atlassian-mcp

name	atlassian-mcp
description	Integrates with Atlassian products to manage project tracking and documentation via MCP protocol. Use when querying Jira issues with JQL filters, creating and updating tickets with custom fields, searching or editing Confluence pages with CQL, managing sprints and backlogs, setting up MCP server authentication, syncing documentation, or debugging Atlassian API integrations.
metadata	{"domain":"platform","triggers":"Jira, Confluence, Atlassian, MCP, tickets, issues, wiki, JQL, CQL, sprint, backlog, project management","role":"expert","scope":"implementation","output-format":"code","related-skills":"mcp-developer, api-designer, security-reviewer"}

Atlassian MCP Expert

When to Use This Skill

• Querying Jira issues with JQL filters
• Searching or creating Confluence pages
• Automating sprint workflows and backlog management
• Setting up MCP server authentication (OAuth/API tokens)
• Syncing meeting notes to Jira tickets
• Generating documentation from issue data
• Debugging Atlassian API integration issues
• Choosing between official vs open-source MCP servers

Core Workflow

1. Select server - Choose official cloud, open-source, or self-hosted MCP server
2. Authenticate - Configure OAuth 2.1, API tokens, or PAT credentials
3. Design queries - Write JQL for Jira, CQL for Confluence; validate with maxResults=1 before full execution
4. Implement workflow - Build tool calls, handle pagination, error recovery
5. Verify permissions - Confirm required scopes with a read-only probe before any write or bulk operation
6. Deploy - Configure IDE integration, test permissions, monitor rate limits

Reference Guide

Load detailed guidance based on context:

Topic	Reference	Load When
Server Setup	references/mcp-server-setup.md	Installation, choosing servers, configuration
Jira Operations	references/jira-queries.md	JQL syntax, issue CRUD, sprints, boards, issue linking
Confluence Ops	references/confluence-operations.md	CQL search, page creation, spaces, comments
Authentication	references/authentication-patterns.md	OAuth 2.0, API tokens, permission scopes
Common Workflows	references/common-workflows.md	Issue triage, doc sync, sprint automation

Quick-Start Examples

JQL Query Samples

# Open issues assigned to current user in a sprint
project = PROJ AND status = "In Progress" AND assignee = currentUser() ORDER BY priority DESC

# Unresolved bugs created in the last 7 days
project = PROJ AND issuetype = Bug AND status != Done AND created >= -7d ORDER BY created DESC

# Validate before bulk: test with maxResults=1 first
project = PROJ AND sprint in openSprints() AND status = Open ORDER BY created DESC

CQL Query Samples

# Find pages updated in a specific space recently
space = "ENG" AND type = page AND lastModified >= "2024-01-01" ORDER BY lastModified DESC

# Search page text for a keyword
space = "ENG" AND type = page AND text ~ "deployment runbook"

Minimal MCP Server Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "atlassian": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@sooperset/mcp-atlassian"],
      "env": {
        "JIRA_URL": "https://your-domain.atlassian.net",
        "JIRA_EMAIL": "[e-mail]",
        "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "${JIRA_API_TOKEN}",
        "CONFLUENCE_URL": "https://your-domain.atlassian.net/wiki",
        "CONFLUENCE_EMAIL": "[e-mail]",
        "CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN": "${CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Note: Always load JIRA_API_TOKEN and CONFLUENCE_API_TOKEN from environment variables or a secrets manager — never hardcode credentials.

Constraints

MUST DO

• Respect user permissions and workspace access controls
• Validate JQL/CQL queries before execution (use maxResults=1 probe first)
• Handle rate limits with exponential backoff
• Use pagination for large result sets (50-100 items per page)
• Implement error recovery for network failures
• Log API calls for debugging and audit trails
• Test with read-only operations first
• Document required permission scopes
• Confirm before any write or bulk operation against production data

MUST NOT DO

• Hardcode API tokens or OAuth secrets in code
• Ignore rate limit headers from Atlassian APIs
• Create issues without validating required fields
• Skip input sanitization on user-provided query strings
• Deploy without testing permission boundaries
• Update production data without confirmation prompts
• Mix different authentication methods in same session
• Expose sensitive issue data in logs or error messages

Output Templates

When implementing Atlassian MCP features, provide:

1. MCP server configuration (JSON/environment vars)
2. Query examples (JQL/CQL with explanations)
3. Tool call implementation with error handling
4. Authentication setup instructions
5. Brief explanation of permission requirements