How to integrate Jira MCP with Claude Agent SDK

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Introduction

This guide walks you through connecting Jira to the Claude Agent SDK using the Composio tool router. By the end, you'll have a working Jira agent that can create a new bug in project alpha, assign issue jira-102 to sarah lee, add comment to ticket jira-207 with update through natural language commands.

This guide will help you understand how to give your Claude Agent SDK agent real control over a Jira account through Composio's Jira MCP server.

Before we dive in, let's take a quick look at the key ideas and tools involved.

Also integrate Jira with

TL;DR

Here's what you'll learn:
  • Get and set up your Claude/Anthropic and Composio API keys
  • Install the necessary dependencies
  • Initialize Composio and create a Tool Router session for Jira
  • Configure an AI agent that can use Jira as a tool
  • Run a live chat session where you can ask the agent to perform Jira operations

What is Claude Agent SDK?

The Claude Agent SDK is Anthropic's official framework for building AI agents powered by Claude. It provides a streamlined interface for creating agents with MCP tool support and conversation management.

Key features include:

  • Native MCP Support: Built-in support for Model Context Protocol servers
  • Permission Modes: Control tool execution permissions
  • Streaming Responses: Real-time response streaming for interactive applications
  • Context Manager: Clean async context management for sessions

What is the Jira MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Jira MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Jira account. It provides structured and secure access to your Jira projects, so your agent can perform actions like creating issues, managing sprints, commenting on tasks, assigning work, and tracking releases on your behalf.

