Setting up IDEs (desktop clients)

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If you're using a local development environment such as VS Code, Cursor, or another IDE that supports the Message Context Protocol (MCP), this guide will walk you through connecting your editor to the Atlassian Remote MCP Server.

This setup uses a Node.js based proxy tool called mcp-remote, which handles authentication and communication with the server.

Before you begin

Ensure the following are installed or accessible:

• Node.js v18 or later

• npx for installation

• An Atlassian Cloud site with Jira, Compass, and/or Confluence

• A supported IDE (for example, VS Code, Cursor)

• A modern browser to complete the OAuth flow

Installation and configuration

VS Code

You can configure VS Code to use the Atlassian MCP server in two ways: using the integrated MCP extension UI or by manually editing your configuration file.

Option 1: From the MCP directory

1. Visit https://code.visualstudio.com/mcp

2. Search for and install the Atlassian MCP provider from the marketplace

Option 2: Use the VS Code command palette

1. Open the command palette in VS Code

2. Run the command MCP: Add Server

3. Select Http or Server-sent Events as the connection type

4. Enter the server URL: https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/sse

5. Provide a name for the server (for example, atlassian-mcp-server)

Option 3: Add a mcp.json file manually

You can also create a mcp.json file in your workspace or home directory:

Cursor

To use Atlassian MCP with Cursor, follow these steps:

1. Open Cursor’s MCP settings panel

2. Add the following configuration:

   "Atlassian-MCP-Server": { "url": "https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/sse" }

   For older version of Cursor, you may need to use the following configuration

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

3. Save and restart Cursor’s AI assistant or tools pane.

Other desktop clients

If you're using a legacy or custom MCP-compatible IDE or tool, connect using the mcp-remote proxy as follows:

1. Open your terminal

2. Run:

   npx -y mcp-remote https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/sse

   Note: If this command doesn't work due to a version-related issue, try specifying an older version of mcp-remote. The example below uses version 0.1.13, but you may use another version if needed:

   npx -y mcp-remote@0.1.13 https://mcp.atlassian.com/v1/sse

3. Configure your client's settings with this format:

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

4. Authenticate when prompted and leave your terminal session open

5. Follow your client’s documentation to trigger or test an MCP action

Tips for a successful setup

• Keep your terminal session running while using the IDE

• If your token expires, re-run the mcp-remote command

• Make sure your IDE’s MCP tooling is installed and enabled

Example actions you can try

• Search Jira: “Find all issues assigned to me in the last 7 days”

• Create a Confluence page: “Create a page titled ‘Engineering Roadmap Q4’”

• Cross-reference: “Link the two most recent bugs to the 'Sprint 45' page”

Need help? Contact Atlassian Support or return to the getting started guide.