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Jira service management MCP server

Jira Service Management is Atlassian's IT service management and customer support solution. An AI agent with access to Jira Service Management can create and manage customer requests, provide status updates, manage queues, and handle service desk operations without direct user involvement in the application.

Setting up an MCP server

This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the individual application pages.

Before you begin​

You'll need:

  • Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers
  • API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the relevant application page for what to collect)

Create an MCP server​

Find the API in the catalog​

  1. Sign in to AI Gateway and select MCP Servers from the left navigation.
  2. Select New MCP Server.
  3. Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.

Configure the server​

  1. Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose (for example, "Zendesk Support — Prod").
  2. Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
  3. Set the Timeout value. 30 seconds works for most APIs; increase to 60 seconds for APIs that return large payloads.
  4. Toggle Production mode on if this server will be used in a live workflow.
  5. Select Next.

Configure authentication​

Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section of the relevant application page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.

Configure security​

  1. Set any Rate limits appropriate for your use case and the API's own limits.
  2. Enable Logging if you want AI Gateway to record requests and responses for auditing.
  3. Select Next.

Deploy​

Review the summary, then select Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.

Connect to an AI client​

Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:

Tips​

  • You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
  • If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
  • You can edit a server's name, description, timeout, and security settings after deployment without redeploying.

Authentication​

Jira Service Management uses OAuth 2.0 authentication. Create an OAuth 2.0 integration at developer.atlassian.com and configure the redirect URI for your AI Gateway. The authorization endpoint is https://auth.atlassian.com/authorize and the token endpoint is https://auth.atlassian.com/oauth/token. Configure scopes including read:jira-user, read:servicedesk-request, write:servicedesk-request, read:request-attachment:servicedesk, and write:request-comment:servicedesk. The API base URL is https://api.atlassian.com/ex/jira/{cloudId}/rest/servicedeskapi.

Available tools​

This MCP server enables request management, queue operations, customer handling, comment management, and attachment operations for IT service desk and customer support workflows.

ToolDescription
Get current userRetrieve information about the authenticated user
List service desksRetrieve all service desks the user has access to
Get service deskRetrieve details for a specific service desk
Create requestCreate a new customer request or IT ticket
Get requestRetrieve details for a specific request
List requestsRetrieve requests with filtering and sorting
Get request typeRetrieve configuration for a request type
List request typesRetrieve all available request types for a service desk
Add commentAdd a response visible to the customer or internal note
Get commentsRetrieve all comments on a request
Get attachmentRetrieve attachment information and metadata
List attachmentsRetrieve all attachments for a request
Get queueRetrieve queue configuration and contents
List queuesRetrieve all queues for a service desk
Get queue issuesRetrieve requests in a specific queue
List customersRetrieve all customers for a service desk
Get customerRetrieve customer details and request history
Update requestModify request fields and status
Delete requestRemove a request from the system

Tips​

Retrieve the request types for your specific service desk before creating requests — each service desk has its own request types. This ensures you use the correct request type.

Validate custom field names and IDs match the request type you're creating — different request types have different custom fields. This avoids errors.

Choose comment visibility appropriately — comments can be either "internal" (agent-only) or "public" (visible to customer). This prevents sensitive information from leaking to customers.

Understand your service desk's queue configuration before attempting queue operations — queue queries use Jira Query Language and are service-desk specific. Verify your saved filters first.

Verify customer portal permissions before expecting customers to see shared requests — customers can only view their own requests unless given explicit access.