  • Automated issue creation and tracking: Let your agent create new bugs, tasks, or stories, and keep tabs on issues across your Jira projects.
  • Collaborative commenting and updates: Have your agent add rich-text comments or attachments to issues, keeping team communication seamless and up to date.
  • Effortless assignment and watcher management: Easily assign issues to teammates or add watchers, ensuring everyone stays in the loop and accountable.
  • Sprint and release planning: Empower your agent to create sprints, manage boards, and organize project milestones or versions for agile teams.
  • Issue linking and bulk operations: Direct your agent to link related issues or perform bulk creation of tasks, streamlining project workflows and dependencies.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Triggers
Add AttachmentUploads and attaches a file to a Jira issue.
Add CommentAdds a comment using Atlassian Document Format (ADF) for rich text to an existing Jira issue.
Add Users to Project RoleAdds users and optionally groups to a project role.
Add User to GroupAdds a user to a Jira group.
Add Watcher to IssueAdds a user to an issue's watcher list by account ID.
Add WorklogTool to add a worklog entry to a Jira issue.
Analyse Jira ExpressionAnalyses Jira expressions for syntax validation, type checking, and complexity analysis.
Assign IssueAssigns a Jira issue to a user, default assignee, or unassigns; supports email/name lookup.
Bulk Create IssuesCreates multiple Jira issues (up to 50 per call) with full feature support including markdown, assignee resolution, and priority handling.
Check User PermissionsCheck user permissions for global and project-level operations in Jira.
Create GroupCreates a new group in Jira with the specified name.
Create IssueCreates a new Jira issue (e.
Link IssuesLinks two Jira issues using a specified link type with optional comment.
Get JQL Autocomplete DataRetrieves JQL autocomplete reference data including reserved words, field names, and function names.
Create ProjectCreates a new Jira project with required lead, template, and type configuration.
Create SprintCreates a new sprint on a Jira board with optional start/end dates and goal.
Create VersionCreates a new version for releases or milestones in a Jira project.
Delete CommentDeletes a specific comment from a Jira issue using its ID and the issue's ID/key; requires user permission to delete comments on the issue.
Delete IssuePermanently and irreversibly deletes a Jira issue by its ID or key.
Delete VersionDeletes a Jira version and optionally reassigns its issues.
Delete WorklogDeletes a worklog from a Jira issue with estimate adjustment options.
Edit IssueUpdates an existing Jira issue with field values and operations.
Evaluate Jira ExpressionTool to evaluate Jira expressions using the enhanced search API.
Bulk Fetch IssuesTool to bulk fetch multiple Jira issues by their IDs or keys (max 100 per call).
Find Users 2Tool to find users in Jira by query string, account ID, or property search.
Find Users For PickerFind users for picker components by matching query against user attributes like display name and email.
Get All GroupsRetrieves all groups from the Jira instance with pagination support.
Get All Issue Type SchemesRetrieves all Jira issue type schemes with optional filtering and pagination.
Get all projectsRetrieves all visible projects using the modern paginated Jira API with server-side filtering and pagination support.
Get Issue StatusesRetrieves all issue statuses associated with workflows from Jira.
Get All UsersRetrieves all users from the Jira instance including active, inactive, app accounts, and system accounts, with pagination support.
Get AttachmentRetrieves the binary content of a Jira attachment by ID.
Get Attachment MetaTool to retrieve Jira attachment settings including upload limits and enabled status.
Get CommentRetrieves a specific comment by ID from a Jira issue with optional expansions.
Get ComponentTool to retrieve components from Jira projects with search and filtering.
Get Create Field Metadata for Issue TypeTool to retrieve field metadata for a specific issue type in a project.
Get Current UserRetrieves detailed information about the currently authenticated Jira user.
Get DashboardsTool to list and search Jira dashboards visible to the current user.
Get Favorite FiltersTool to retrieve favorite filters for the current user.
Get fieldsTool to retrieve Jira issue fields metadata.
Get custom fields paginatedTool to retrieve Jira fields in pages.
Get FilterRetrieves a specific Jira saved filter by ID, including its JQL and sharing metadata, to reuse in subsequent searches.
Get GroupRetrieves details of a specific Jira group by name or ID.
Get Service Management InfoRetrieves runtime information for the Jira Service Management instance.
Get IssueRetrieves a Jira issue by ID or key with customizable fields and expansions.
Get Create Issue MetadataTool to retrieve issue creation metadata for Jira projects.
Get Issue Edit MetaTool to retrieve editable fields for a Jira issue.
Get Issue Link TypesRetrieves all configured issue link types from Jira.
Get issue pickerTool to get issue picker suggestions from Jira.
Get Issue PropertyRetrieves a custom property from a Jira issue by key.
Get Issue ResolutionsRetrieves all available issue resolution types from Jira.
Get issue typesRetrieves all Jira issue types available to the user using the modern API v3 endpoint; results vary based on 'Administer Jira' global or 'Browse projects' project permissions.
Get Issue WatchersRetrieves users watching a Jira issue for update notifications.
Get JQL autocomplete reference dataTool to retrieve JQL autocomplete reference data.
Get JQL autocomplete suggestionsTool to get JQL field auto-complete suggestions.
Get My PermissionsTool to retrieve the user's permissions in Jira.
Get User Locale PreferenceTool to retrieve the locale preference of the currently authenticated Jira user.
Get PermissionsTool to retrieve all available Jira permissions.
Get Permitted ProjectsTool to retrieve projects where the current user has specific permissions.
Get ProjectRetrieves details of a Jira project by its ID or key.
Get Project RolesRetrieves all available roles for a Jira project.
Get Project TypeRetrieves detailed information about a specific Jira project type by its key.
Get Project VersionsRetrieves all versions for a Jira project with optional expansion.
Get Recent ProjectsRetrieves a list of projects recently accessed by the authenticated user.
Get Issue Remote LinksRetrieves links from a Jira issue to external resources.
Get Server InfoTool to retrieve Jira instance server information.
Get Service Desk Request Type FieldsTool to retrieve JSM request type field metadata for filling out portal requests.
Get System AvatarsTool to retrieve all system avatars for a specific type (issuetype, project, user, or priority).
Get TransitionsRetrieves available workflow transitions for a Jira issue.
Get Universal Avatar Type OwnerTool to retrieve all avatars (system and custom) for a specific type and entity in Jira.
Get Universal Avatar View TypeTool to retrieve the default avatar image for a specific type (project, issuetype, or priority) from Jira.
Get Avatar ImageTool to retrieve a specific avatar image by type and ID from Jira.
Get Issue VotesFetches voting details for a Jira issue; requires voting to be enabled in Jira's general settings.
Get WorklogsRetrieves worklogs for a specified Jira issue.
List All ProjectsTool to list all projects accessible to the user.
List BoardsRetrieves paginated Jira boards with filtering and sorting options.
List Comments by IDsTool to retrieve multiple comments by their IDs in a single request.
List Jira FiltersTool to search and list Jira saved filters (saved searches) visible to the current user.
List Groups (Picker)Tool to search and list groups using Jira's picker endpoint.
List Issue CommentsRetrieves paginated comments from a Jira issue with optional ordering.
List Project TypesRetrieves all Jira project types available in the instance.
List SprintsRetrieves paginated sprints from a Jira board with optional state filtering.
Move Issues to SprintMoves one or more Jira issues to a specified active sprint.
Parse JQL QueriesParse and validate JQL queries, returning their abstract syntax tree structure along with any errors or warnings.
Remove User from GroupRemoves a user from a Jira group.
Remove User from Project RoleRemoves a user or group from a project role.
Remove Watcher from IssueRemoves a user from an issue's watcher list by account ID.
Search Approximate CountCount issues matching a JQL query using approximate count endpoint.
Search DashboardsTool to search for Jira dashboards with filtering, sorting, and pagination support.
Search Issues Using JQL (GET)Searches for Jira issues using JQL with pagination and field selection.
Search issuesAdvanced Jira issue search supporting structured filters and raw JQL.
Send Notification for IssueSends a customized email notification for a Jira issue.
Transition IssueTransitions a Jira issue to a different workflow state, with support for transition name lookup and user assignment by email.
Update CommentUpdates text content or visibility of an existing Jira comment.

