build_download_artifact
Download a Pipeline artifact from a build using signed URLs. Only supports Pipeline artifacts (created with PublishPipelineArtifact task). Saves as a ZIP file.
LABSCO SUMMARY
Build forensics with the files on your disk at the end of it, not a browser tab.
The combination that earns its place is timeline plus log download: the timeline names the stages, jobs and tasks and the agent each one ran on, and you can then pull that job's log by name rather than hunting for an ID. Downloads are tracked, so the temporary directory can be listed and cleaned rather than quietly filling up. Start with the health check — it reports which permissions your token actually carries, which is where most setups go wrong.
What it is
An Azure DevOps server aimed at builds and the agents behind them: pipelines and builds, agent pools and queues, and the logs and artifacts a run produced.
What you get
- Builds listed and filtered by pipeline name, status, result, branch or date range, with paging for large result sets
- Pipeline definitions listed by name, which is how you find the definition ID other calls need
- A build's timeline: every stage, job and task, and which agent executed each one
- New builds queued against a definition, with a source branch and parameters
- Job logs downloaded by job name, and logs downloaded by stage, job or task name found in the timeline — a stage pulls all its child job logs into an organized directory
- Artifacts listed for a build and Pipeline artifacts downloaded through signed URLs as a ZIP
- Agent queues in the project listed and opened, with pool details and agent counts
- Agents found across the organization's pools, or listed with filters for name, pool and online status
- The downloads this server has made: listed, located, and cleaned up by age
- A health check that verifies the connection and reports which permissions the token actually has
Requirements
An Azure DevOps organization and a personal access token. Set ADO_ORGANIZATION to the organization URL, ADO_PROJECT to the project name, and ADO_PAT to the token. Scope decides what works: Agent Pools (read) and Build (read) cover the project tools, Build (read & execute) is what allows queueing a build, and the org_ tools need Agent Pools (read) at organization level because agents live there rather than in a project. Run it with npx -y @rxreyn3/azure-devops-mcp@latest over stdio, from the npm package @rxreyn3/azure-devops-mcp, currently 1.9.0. Downloads land in a managed temporary directory unless you pass an output path, and artifact download covers Pipeline artifacts — the ones published with the PublishPipelineArtifact task.
Setup effort
One command plus a key — claude mcp add azure-devops -e ADO_ORGANIZATION="https://dev.azure.com/your-organization" -e ADO_PROJECT="your-project-name" -e ADO_PAT="your-personal-access-token" -- npx -y @rxreyn3/azure-devops-mcp@latest, then supply credentials
USE CASES
01
Working out why a build failed last night
Find the build, read its timeline to see which job broke, then download that job's log.
02
Getting an artifact out of a run
List what the build published, then download the Pipeline artifact as a ZIP.
03
Kicking off a pipeline against a branch
Find the definition by name, then queue the build with the source branch and any parameters.
04
Checking whether a specific build agent is online
Search for it across the organization's pools and read its status and version.
05
Seeing what capacity a project has to build on
List the agent queues, then open one for its pool details and agent count.
06
Clearing out downloads after an investigation
List what has been pulled down, then remove the files older than the cutoff you set.
16 tools
Counted once with only startup setup. Other versions, modes or optional credentials may expose a different list.
build_download_job_logs
Download logs for a specific job from a build by job name. Saves the log content to a file on the local filesystem.
build_download_logs_by_name
Download logs for a stage, job, or task by searching for its name in the build timeline. Handles stages by downloading all child job logs into an organized directory structure.
build_get_timeline
Get the timeline for a build showing all jobs, tasks, and which agents executed them. Requires build ID and optionally timeline ID.
build_list
List builds with optional filtering by pipeline name, status, result, branch, or date range. Supports pagination for large result sets.
build_list_artifacts
List all artifacts available for a specific build. Shows artifact names, types, and metadata.
build_list_definitions
List build pipeline definitions with optional name filtering. Useful for finding pipeline IDs.
build_queue
Queue (launch) a new build for a pipeline definition. Returns the queued build details. Requires PAT with "Build (read & execute)" and "Agent Pools (read)" scopes.
cleanup_downloads
Remove old downloaded files from the temporary directory.
get_download_location
Get information about the temporary directory where files are downloaded.
list_downloads
List all files downloaded to the temporary directory by this MCP server, including logs and artifacts.
org_find_agent
Find which queue/pool an agent belongs to. Searches across all pools in the organization. Requires PAT with organization-level Agent Pools (read) permission.
org_list_agents
List agents from project pools with optional filtering. Shows agent status, version, and basic info. Requires PAT with organization-level Agent Pools (read) permission to access agent details.
project_get_queue
Get detailed information about a specific queue including pool details and agent count. Requires project-scoped PAT with Agent Pools (read) permission.
project_health_check
Check connection to Azure DevOps and verify permissions. Requires project-scoped PAT with Agent Pools (read) permission.
project_list_queues
List all agent queues available in the project. Returns queue IDs, names, and pool information. Requires project-scoped PAT with Agent Pools (read) permission.
BEFORE YOU INSTALL
What to know first
Tools you get
16 tools when we connected. A project-scoped PAT works only with project_* and build_* tools, so the org_* agent tools fail. build_queue needs both Build (read & execute) and Agent Pools (read) permissions.
Requires
- npx on PATH
- ADO_PAT in your environment
CONTEXT COST
Light Standing cost
Rated by the size of the 16 tool definitions that ride along on every turn, not by how many there are
INSTALLATION
Connect your client
Server setup
Claude Code
TERMINAL
claude mcp add azure-devops \
-e ADO_ORGANIZATION="https://dev.azure.com/<YOUR_ORGANIZATION>" \
-e ADO_PROJECT="<YOUR_ADO_PROJECT>" \
-e ADO_PAT="<YOUR_ADO_PAT>" \
-- npx -y @rxreyn3/azure-devops-mcp@latestMCP Clients
Claude Desktop, Windsurf
JSON
{
"mcpServers": {
"azure-devops": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@rxreyn3/azure-devops-mcp@latest"
],
"env": {
"ADO_ORGANIZATION": "https://dev.azure.com/<YOUR_ORGANIZATION>",
"ADO_PROJECT": "<YOUR_ADO_PROJECT>",
"ADO_PAT": "<YOUR_ADO_PAT>"
}
}
}
}
