Setting Up Zephyr Remote MCP

Remote Zephyr MCP allows AI clients and platforms to securely access Zephyr MCP tools through the hosted SmartBear MCP infrastructure, without requiring a local MCP server installation.

Zephyr MCP tools are available through SmartBear Remote MCP URL:

https://zephyr.mcp.smartbear.com/mcp

Remote MCP is recommended when:

  • Teams want centralized access to Zephyr data and workflows.

  • Integrating with Atlassian Rovo.

  • Using shared enterprise AI assistants.

  • Managing authentication and governance centrally.

  • Connecting cloud-based AI tools to Zephyr.

Important Notes

  • Authentication tokens expire after 30 minutes and may require re-authentication depending on the MCP client.

  • A user can only configure one Jira instance at a time with Zephyr MCP. Existing connections should be removed before connecting to a different instance.

  • Callback URLs must be explicitly whitelisted and use a fixed port. Dynamic ports are not currently supported.

  • Remote MCP for Zephyr is available only to customers whose data is hosted in the US (default) region. Customers with data in the EU, GE, or AU regions cannot use Remote MCP at this time.

Connect Remote Zephyr MCP to Atlassian Rovo

A remote MCP deployment is required when connecting Zephyr MCP to Atlassian Rovo.

Prerequisites

Before connecting Zephyr MCP to Rovo:

  • You must be a Jira administrator.

  • Rovo is enabled on your Jira instance.

  • You have a valid Zephyr Standard or Zephyr Advanced license.

Option 1: Add MCP Server from Jira Administration

  1. Open Jira Administration.

  2. Navigate to Connected apps.

  3. In the top-right corner near Explore apps, open the dropdown menu.

  4. Select Add External MCP server.

  5. Select the Custom MCP server option.

  6. Enter the Zephyr MCP server details using the following URL:

    https://zephyr.mcp.smartbear.com/mcp

Option 2: Connect Through a Rovo Agent

You can also connect Zephyr MCP directly while configuring a Custom Rovo Agent.

  1. Go to Rovo Studio.

  2. Create or edit a Custom Rovo Agent.

  3. Click Add skills.

  4. In the MCP section, click the + button.

  5. Select the Custom MCP Server option.

  6. Enter the Zephyr MCP server details using the following URL:

    https://zephyr.mcp.smartbear.com/mcp

After configuration, Zephyr MCP tools will be available as skills within the Rovo Agent.

Connect Remote Zephyr MCP to Claude

You can connect Remote Zephyr MCP to Claude Desktop or the Claude CLI to access Zephyr MCP tools directly within Claude.

Important Notes

  • Authentication tokens expire after 30 minutes and may require re-authentication.

  • Callback URLs must use a fixed port. Dynamic ports are not currently supported.

Remote Zephyr MCP URL:

https://zephyr.mcp.smartbear.com/mcp

Connect Through Claude Desktop

  1. Open Claude Desktop.

  2. Go to Settings.

  3. Open the Connectors section.

  4. Add the Zephyr MCP connector.

  5. Complete the authentication flow in Claude.

Depending on your Claude configuration, administrator permissions may be required to add custom MCP connectors.

Re-authentication

Claude Desktop currently requires reconnecting after the authentication token expires.

Connect Through Claude CLI

Run the following command:

claude mcp add --transport http zephyrmcp https://zephyr.mcp.smartbear.com/mcp --callback-port 8080

The --callback-port 8080 parameter is required because dynamic callback ports are not currently supported.

Refresh or Re-authenticate the Connection

To refresh or re-authenticate the MCP connection:

  1. Open Claude.

  2. Run the following command:

    /mcp

  3. Select the Zephyr MCP server from the available connections.

Connect Remote Zephyr MCP to GitHub Copilot

You can connect Remote Zephyr MCP to GitHub Copilot in VS Code or IntelliJ to access Zephyr MCP tools directly within the Copilot agent experience.

Important Notes

  • Authentication tokens expire after 30 minutes and may require re-authentication depending on the client.

  • Callback URLs must use a fixed port. Dynamic ports are not currently supported.

Remote Zephyr MCP URL:

https://zephyr.mcp.smartbear.com/mcp

Connect Through VS Code

  1. Open VS Code.

  2. Open the Copilot Agent Chat and ensure you are using Agent Mode.

  3. Click Tools below the chat input.

  4. Select Connect HTTP MCP Server.Click the MCP icon.

  5. Enter the Zephyr MCP URL:

    https://zephyr.mcp.smartbear.com/mcp

Configure MCP Manually

You can also configure MCP manually through the mcp.json configuration file.

Project-Level Configuration
.vscode/mcp.json
Global Configuration
~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/mcp.json

Example configuration:

{
  "servers": {
    "zephyr-mcp": {
      "url": "https://zephyr.mcp.smartbear.com/mcp",
      "type": "http"
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting

If you experience MCP connection issues in VS Code:

  1. Open the Command Palette.

  2. Run the following commands in sequence:

    • Reset MCP Trust

    • MCP Tools

    • Developer: Restart Window

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