CircleCI MCP Server

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is a new, standardized protocol for managing context between large language models (LLMs) and external systems. In this repository, we provide an MCP Server for CircleCI.

Use Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot, Claude, or any MCP-compatible client to interact with CircleCI using natural language — without leaving your IDE.

Tools

Installation

Cursor

Prerequisites:

• CircleCI Personal API token (learn more)
• NPX: Node.js >= v18 and pnpm
• Docker: Docker

Using NPX in a local MCP Server

Add the following to your Cursor MCP config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "circleci-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest"],
      "env": {
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN": "your-circleci-token",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL": "https://circleci.com",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH": "50000"
      }
    }
  }
}

CIRCLECI_BASE_URL is optional — required for on-prem customers only.

MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH is optional — maximum output length for MCP responses (default: 50000).

Using Docker in a local MCP Server

Add the following to your Cursor MCP config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "circleci-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e",
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN",
        "-e",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL",
        "-e",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH",
        "circleci/mcp-server-circleci"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN": "your-circleci-token",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL": "https://circleci.com",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH": "50000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using a Self-Managed Remote MCP Server

Add the following to your Cursor MCP config:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "circleci-token",
      "description": "CircleCI API Token",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "circleci-mcp-server-remote": {
      "url": "http://your-circleci-remote-mcp-server-endpoint:8000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Prerequisites:

• CircleCI Personal API token (learn more)
• NPX: Node.js >= v18 and pnpm
• Docker: Docker

Using NPX in a local MCP Server

Add the following to .vscode/mcp.json in your project:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "circleci-token",
      "description": "CircleCI API Token",
      "password": true
    },
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "circleci-base-url",
      "description": "CircleCI Base URL",
      "default": "https://circleci.com"
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "circleci-mcp-server": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest"],
      "env": {
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN": "${input:circleci-token}",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL": "${input:circleci-base-url}"
      }
    }
  }
}

💡 Inputs are prompted on first server start, then stored securely by VS Code.

Using Docker in a local MCP Server

Add the following to .vscode/mcp.json in your project:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "circleci-token",
      "description": "CircleCI API Token",
      "password": true
    },
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "circleci-base-url",
      "description": "CircleCI Base URL",
      "default": "https://circleci.com"
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "circleci-mcp-server": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e",
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN",
        "-e",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL",
        "circleci/mcp-server-circleci"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN": "${input:circleci-token}",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL": "${input:circleci-base-url}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using a Self-Managed Remote MCP Server

Add the following to .vscode/mcp.json in your project:

{
  "servers": {
    "circleci-mcp-server-remote": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "http://your-circleci-remote-mcp-server-endpoint:8000/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop

Prerequisites:

• CircleCI Personal API token (learn more)
• NPX: Node.js >= v18 and pnpm
• Docker: Docker

Using NPX in a local MCP Server

Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "circleci-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest"],
      "env": {
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN": "your-circleci-token",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL": "https://circleci.com",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH": "50000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Docker in a local MCP Server

Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "circleci-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e",
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN",
        "-e",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL",
        "-e",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH",
        "circleci/mcp-server-circleci"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN": "your-circleci-token",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL": "https://circleci.com",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH": "50000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using a Self-Managed Remote MCP Server

Create a wrapper script (e.g. circleci-remote-mcp.sh):

#!/bin/bash
export CIRCLECI_TOKEN="your-circleci-token"
npx mcp-remote http://your-circleci-remote-mcp-server-endpoint:8000/mcp --allow-http

Make it executable:

chmod +x circleci-remote-mcp.sh

Then add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "circleci-remote-mcp-server": {
      "command": "/full/path/to/circleci-remote-mcp.sh"
    }
  }
}

To find or create your config file, open Claude Desktop settings, click Developer in the left sidebar, then click Edit Config. The config file is located at:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

For more information: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/quickstart/user

Claude Code

Prerequisites:

• CircleCI Personal API token (learn more)
• NPX: Node.js >= v18 and pnpm
• Docker: Docker

Using NPX in a local MCP Server

claude mcp add circleci-mcp-server -e CIRCLECI_TOKEN=your-circleci-token -- npx -y @circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest

Using Docker in a local MCP Server

claude mcp add circleci-mcp-server -e CIRCLECI_TOKEN=your-circleci-token -e CIRCLECI_BASE_URL=https://circleci.com -- docker run --rm -i -e CIRCLECI_TOKEN -e CIRCLECI_BASE_URL circleci/mcp-server-circleci

Using a Self-Managed Remote MCP Server

claude mcp add circleci-mcp-server -e CIRCLECI_TOKEN=your-circleci-token -- npx mcp-remote http://your-circleci-remote-mcp-server-endpoint:8000/mcp --allow-http

