Install Bitrise MCP Server in AWS Kiro

Prerequisites

• AWS Kiro IDE installed

Authentication

Kiro currently uses environment-variable-based authentication for MCP servers, so the standard Power installation uses a Bitrise Personal Access Token (PAT). Create a Bitrise API Token under Account Settings → Security.

If you're running a Kiro build that supports MCP OAuth and prefer to use it, see the OAuth-based Kiro configuration section below.

Installation via Kiro Power

AWS Kiro supports installing the Bitrise MCP server as a Power, which provides automatic activation based on context and keywords.

Steps

1. Open the Powers Panel

   • In Kiro IDE, open the Powers panel from the sidebar

2. Add Power from GitHub

   • Click on "Add power from GitHub"

3. Enter the Repository URL

   https://github.com/bitrise-io/bitrise-mcp/tree/main/kiro-powers/bitrise-ci

4. Set Up Authentication

   • Before starting Kiro, set the BITRISE_TOKEN environment variable in your shell profile (.zshrc or .bashrc):

     export BITRISE_TOKEN="your-actual-token-here"

   • Restart your terminal or run source ~/.zshrc (or source ~/.bashrc)
   • Start Kiro - it will read the environment variable on startup
   • When Kiro starts, a popup may ask if you trust the environment variable - accept it to allow access

5. Verify Installation

   • The Bitrise Power should now appear in your Powers list
   • It will automatically activate when you mention keywords like "bitrise", "build", "ci", "cd", "mobile", "ios", "android", etc.

Usage

Once installed, the Bitrise Power will automatically activate when relevant. You can:

• Manage Bitrise apps
• Trigger and monitor builds
• Handle build artifacts
• Manage workspaces and teams
• Configure pipelines
• Set up release management

The power provides access to all 63 Bitrise tools. For a complete list of available tools and their parameters, refer to the tools documentation.

OAuth-based Configuration (experimental)

For Kiro builds that support MCP OAuth, you can drop the BITRISE_TOKEN requirement entirely. Edit ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json (user level) or .kiro/settings/mcp.json (workspace level) and remove the headers block:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "bitrise": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.bitrise.io"
    }
  }
}

On first tool use, Kiro will open your browser for the Bitrise sign-in flow.

Advanced Configuration

You can limit the tools exposed by configuring API groups. This is useful for optimizing token usage or focusing on specific functionality.

Available API groups:

• apps - App management
• builds - Build operations
• artifacts - Artifact management
• workspaces - Workspace management
• pipelines - Pipeline operations
• outgoing-webhooks - Webhook configuration
• cache-items - Cache management
• release-management - Release and distribution
• group-roles - Role management
• account - User account operations
• read-only - Read-only operations

By default, all groups are enabled. To customize, modify the Power configuration after installation.

Troubleshooting

Environment Variable Not Working

Kiro IDE can only read environment variables that are set in your shell profile (.zshrc or .bashrc) before Kiro starts. Unlike VS Code, Kiro does not prompt you to enter the token value - it expects the environment variable to already be available.

Option 1: Set in Shell Profile (Recommended)

1. Add the export to your shell profile:

   # Add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc
   export BITRISE_TOKEN="your-actual-token-here"

2. Restart your terminal or source the profile: source ~/.zshrc
3. Restart Kiro - this is required for Kiro to pick up the new environment variable
4. When prompted, accept the popup asking if you trust the environment variable

Option 2: Manual Configuration If the environment variable approach doesn't work, you can hardcode the token:

1. Open ~/.kiro/settings/mcp.json (user level) or .kiro/settings/mcp.json (workspace level)
2. Find the Bitrise server entry
3. Replace ${BITRISE_TOKEN} with your actual token value
4. Save the file and restart Kiro

Option 3: Use OAuth If your Kiro build supports MCP OAuth, see the OAuth-based Configuration section above.

Note on Environment Variable Syntax The syntax for environment variables differs between Kiro CLI and IDE:

• Kiro CLI: Use ${env:BITRISE_TOKEN} (with env: prefix)
• Kiro IDE: Use ${BITRISE_TOKEN} (without prefix)

This inconsistency is a known issue. The Power is configured with ${BITRISE_TOKEN} which works for the IDE.

Power Not Activating

• Ensure you've entered the correct repository URL with /tree/main/power path
• Check that your BITRISE_TOKEN is valid
• Try mentioning explicit keywords like "bitrise" in your conversation

Authentication Issues

• Verify your Personal Access Token is still valid
• Check token permissions in your Bitrise account settings
• Regenerate the token if necessary

Connection Problems

• The power connects to https://mcp.bitrise.io
• Ensure you have internet connectivity
• Check if there are any firewall restrictions

Additional Resources

• Bitrise API Documentation
• Kiro Powers Documentation
• MCP Protocol Documentation