What is the Composio tool router, and how does it fit here?

What is Composio SDK?

Composio's Composio SDK helps agents find the right tools for a task at runtime. You can plug in multiple toolkits (like Gmail, HubSpot, and GitHub), and the agent will identify the relevant app and action to complete multi-step workflows. This can reduce token usage and improve the reliability of tool calls. Read more here: Getting started with Composio SDK

The tool router generates a secure MCP URL that your agents can access to perform actions.

How the Composio SDK works

The Composio SDK follows a three-phase workflow:

  1. Discovery: Searches for tools matching your task and returns relevant toolkits with their details.
  2. Authentication: Checks for active connections. If missing, creates an auth config and returns a connection URL via Auth Link.
  3. Execution: Executes the action using the authenticated connection.

Step-by-step Guide

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:
  • Composio API Key and Claude/Anthropic API Key
  • Primary know-how of Claude Agents SDK
  • A Jira account
  • Some knowledge of Python

Getting API Keys for Claude/Anthropic and Composio

Claude/Anthropic API Key
  • Go to the Anthropic Console and create an API key. You'll need credits to use the models.
  • Keep the API key safe.
Composio API Key
  • Log in to the Composio dashboard.
  • Navigate to your API settings and generate a new API key.
  • Store this key securely as you'll need it for authentication.

Install dependencies

pip install composio-anthropic claude-agent-sdk python-dotenv

Install the Composio SDK and the Claude Agents SDK.

What's happening:

  • composio-anthropic provides Composio integration for Anthropic
  • claude-agent-sdk is the core agent framework
  • python-dotenv loads environment variables

Set up environment variables

bash
COMPOSIO_API_KEY=your_composio_api_key_here
USER_ID=your_user_id_here
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_anthropic_api_key_here

Create a .env file in your project root.

What's happening:

  • COMPOSIO_API_KEY authenticates with Composio
  • USER_ID identifies the user for session management
  • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY authenticates with Anthropic/Claude

Import dependencies

import asyncio
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeSDKClient, ClaudeAgentOptions
import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()
What's happening:
  • We're importing all necessary libraries including the Claude Agent SDK and Composio
  • The load_dotenv() function loads environment variables from your .env file
  • This setup prepares the foundation for connecting Claude with Jira functionality

Create a Composio instance and Tool Router session

async def chat_with_remote_mcp():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    if not api_key:
        raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set")

    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)

