MCP Tool Discovery

Learn how to discover and use all available MCP tools in the Confluence ADF server with Claude Code.

Discovering Available Tools

Method 1: Ask Claude to List Tools

The simplest way to see all available tools is to ask Claude directly:

Show me all available MCP tools for Confluence

What Confluence tools do you have access to?

Claude will automatically discover and list all registered MCP tools from the mcp-confluence-adf server.

Method 2: Claude Code Tool Inspector

In Claude Code, you can view available MCP tools:

Open Tool Inspector: Use the command palette or menu to access MCP tool information
Filter by Server: Look for mcp-confluence-adf server
Browse Tools: See all available tools with descriptions

Method 3: Help Command

Ask for specific tool help:

Help me understand the confluence_download_page tool

Show me the parameters for create_confluence_content

Available MCP Tools Reference

Authentication Tools

`confluence_oauth_init`

Purpose: Initialize OAuth 2.0 authentication flow Usage: Set up OAuth authentication with my Confluence instance

Parameters:

clientId (string) - OAuth client ID from Atlassian Developer Console
clientSecret (string) - OAuth client secret
redirectUri (string, optional) - Callback URL (default: http://localhost:9000/oauth/callback)

Example:

Initialize OAuth with client ID abc123 and client secret xyz789

`confluence_oauth_complete`

Purpose: Complete OAuth authentication after authorization Usage: Complete the OAuth authentication process

Parameters:

openBrowser (boolean, optional) - Whether to open browser automatically

Example:

Complete OAuth authentication and open browser

`confluence_oauth_status`

Purpose: Check current OAuth authentication status Usage: Check my Confluence authentication status

Example:

Am I authenticated with Confluence?

`confluence_oauth_clear`

Purpose: Clear OAuth authentication and tokens Usage: Clear my Confluence authentication

Example:

Reset my Confluence authentication

Content Management Tools

`confluence_download_page`

Purpose: Download Confluence page as Markdown for local editing Usage: Download page [PAGE_ID] for editing

Parameters:

pageId (string) - Confluence page ID
targetDirectory (string, optional) - Custom download directory

Example:

Download page 123456789 to edit locally

`confluence_upload_page`

Purpose: Upload Markdown file to Confluence (create/update) Usage: Upload [FILE_PATH] to Confluence

Parameters:

filePath (string) - Path to Markdown file
mode (string) - "create" or "update"
spaceKey (string, required for create) - Target space
title (string, required for create) - Page title
parentPageId (string, optional) - Parent page ID

Examples:

Upload confluence-downloads/123456789-guide.md back to Confluence

Create new page from my-guide.md in DOCS space titled "Team Guide"

`create_confluence_content`

Purpose: Create new Confluence pages or blog posts Usage: Create a new page in [SPACE] titled [TITLE]

Parameters:

spaceKey (string) - Target space key
title (string) - Page title
content (object) - ADF content object
type (string, optional) - "page" or "blog" (default: page)
parentId (string, optional) - Parent page ID

Example:

Create a new page in DOCS space titled "API Documentation" with content about our REST API

`read_confluence_content`

Purpose: Read content from Confluence pages Usage: Read content from page [PAGE_ID]

Parameters:

pageId (string) - Page ID to read
expand (string, optional) - Additional data to include

Example:

Read content from page 987654321

`update_confluence_content`

Purpose: Update existing Confluence pages Usage: Update page [PAGE_ID] with new content

Parameters:

pageId (string) - Page ID to update
content (object) - New ADF content
version (number) - Current version number
title (string, optional) - New title

Example:

Update page 123456789 with new API documentation content

`delete_confluence_content`

Purpose: Delete Confluence pages Usage: Delete page [PAGE_ID]

Parameters:

pageId (string) - Page ID to delete

Example:

Delete page 123456789

Search & Discovery Tools

`search_confluence_pages`

Purpose: Search Confluence pages using CQL Usage: Search for pages containing [TERMS]

Parameters:

cql (string) - Confluence Query Language expression
limit (number, optional) - Maximum results (default: 25)
start (number, optional) - Start index for pagination

Examples:

Search for pages containing "API documentation" in the DOCS space

Find pages modified in the last week by john.doe

`list_confluence_spaces`

Purpose: List all accessible Confluence spaces Usage: Show me all my Confluence spaces

Parameters:

limit (number, optional) - Maximum spaces to return
type (string, optional) - Filter by space type

Example:

List all my Confluence spaces

`get_page_versions`

Purpose: Get version history of a Confluence page Usage: Show version history for page [PAGE_ID]

Parameters:

pageId (string) - Page ID
limit (number, optional) - Number of versions to return

Example:

Show version history for page 123456789

`manage_page_labels`

Purpose: Add or remove labels on Confluence pages Usage: Add label [LABEL] to page [PAGE_ID]

Parameters:

pageId (string) - Target page ID
labels (array) - Labels to add/remove
action (string) - "add" or "remove"