For more information: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/agents-and-tools/claude-code/tutorials#set-up-model-context-protocol-mcp

Windsurf

Prerequisites:

• CircleCI Personal API token (learn more)
• NPX: Node.js >= v18 and pnpm
• Docker: Docker

Using NPX in a local MCP Server

Add the following to your Windsurf mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "circleci-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest"],
      "env": {
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN": "your-circleci-token",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL": "https://circleci.com",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH": "50000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using Docker in a local MCP Server

Add the following to your Windsurf mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "circleci-mcp-server": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e",
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN",
        "-e",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL",
        "-e",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH",
        "circleci/mcp-server-circleci"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN": "your-circleci-token",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL": "https://circleci.com",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH": "50000"
      }
    }
  }
}

Using a Self-Managed Remote MCP Server

Add the following to your Windsurf mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "circleci": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote",
        "http://your-circleci-remote-mcp-server-endpoint:8000/mcp",
        "--allow-http"
      ],
      "disabled": false,
      "alwaysAllow": []
    }
  }
}

For more information: https://docs.windsurf.com/windsurf/mcp

Amazon Q Developer CLI

Prerequisites:

• CircleCI Personal API token (learn more)
• NPX: Node.js >= v18 and pnpm

MCP client configuration in Amazon Q Developer is stored in JSON format in a file named mcp.json. Two levels of configuration are supported:

• Global: ~/.aws/amazonq/mcp.json — applies to all workspaces
• Workspace: .amazonq/mcp.json — specific to the current workspace

If both files exist, their contents are merged. In case of conflict, the workspace config takes precedence.

Using NPX in a local MCP Server

Edit ~/.aws/amazonq/mcp.json or create .amazonq/mcp.json with the following:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "circleci-local": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN": "YOUR_CIRCLECI_TOKEN",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL": "https://circleci.com",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH": "50000"
      },
      "timeout": 60000
    }
  }
}

Using a Self-Managed Remote MCP Server

Create a wrapper script (e.g. circleci-remote-mcp.sh):

#!/bin/bash
export CIRCLECI_TOKEN="your-circleci-token"
npx mcp-remote http://your-circleci-remote-mcp-server-endpoint:8000/mcp --allow-http

Make it executable and add it:

chmod +x circleci-remote-mcp.sh
q mcp add --name circleci --command "/full/path/to/circleci-remote-mcp.sh"

Amazon Q Developer in the IDE

Prerequisites:

• CircleCI Personal API token (learn more)
• NPX: Node.js >= v18 and pnpm

Using NPX in a local MCP Server

Edit ~/.aws/amazonq/mcp.json or create .amazonq/mcp.json with the following:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "circleci-local": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "CIRCLECI_TOKEN": "YOUR_CIRCLECI_TOKEN",
        "CIRCLECI_BASE_URL": "https://circleci.com",
        "MAX_MCP_OUTPUT_LENGTH": "50000"
      },
      "timeout": 60000
    }
  }
}

Using a Self-Managed Remote MCP Server

Create a wrapper script (e.g. circleci-remote-mcp.sh):

#!/bin/bash
npx mcp-remote http://your-circleci-remote-mcp-server-endpoint:8000/mcp --allow-http

Make it executable, then add it via the MCP configuration UI:

1. Access the MCP configuration UI

2. Choose the + symbol

3. Select scope: global or local

4. Enter a name (e.g. circleci-remote-mcp)

5. Select transport protocol: stdio

6. Enter the command path to your script

7. Click Save

Smithery

To install CircleCI MCP Server for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @CircleCI-Public/mcp-server-circleci --client claude

Demo

Watch it in action

Example: "Find the latest failed pipeline on my branch and get logs"

— see the wiki for more examples.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/3c765985-8827-442a-a8dc-5069e01edb74

Tool Details

get_build_failure_logs

Retrieves detailed failure logs from CircleCI builds. This tool can be used in three ways:

1. Using Project Slug and Branch (Recommended):

• First use list_followed_projects to get your projects, then:
• Example: "Get build failures for my-project on the main branch"

2. Using CircleCI URLs:

• Provide a failed job URL or pipeline URL directly
• Example: "Get logs from https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/org/repo/123"

3. Using Local Project Context:

• Works from your local workspace by providing workspace root, git remote URL, and branch name
• Example: "Find the latest failed pipeline on my current branch"

The tool returns formatted logs including:

• Job names
• Step-by-step execution details
• Failure messages and context

find_flaky_tests

Identifies flaky tests in your CircleCI project by analyzing test execution history. Leverages the flaky test detection feature in CircleCI.

