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Add Atlassian (Jira and Confluence) to VS Code

Add Atlassian to VS Code from the Extensions view, sign in with your Atlassian account, and Copilot can work in your Jira and Confluence.

Search @mcp Atlassian in the VS Code Extensions view, install it and sign in with your Atlassian account when the browser opens. Copilot Chat in Agent mode can then find, create and edit your Jira issues and Confluence pages. Use Agent mode: users report Jira lookups fail in Ask and Plan mode. At work, your Copilot admin must allow MCP servers first.

Good for

  • Developers who use Copilot Chat in VS Code and track their work in Jira
  • Teams that write and update Confluence docs next to their code
  • Leads who turn TODOs and pull request notes into Jira issues
  • Companies on Copilot Business or Enterprise whose admins manage MCP access

Add Atlassian Rovo to VS Code (GitHub Copilot)

VS Code (Copilot)

  1. 1

    Open the Extensions view in VS Code and search @mcp Atlassian.

  2. 2

    If VS Code opens Find MCP Servers in Customizations, choose Browse MCP Servers.

  3. 3

    Select the Atlassian MCP server, then Install.

  4. 4

    Sign in with your Atlassian account in the browser when VS Code asks.

Requires Atlassian Cloud account, GitHub Copilot in VS Code.

Read-only mode: Keep tool approval on Manual and approve each Atlassian create or edit call yourself. Do not use Allow all or Autopilot with this server. A full read-only switch exists only for your whole organization: an org admin turns off Write in Atlassian Administration.

Use Agent mode in Copilot Chat; users report Jira lookups fail in Ask and Plan mode. To sign in again or read errors, run MCP: List Servers, pick the Atlassian server and choose Restart or Show Output. The API token option combines Atlassian's documented header with VS Code's headers and input fields; send a personal token as Basic (base64 of email:token) and a service account key as Bearer <key>. Copilot harness sessions cannot pass a prompted input into a header, so use a Local session for that option. At work, your Copilot admin must allow MCP servers.

From the vendor's docs. Source.

Common errors and fixes

  • Sign-in page shows 'Internal Server Error', then tools say 'We couldn't verify your access'

    Cause: Open report with many affected users; Atlassian has not confirmed a cause.

    Fix: Restart the server from MCP: List Servers and sign in again. Atlassian staff suggested its newer sign-in server, announced in May 2026.

    vs-code Source

  • Sign-in error says scopes such as write:all:twg have not been added to the app

    Cause: Open report; VS Code requests a scope the Atlassian app does not grant.

    Fix: One user removed that scope from the sign-in address VS Code opened, then signed in.

    vs-code Source

  • Clicking Authenticate does nothing and no browser opens

    Cause: Open VS Code bug in Copilot agent host sessions; one user reports sign-in works from a Local session.

    Fix: Sign in from a Local session, or run MCP: List Servers and restart the server.

    vs-code Source

  • Jira lookups fail in Ask or Plan mode

    Cause: Users report the getJiraIssue tool is only offered in Agent mode.

    Fix: Switch Copilot Chat to Agent mode.

    vs-code Source

  • Jira attachment upload never finishes

    Cause: Copilot masks the upload token in the tool output, so the agent cannot use it.

    Fix: No fix yet; attach files in Jira yourself.

    vs-code Source

  • 'Cannot have more than 128 tools per request'

    Cause: VS Code allows 128 tools per chat request, and Atlassian adds dozens.

    Fix: Turn off tools or servers you do not need in the tools picker, or turn on virtual tools.

    vs-code Source

Permissions

Medium risk

Copilot can create, edit and delete Jira and Confluence content with your full Atlassian access, and with Allow all or Autopilot on it does so without asking. Keep tool approval on Manual for this server and approve each change yourself.

