template:

cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your credentials

Get your API token at: https://id.atlassian.com/manage-profile/security/api-tokens

Test Scripts

Test authentication using the cross-platform runner:

# From .claude/skills/jira directory
node scripts/run.js test           # Auto-detect runtime
node scripts/run.js --python test  # Force Python
node scripts/run.js --node test    # Force Node.js

Implementation Pattern

Node.js (ES Modules)

// Load from environment variables (set by run.js or manually)
const JIRA_EMAIL = process.env.JIRA_EMAIL;
const JIRA_API_TOKEN = process.env.JIRA_API_TOKEN;
const JIRA_BASE_URL = process.env.JIRA_BASE_URL;
const PROJECT_KEY = process.env.JIRA_PROJECT_KEY || 'SCRUM';

// Validate required env vars
if (!JIRA_EMAIL || !JIRA_API_TOKEN || !JIRA_BASE_URL) {
  console.error('Error: Missing required environment variables.');
  process.exit(1);
}

// Build auth header
const auth = Buffer.from(`${JIRA_EMAIL}:${JIRA_API_TOKEN}`).toString('base64');
const headers = {
  'Authorization': `Basic ${auth}`,
  'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  'Accept': 'application/json',
};

Python

import base64
import os
import sys
from pathlib import Path

# Load .env file from parent directory (jira skill root)
def load_env():
    env_path = Path(__file__).parent.parent / '.env'
    if env_path.exists():
        with open(env_path, 'r') as f:
            for line in f:
                line = line.strip()
                if line and not line.startswith('#') and '=' in line:
                    key, value = line.split('=', 1)
                    os.environ.setdefault(key.strip(), value.strip())

load_env()

# Configuration from environment variables
JIRA_EMAIL = os.environ.get('JIRA_EMAIL')
JIRA_API_TOKEN = os.environ.get('JIRA_API_TOKEN')
JIRA_BASE_URL = os.environ.get('JIRA_BASE_URL')
PROJECT_KEY = os.environ.get('JIRA_PROJECT_KEY', 'SCRUM')

# Validate required env vars
if not all([JIRA_EMAIL, JIRA_API_TOKEN, JIRA_BASE_URL]):
    print('Error: Missing required environment variables.', file=sys.stderr)
    sys.exit(1)

# Build auth header
auth_string = f'{JIRA_EMAIL}:{JIRA_API_TOKEN}'
auth_bytes = base64.b64encode(auth_string.encode('utf-8')).decode('utf-8')
HEADERS = {
    'Authorization': f'Basic {auth_bytes}',
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Accept': 'application/json'
}

TypeScript (Reference Pattern)

function buildJiraAuthHeader(email: string, apiToken: string): string {
  const credentials = Buffer.from(`${email}:${apiToken}`).toString('base64');
  return `Basic ${credentials}`;
}

Step 2: Create Jira Client

interface JiraConfig {
  baseUrl: string;
  email: string;
  apiToken: string;
}

class JiraClient {
  private baseUrl: string;
  private headers: Record<string, string>;

  constructor(config: JiraConfig) {
    this.baseUrl = config.baseUrl.replace(/\/$/, '');
    this.headers = {
      'Authorization': buildJiraAuthHeader(config.email, config.apiToken),
      'Accept': 'application/json',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    };
  }

  async request<T>(path: string, options: RequestInit = {}): Promise<T> {
    const url = `${this.baseUrl}/rest/api/3${path}`;
    const response = await fetch(url, {
      ...options,
      headers: { ...this.headers, ...options.headers },
    });

    if (response.status === 429) {
      const resetTime = response.headers.get('X-RateLimit-Reset');
      throw new Error(`Rate limited. Reset at: ${resetTime}`);
    }

    if (!response.ok) {
      const error = await response.json().catch(() => ({}));
      throw new Error(`Jira API error: ${response.status} - ${JSON.stringify(error)}`);
    }

    return response.json();
  }
}

Step 3: Validate Connection

async function validateJiraConnection(client: JiraClient): Promise<boolean> {
  try {
    const user = await client.request<{ accountId: string; displayName: string }>('/myself');
    console.log(`Connected as: ${user.displayName} (${user.accountId})`);
    return true;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Jira connection failed:', error);
    return false;
  }
}

curl Examples

Test Authentication

curl -X GET "https://mycompany.atlassian.net/rest/api/3/myself" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(echo -n '[e-mail]:API_TOKEN' | base64)" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

Expected Success Response

{
  "self": "https://mycompany.atlassian.net/rest/api/3/user?accountId=...",
  "accountId": "5e10b8dbf0cab60d71f4a9cd",
  "displayName": "John Doe",
  "active": true,
  "timeZone": "America/New_York"
}

Rate Limiting

Metric	Limit
Authenticated requests	60/minute
Unauthenticated requests	20/minute

Rate Limit Headers

X-RateLimit-Limit: 60
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 57
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1640000000

Handle Rate Limiting

async function withRateLimitRetry<T>(
  fn: () => Promise<T>,
  maxRetries = 3
): Promise<T> {
  for (let i = 0; i < maxRetries; i++) {
    try {
      return await fn();
    } catch (error: any) {
      if (error.message.includes('Rate limited') && i < maxRetries - 1) {
        await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 60000));
        continue;
      }
      throw error;
    }
  }
  throw new Error('Max retries exceeded');
}

Common Mistakes

• Using password instead of API token (deprecated)
• Forgetting to base64 encode credentials
• Missing the space after "Basic " in header
• Using wrong base URL format (must include https://)

References

• Jira Cloud REST API Authentication
• API Tokens
• Rate Limiting

Version History

• 2025-12-11: Added .env file setup and test script documentation
• 2025-12-10: Created