This tool can be used in three ways:

1. Using Project Slug (Recommended):

• First use list_followed_projects to get your projects, then:
• Example: "Get flaky tests for my-project"

2. Using CircleCI Project URL:

• Example: "Find flaky tests in https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/org/repo"

3. Using Local Project Context:

• Works from your local workspace by providing workspace root and git remote URL
• Example: "Find flaky tests in my current project"

Output modes:

• Text (default): Returns flaky test details in text format
• File (requires FILE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY env var): Creates a directory with flaky test details

get_latest_pipeline_status

Retrieves the status of the latest pipeline for a given branch. This tool can be used in three ways:

1. Using Project Slug and Branch (Recommended):

• Example: "Get the status of the latest pipeline for my-project on the main branch"

2. Using CircleCI Project URL:

• Example: "Get the status of the latest pipeline for https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/org/repo"

3. Using Local Project Context:

• Works from your local workspace by providing workspace root, git remote URL, and branch name

Example output:

---
Workflow: build
Status: success
Duration: 5 minutes
Created: 4/20/2025, 10:15:30 AM
Stopped: 4/20/2025, 10:20:45 AM
---
Workflow: test
Status: running
Duration: unknown
Created: 4/20/2025, 10:21:00 AM
Stopped: in progress

get_job_test_results

Retrieves test metadata for CircleCI jobs, allowing you to analyze test results without leaving your IDE. This tool can be used in three ways:

1. Using Project Slug and Branch (Recommended):

• Example: "Get test results for my-project on the main branch"

2. Using CircleCI URL:

• Job URL: https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/org/repo/123/workflows/abc-def/jobs/789
• Workflow URL: https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/org/repo/123/workflows/abc-def
• Pipeline URL: https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/org/repo/123

3. Using Local Project Context:

• Works from your local workspace by providing workspace root, git remote URL, and branch name

The tool returns:

• Summary of all tests (total, successful, failed)
• Detailed info on failed tests: name, class, file, error message, duration
• List of successful tests with timing
• Filter by test result

[!NOTE]

Test metadata must be configured in your CircleCI config. See Collect Test Data for setup instructions.

config_helper

Assists with CircleCI configuration tasks by providing guidance and validation.

• Validates your .circleci/config.yml for syntax and semantic errors
• Provides detailed validation results and configuration recommendations
• Example: "Validate my CircleCI config"

create_prompt_template

Generates structured prompt templates for AI-enabled applications based on feature requirements.

• Transforms user requirements into optimized prompt templates
• Returns a structured template and a context schema defining required input parameters
• Example: "Create a prompt template for generating bedtime stories by age and topic"

recommend_prompt_template_tests

Generates test cases for prompt templates to ensure they produce expected results.

• Creates diverse test scenarios based on your prompt template and context schema
• Returns an array of recommended test cases with various parameter combinations
• Example: "Generate tests for my bedtime story prompt template"

list_followed_projects

Lists all projects that the user is following on CircleCI.

• Shows all projects you have access to with their projectSlug
• Example: "List my CircleCI projects"

Example output:

Projects followed:
1. my-project (projectSlug: gh/organization/my-project)
2. another-project (projectSlug: gh/organization/another-project)

[!NOTE]

The projectSlug (not the project name) is required for many other CircleCI tools.

run_pipeline

Triggers a pipeline to run. This tool can be used in three ways:

1. Using Project Slug and Branch (Recommended):

• Example: "Run the pipeline for my-project on the main branch"

2. Using CircleCI URL:

• Pipeline URL, Workflow URL, Job URL, or Project URL with branch
• Example: "Run the pipeline for https://app.circleci.com/pipelines/github/org/repo/123"

3. Using Local Project Context:

• Works from your local workspace by providing workspace root, git remote URL, and branch name

The tool returns a link to monitor the pipeline execution.

run_rollback_pipeline

Triggers a rollback for a CircleCI project. The tool interactively guides you through:

1. Project Selection — lists followed projects for you to choose from

2. Environment Selection — lists available environments (auto-selects if only one)

3. Component Selection — lists available components (auto-selects if only one)

4. Version Selection — displays available versions; you select the target for rollback

5. Rollback Mode Detection — checks if a rollback pipeline is configured

6. Execute Rollback — two options:

• Pipeline Rollback: triggers the rollback pipeline
• Workflow Rerun: reruns a previous workflow using its workflow ID

7. Confirmation — summarizes and confirms before execution

rerun_workflow

Reruns a workflow from its start or from the failed job.

Returns the ID of the newly-created workflow and a link to monitor it.

analyze_diff

Analyzes git diffs against cursor rules to identify rule violations.

Provide:

• Git diff content (e.g. git diff --cached, git diff HEAD)
• Repository rules from .cursorrules or .cursor/rules

Returns detailed violation reports with confidence scores and explanations.