What it can do

Watch out for

  • Allow all and Autopilot skip every prompt

    With Allow all, Autopilot or global auto-approve on, Copilot can create, edit or delete Jira and Confluence content without asking. Use Manual approval for this server. github.com

  • Atlassian's tools share names with Copilot's

    Atlassian's tools are called fetch and search, like Copilot's own. Check which one Copilot used before you trust an answer. github.com

  • Do not commit tokens in .vscode/mcp.json

    A token typed into a workspace file can end up in git. Use an input variable with password set to true. code.visualstudio.com

  • You can review and undo approvals

    Chat: Manage Tool Approval lists approvals by MCP server, so you can remove 'always allow' choices for Atlassian tools. github.com

Security advisories

No published security advisories as of Nov 1, 2026.

Technical details
Turning on read-onlyOnly an org admin can turn off Write, for the whole organization. In VS Code, keep Manual tool approval and approve each Atlassian write call yourself; set those tools to false in chat.tools.eligibleForAutoApproval so they can never be auto-approved.
Talks tomcp.atlassian.com (HTTPS)
Sign-in and keysVS Code keeps the Atlassian sign-in for you. If you use an API token header, read it from an input with password set to true instead of typing it into mcp.json.
Scopes

  • Everything the signed-in user can access in Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket, Compass, Loom and Jira Service Management

Works in

Tap an app to see how to set it up and any known problems.

Questions

Why does Atlassian not show up in VS Code?

Check that Copilot Chat is in Agent mode and that the Atlassian server is ticked in the tools picker. At work, your Copilot admin must also allow MCP servers, and your own settings cannot override that.

Why does searching @mcp not show a list of servers?

Newer VS Code opens Find MCP Servers in Customizations when you search @mcp. Choose Browse MCP Servers there to see the list.

How do I sign in again?

Run MCP: List Servers from the Command Palette, pick the Atlassian server and restart it. The browser sign-in opens when it starts, and Show Output in the same menu shows any error.

Why does clicking Authenticate do nothing?

It is an open VS Code bug in Copilot agent host sessions, where no browser opens. One user reports the same server signs in from a Local session, so try that, or restart the server from MCP: List Servers.

Why does sign-in show 'Internal Server Error'?

It is an open report with many affected users, and tools then say 'We couldn't verify your access'. Restart the server from MCP: List Servers and sign in again; Atlassian staff suggested its newer sign-in server, announced in May 2026.

Why does sign-in say a scope has not been added to the app?

The error names the write:all:twg scope, and the report is still open. One user got past it by removing that scope from the sign-in address VS Code opened.

Why do Jira tools not work in Ask or Plan mode?

Users report the Jira lookup tool is only offered in Agent mode, so other modes fail. Switch the chat to Agent mode.

Can I use an API token instead of signing in?

Yes, if an org admin turns on API token sign-in. Use the API token option in the install box; Copilot harness sessions cannot pass a prompted token into the header, so use a Local session.

Why do I get 'Cannot have more than 128 tools per request'?

VS Code allows 128 tools in one chat request, and Atlassian adds dozens. Turn off tools or whole servers you do not need in the tools picker.

Can Copilot attach files to Jira issues?

Not yet. Copilot hides the upload token the Atlassian server returns, so the upload cannot finish, and the report is still open.

Information

updated Nov 1, 2026

WebsiteSupported toolsGitHubOfficial MCP RegistryAPI token authenticationIssues

More on this

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 15
  1. support.atlassian.com · support.atlassian.com
  2. atlassian-mcp-server README · github.com
  3. code.visualstudio.com · code.visualstudio.com
  4. github.com · github.com
  5. github.com · github.com
  6. Configuring authentication via API token · support.atlassian.com
  7. docs.github.com · docs.github.com
  8. github.com · github.com
  9. github.com · github.com
  10. github.com · github.com
  11. github.com · github.com
  12. github.com · github.com
  13. github.com · github.com
  14. github.com · github.com
  15. github.com · github.com

Updated Nov 1, 2026.