🩺 Troubleshooting

🔐 Authentication

API key authentication is optional for reads and required for writes (creating bugs, posting comments, uploading attachments, and tagging comments).

Log in to bugzilla.mozilla.org
Go to Preferences → API Keys
Click Generate a new API key and give it a description
Copy the key and set it as MCP_BUGZILLA_API_KEY

Verify your key:

curl -H "X-BUGZILLA-API-KEY: your-key" \
  https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/rest/whoami

You can also override the Bugzilla instance with MCP_BUGZILLA_BASE_URL (useful for self-hosted installations). It defaults to https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/rest.

When no key is set, the server starts in read-only mode and write tools return a clear error instead of failing silently.

🔒 Security best practices

✅ Set MCP_BUGZILLA_API_KEY as an environment variable — never hardcode it.
✅ Never commit your API key to version control.
✅ Protect your shell profile or secrets manager where the key is stored.
✅ Rotate your key at Bugzilla preferences if it is ever exposed.

🔌 Server not showing

Ensure Node.js 20+ is installed: node --version
Check the server key includes the mcp- prefix in your config
Restart Claude Desktop / reload your editor after config changes
Run claude mcp get mcp-bugzilla to verify the registration

🚫 Authentication errors

Test your key directly:

curl -H "X-BUGZILLA-API-KEY: your-key" \
  https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/rest/whoami

A 401/403 means the key is missing, mistyped, or revoked. Generate a fresh key and update your config.

📋 Checking logs

macOS: ~/Library/Logs/Claude/mcp-server-mcp-bugzilla.log
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\mcp-server-mcp-bugzilla.log
Claude Code: claude mcp get mcp-bugzilla