    # Create Tool Router session for Jira
    mcp_server = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["jira"]
    )

    url = mcp_server.mcp.url

    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Session URL not found")
What's happening:
  • The function checks for the required COMPOSIO_API_KEY environment variable
  • We're creating a Composio instance using our API key
  • The create method creates a Tool Router session for Jira
  • The returned url is the MCP server URL that your agent will use

Configure Claude Agent with MCP

# Configure remote MCP server for Claude
options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
    permission_mode="bypassPermissions",
    mcp_servers={
        "composio": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": url,
            "headers": {
                "x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
            }
        }
    },
    system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant with access to Jira tools via Composio.",
    max_turns=10
)
What's happening:
  • We're configuring the Claude Agent options with the MCP server URL
  • permission_mode="bypassPermissions" allows the agent to execute operations without asking for permission each time
  • The system prompt instructs the agent that it has access to Jira
  • max_turns=10 limits the conversation length to prevent excessive API usage

Create client and start chat loop

# Create client with context manager
async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=options) as client:
    print("\nChat started. Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")

    # Main chat loop
    while True:
        user_input = input("You: ").strip()
        if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit"}:
            print("Goodbye!")
            break

        # Send query
        await client.query(user_input)

        # Receive and print response
        print("Claude: ", end="", flush=True)
        async for message in client.receive_response():
            if hasattr(message, "content"):
                for block in message.content:
                    if hasattr(block, "text"):
                        print(block.text, end="", flush=True)
        print()
What's happening:
  • The Claude SDK client is created using the async context manager pattern
  • The agent processes each query and streams the response back in real-time
  • The chat loop continues until the user types 'exit' or 'quit'

Run the application

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(chat_with_remote_mcp())
What's happening:
  • This entry point runs the async chat_with_remote_mcp() function using asyncio.run()
  • The application will start, create the MCP connection, and begin the interactive chat session

Complete Code

Here's the complete code to get you started with Jira and Claude Agent SDK:

import asyncio
from claude_agent_sdk import ClaudeSDKClient, ClaudeAgentOptions
import os
from composio import Composio
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

async def chat_with_remote_mcp():
    api_key = os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
    if not api_key:
        raise RuntimeError("COMPOSIO_API_KEY is not set")

    composio = Composio(api_key=api_key)

    # Create Tool Router session for Jira
    mcp_server = composio.create(
        user_id=os.getenv("USER_ID"),
        toolkits=["jira"]
    )

    url = mcp_server.mcp.url

    if not url:
        raise ValueError("Session URL not found")

    # Configure remote MCP server for Claude
    options = ClaudeAgentOptions(
        permission_mode="bypassPermissions",
        mcp_servers={
            "composio": {
                "type": "http",
                "url": url,
                "headers": {
                    "x-api-key": os.getenv("COMPOSIO_API_KEY")
                }
            }
        },
        system_prompt="You are a helpful assistant with access to Jira tools via Composio.",
        max_turns=10
    )

    # Create client with context manager
    async with ClaudeSDKClient(options=options) as client:
        print("\nChat started. Type 'exit' or 'quit' to end.\n")

        # Main chat loop
        while True:
            user_input = input("You: ").strip()
            if user_input.lower() in {"exit", "quit"}:
                print("Goodbye!")
                break

            # Send query
            await client.query(user_input)

            # Receive and print response
            print("Claude: ", end="", flush=True)
            async for message in client.receive_response():
                if hasattr(message, "content"):
                    for block in message.content:
                        if hasattr(block, "text"):
                            print(block.text, end="", flush=True)
            print()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(chat_with_remote_mcp())

Conclusion

You've successfully built a Claude Agent SDK agent that can interact with Jira through Composio's Tool Router.

Key features:

  • Native MCP support through Claude's agent framework
  • Streaming responses for real-time interaction
  • Permission bypass for smooth automated workflows
You can extend this by adding more toolkits, implementing custom business logic, or building a web interface around the agent.

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FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Jira MCP?

With a standalone Jira MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Jira tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Jira and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Can I use Tool Router MCP with Claude Agent SDK?

Yes, you can. Claude Agent SDK fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Jira tools.

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Jira while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Jira scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Jira data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

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