Tempo

You can run Tempo MCP Server as a dedicated MCP endpoint to manage Tempo worklogs in Jira from any MCP-compatible client. It exposes tools to retrieve, create, bulk-create, edit, and delete worklogs, making it easier to track time across Jira issues from Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients.

How to use

Connect your MCP client to the Tempo MCP Server using a stdio (local) or http (remote) configuration. You can run the server directly via NPX for quick setup or host it locally after cloning the repository. Once connected, you can retrieve worklogs for a date range, create new worklogs against Jira issues, perform bulk creates, edit existing worklogs, or delete them. Use the provided environment variables to authorize with Tempo and Jira, and point the server at your Jira Cloud instance.

Typical usage patterns include: start a local or remote Tempo MCP server, configure your MCP client with the server’s command and environment, then issue actions like fetch worklogs for a date range or log time against an issue. The server translates your MCP requests into Tempo and Jira API calls, returning results to your MCP client.

How to install

Prerequisites you need before installation:

• Node.js 18+ (LTS recommended)
• Jira Cloud instance
• Tempo API token
• Jira API token

Option 1: NPX usage (recommended for most users) follow these steps to run without installation.

# Step 1: Add Tempo MCP Server to Claude Desktop configuration
# Open Claude Desktop configuration file and add the MCP server entry with NPX usage
"mcpServers": {
  "Jira_Tempo": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@ivelin-web/tempo-mcp-server"],
    "env": {
      "TEMPO_API_TOKEN": "your_tempo_api_token_here",
      "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your_jira_api_token_here",
      "JIRA_EMAIL": "your_email@example.com",
      "JIRA_BASE_URL": "https://your-org.atlassian.net"
    }
  }
}

Option 2: Local clone of the repository for development or customization.

# Clone the Tempo MCP Server repository
git clone https://github.com/ivelin-web/tempo-mcp-server.git
cd tempo-mcp-server

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build TypeScript files
npm run build

Additional setup for local development

There are two ways to run the server locally after building.

1. Using the MCP Inspector for development and debugging

npm run inspect

2. Running directly with Node by pointing to the built file

Open your MCP client configuration and configure a local stdio connection that runs the built server.

"mcpServers": {
  "Jira_Tempo": {
    "command": "node",
    "args": ["/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/tempo-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
    "env": {
      "TEMPO_API_TOKEN": "your_tempo_api_token_here",
      "JIRA_API_TOKEN": "your_jira_api_token_here",
      "JIRA_EMAIL": "your_email@example.com",
      "JIRA_BASE_URL": "https://your-org.atlassian.net"
    }
  }
}

Configuration and tokens

Set your API tokens and Jira details as environment variables for the server. You can provide them in your MCP client configuration or in your environment where the server runs.

TEMPO_API_TOKEN=your_tempo_api_token_here
JIRA_API_TOKEN=your_jira_api_token_here
JIRA_EMAIL=your_email@example.com
JIRA_BASE_URL=https://your-org.atlassian.net
JIRA_AUTH_TYPE=basic  # or bearer for OAuth 2.0 tokens

Tempo account field (optional)

If your Tempo instance requires worklogs to be linked to accounts, set the custom field ID that contains the account information.

JIRA_TEMPO_ACCOUNT_CUSTOM_FIELD_ID=10234

Available actions (endpoints)

The server exposes a set of tools to manage worklogs for a user over a date window and individual worklog records.

retrieveWorklogs: fetch worklogs for a user between a start and end date.

createWorklog: create a new worklog for a Jira issue.

bulkCreateWorklogs: create multiple worklogs in a single operation.

editWorklog: modify an existing worklog.

deleteWorklog: remove a worklog.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues, ensure all environment variables are set correctly and tokens have the required permissions. Check the server logs for error messages and try the inspector workflow for debugging.

Notes

This server implements the Model Context Protocol used by MCP clients to perform Jira Tempo worklog management.

Available tools

retrieveWorklogs

Fetches worklogs for the configured user between start and end dates. Requires startDate and endDate.

createWorklog

Creates a new worklog for a specific Jira issue. Requires issueKey, timeSpentHours, and date; optional description and startTime.

bulkCreateWorklogs

Creates multiple worklogs in a single operation. Accepts an array of worklogEntries with issueKey, timeSpentHours, date, and optional fields.

editWorklog

Modifies an existing worklog identified by worklogId. You can update timeSpentHours, description, date, and startTime.

deleteWorklog

Removes an existing worklog identified by worklogId.