Useful for:

• Pre-commit code quality checks
• Ensuring consistency with team coding standards
• Catching rule violations before code review

list_component_versions

Lists all versions for a specific CircleCI component in an environment. Includes deployment status, commit information, and timestamps.

The tool will prompt you to select the component and environment if not provided.

Useful for:

• Identifying which version is currently live
• Selecting target versions for rollback operations
• Getting deployment details (pipeline, workflow, job)

download_usage_api_data

Downloads usage data from the CircleCI Usage API for a given organization. Accepts flexible date input (e.g., "March 2025" or "last month"). Cloud-only feature.

Option 1: Start a new export job by providing:

• orgId, startDate, endDate (max 32 days), outputDir

Option 2: Check/download an existing export job by providing:

• orgId, jobId, outputDir

Returns a CSV file with CircleCI usage data for the specified time frame.

[!NOTE]

Usage data can be fed into the find_underused_resource_classes tool for cost optimization analysis.

find_underused_resource_classes

Analyzes a CircleCI usage data CSV file to find jobs with average or max CPU/RAM usage below a given threshold (default: 40%).

Provide a CSV file obtained from download_usage_api_data.

Returns a markdown list of underused jobs organized by project and workflow — useful for identifying cost optimization opportunities.

Troubleshooting

Quick Fixes

Most common issues:

1. Clear package caches:

npx clear-npx-cache
   npm cache clean --force

2. Force latest version: Add @latest to your config:

"args": ["-y", "@circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest"]

3. Restart your IDE completely (not just reload window)

Authentication Issues

• Invalid token errors: Verify your CIRCLECI_TOKEN in Personal API Tokens
• Permission errors: Ensure the token has read access to your projects
• Environment variables not loading: Test with echo $CIRCLECI_TOKEN (Mac/Linux) or echo %CIRCLECI_TOKEN% (Windows)

Connection and Network Issues

• Base URL: Confirm CIRCLECI_BASE_URL is https://circleci.com
• Corporate networks: Configure npm proxy settings if behind a firewall
• Firewall blocking: Check if security software blocks package downloads

System Requirements

• Node.js version: Ensure >= 18.0.0 with node --version
• Update Node.js: Consider latest LTS if experiencing compatibility issues
• Package manager: Verify npm/pnpm is working: npm --version

IDE-Specific Issues

• Config file location: Double-check the path for your OS
• Syntax errors: Validate JSON syntax in your config file
• Console logs: Check the IDE developer console for specific errors
• Try a different IDE: Test in another supported editor to isolate the issue

Process Issues

Hanging processes — kill existing MCP processes:

# Mac/Linux:
pkill -f "mcp-server-circleci"

# Windows:
taskkill /f /im node.exe

Port conflicts: Restart your IDE if the connection seems blocked.

Advanced Debugging

• Test package directly: npx @circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest --help
• Verbose logging: DEBUG=* npx @circleci/mcp-server-circleci@latest
• Docker fallback: Try Docker installation if npx fails consistently

Still need help?

1. Check GitHub Issues for similar problems

2. Include your OS, Node version, and IDE when reporting issues

3. Share relevant error messages from the IDE console

Development

Getting Started

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/CircleCI-Public/mcp-server-circleci.git
   cd mcp-server-circleci

2. Install dependencies:

pnpm install

3. Build the project:

pnpm build

Building Docker Container

You can build the Docker container locally using:

docker build -t circleci:mcp-server-circleci .

This will create a Docker image tagged as circleci:mcp-server-circleci that you can use with any MCP client.

To run the container locally:

docker run --rm -i -e CIRCLECI_TOKEN=your-circleci-token -e CIRCLECI_BASE_URL=https://circleci.com circleci:mcp-server-circleci

To run the container as a self-managed remote MCP server, add start=remote and optionally specify the port (default: 8000):

docker run --rm -i -e CIRCLECI_TOKEN=your-circleci-token -e CIRCLECI_BASE_URL=https://circleci.com -e start=remote -e port=8000 circleci:mcp-server-circleci

Development with MCP Inspector

The easiest way to iterate on the MCP Server is using the MCP inspector. You can learn more about the MCP inspector at https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/tools/inspector

1. Start the development server:

pnpm watch # Keep this running in one terminal

2. In a separate terminal, launch the inspector:

pnpm inspector

3. Configure the environment:

• Add your CIRCLECI_TOKEN to the Environment Variables section in the inspector UI
• The token needs read access to your CircleCI projects
• Optionally set your CircleCI Base URL (defaults to https://circleci.com)

Testing

• Run the test suite:

pnpm test

• Run tests in watch mode during development:

pnpm test:watch

For more detailed contribution guidelines, see CONTRIBUTING.md