Example:

Add labels "api" and "documentation" to page 123456789

Template Tools

`list_available_templates`

Purpose: List all available YAML templates Usage: Show me available templates

Parameters:

category (string, optional) - Filter by template category

Examples:

Show me all available templates

Show templates in the "user-guide" category

`generate_from_template`

Purpose: Generate structured content from YAML template Usage: Generate documentation using [TEMPLATE_NAME] template

Parameters:

templateName (string) - Name of template to use
outputPath (string, optional) - Custom output path
userContext (object, optional) - Template variables

Example:

Generate getting started guide using "simple-getting-started" template for my React app

`validate_template`

Purpose: Validate YAML template structure Usage: Validate template file [TEMPLATE_PATH]

Parameters:

templatePath (string) - Path to template file

Example:

Validate my custom template file templates/my-template.yml

How to Use Tools with Claude

Natural Language Commands

Claude understands natural language requests and automatically selects appropriate tools:

Authentication Commands

"Set up authentication with Confluence"
→ Uses: confluence_oauth_init

"Check if I'm logged into Confluence" 
→ Uses: confluence_oauth_status

"Reset my Confluence login"
→ Uses: confluence_oauth_clear

Content Management Commands

"Download the team handbook page for editing"
→ Uses: confluence_download_page

"Upload my updated documentation to Confluence"
→ Uses: confluence_upload_page

"Create a new troubleshooting guide in the SUPPORT space"
→ Uses: create_confluence_content

Search Commands

"Find all pages about API documentation"
→ Uses: search_confluence_pages

"Show me all available spaces"
→ Uses: list_confluence_spaces

"What's the version history of the main documentation page?"
→ Uses: get_page_versions

Template Commands

"Show me available documentation templates"
→ Uses: list_available_templates

"Create API documentation using the standard template"
→ Uses: generate_from_template

Workflow Examples

Complete Page Editing Workflow

User: "I need to update the API documentation page"

Claude: 
1. "What's the page ID of the API documentation?"
2. Uses confluence_download_page to download the page
3. "I've downloaded the page to confluence-downloads/. Make your edits."
4. Uses confluence_upload_page to upload changes back

New Documentation Creation Workflow

User: "Create comprehensive API documentation"

Claude:
1. Uses list_available_templates to show options
2. "I found an 'api-documentation' template. What's your API name and base URL?"
3. Uses generate_from_template with user context
4. Uses create_confluence_content to create the page

Content Discovery Workflow

User: "Find outdated documentation that needs updating"

Claude:
1. Uses search_confluence_pages with date filters
2. Uses get_page_versions to check update history
3. Provides list of pages that need attention

Tool Discovery Tips

1. Start with Questions

"What can you help me do with Confluence?"
"How do I download a page for editing?"
"What templates are available?"

2. Be Specific About Goals

"I want to create API documentation" (Claude suggests templates)
"I need to update multiple pages" (Claude suggests batch workflows)
"I'm looking for specific content" (Claude suggests search tools)

3. Ask for Tool Details

"What parameters does the download tool need?"
"How do I use CQL for searching?"
"What template variables are available?"

4. Request Workflows

"Walk me through editing a page"
"Show me how to create documentation from scratch" 
"What's the process for bulk updates?"

Advanced Usage

CQL (Confluence Query Language)

Use with search_confluence_pages for powerful searches:

# Find pages by title
title ~ "API"

# Find recent content
created >= "2024-01-01"

# Find by space and content
space = "DOCS" and text ~ "authentication"

# Find by labels
label in ("api", "documentation")

# Find by contributor
contributor = "john.doe@company.com"

Template Variables

When using templates, provide context:

"Generate documentation using api-template with:
- project_name: Payment Gateway
- api_version: v2.1
- base_url: https://api.payments.com"

Batch Operations

For multiple pages:

"Download all pages in DOCS space that contain 'outdated'"
"Update all API documentation pages with new authentication section"

Troubleshooting Tool Usage

Common Issues

Authentication Required

Error: "OAuth authentication required"
Solution: Run confluence_oauth_init first

Page Not Found

Error: "Page ID 123456789 not found"
Solution: Verify page ID from Confluence URL

Template Not Found

Error: "Template 'my-template' not found"
Solution: Use list_available_templates to see options

Permission Denied

Error: "Insufficient permissions for space DOCS"
Solution: Check space permissions in Confluence

Getting Help

Ask Claude for specific help:

"I'm getting an authentication error with Confluence"
"The download tool isn't working for page 123456789"
"How do I fix template generation errors?"

Claude can diagnose issues and suggest solutions using the appropriate MCP tools.

Next Steps

MCP Server Configuration - Server setup and configuration
Confluence Content Tools - Detailed tool reference
Claude Template Generation - Working with templates
Authentication Setup - OAuth configuration guide

PreviousError Handling NextMCP Tools Reference

Last updated 5 days ago