jira-cli

Capabilities

One CLI for the whole issue tracker

Read, search and update Jira issues — with output a coding agent can act on.

JQL search

Query with raw JQL, or build one from filter flags: project, assignee, status, type, label and free text — with me and unassigned conveniences.

Create & edit issues

Create, edit and assign issues in plain text — the ADF asymmetry between Cloud and Data Center is bridged for you — and preview any write with --dry-run.

Workflow transitions

Discover what an issue can do right now, then move it — by transition name or ID, with candidate lists on ambiguity.

Comments

Read issue comments and post, edit or delete them — deletion gated behind --yes.

Multiple servers

kubectl-style named contexts in one config file. Switch the current server, or override per command with --use-context.

Agent-first output

JSON by default, with structured errors — categories, exit codes and recovery hints a coding agent can branch on.

Secure credentials

Tokens live in the OS keychain, with a per-user DPAPI fallback on Windows and a 0600 fallback on macOS/Linux — never in the config file.

Cloud & Data Center

One flavor-agnostic client; the backend — Cloud or Data Center / Server — is detected automatically.

Install

Up and running in a minute

Install with npm, then finish setup in two steps — deploy the Skill, then turn on shell completion.

install

# recommended — fetches the prebuilt binary for your platform
npm install -g @angelmsger/jira-cli

Other methods — go install, a source build, or a prebuilt binary from the Releases page — are in the installation guide.

Then finish setup:

1 · Companion Skill

A jira Skill is embedded in the binary. It detects your coding agent — Claude Code, Codex — and installs for each:

$ jira-cli skill install

2 · Shell completion

Completes subcommands, flag values and live project keys. Load it once:

$ source <(jira-cli completion bash)

Quick start

Configure once, then work the backlog

Set up a server, then read and write from the terminal.

a typical session

# interactive TUI setup, then verify connectivity
$ jira-cli config init --pretty
$ jira-cli doctor

# find an issue, then read it
$ jira-cli issue search --project ENG --assignee me
$ jira-cli issue get PROJ-123

# move it through the workflow, preview before sending
$ jira-cli issue transitions PROJ-123
$ jira-cli issue transition PROJ-123 --to "In Progress" --dry-run