Git Integration for Jira Cloud Documentation

Connecting SSH Git Repositories to Jira Cloud

Connect SSH git repositories to Jira Cloud using Git Integration for Jira.

On this page:

Generate SSH keys
- Generate SSH keys on Windows
- Generate SSH keys on Linux/MacOS
Convert SSH key format
Connect an SSH git repository

Generate SSH Keys

Before connecting an SSH repository, generate an SSH key pair. Use a 4096-bit RSA key for optimal security.

Generate SSH Keys on Windows

Windows users should use PuTTY and PuTTYgen to generate SSH keys.

Launch PuTTYgen.
Set Type of key to generate to RSA.
Set Number of bits in a generated key to 4096.
Click Generate.
Move your mouse pointer randomly over the blank area until the progress bar fills and the key pair generates.
(Optional) Enter a Passphrase to secure the key.
Click Save public key and Save private key to save both keys to files.
Copy the generated public key from the text box. Use this key on your git host’s SSH configuration page.

PuTTY saves private keys in its proprietary “.ppk” format. To convert to “.pem” format:

In PuTTYgen, select Conversions ➜ Export OpenSSH key.
Upload this file to Git Integration for Jira ➜ SSH keys, or provide it when connecting SSH git repositories.

You can also generate SSH keys using Git Bash. For details, see Generate SSH via Git Bash.

For platform-specific instructions, see Generating SSH Keys.

Generate SSH Keys on Linux/MacOS

Run this command to generate an RSA SSH key:

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -m pem -C "[email protected]"

MacOS sometimes creates OpenSSH format certificates instead of PEM format. For more details, see this common issue and solution.

Convert SSH Key Format

Git Integration for Jira requires RSA format for private SSH keys. Convert your existing key pair with this command:

ssh-keygen -p -P "old_password" -N "new_password" -m pem

Connect an SSH Git Repository

Generate an SSH key pair using the steps above.
Copy the SSH clone URL from your git host repository page.
In Jira, go to Apps ➜ Git Integration: Manage integrations.
Click Add integration in the top-right corner.
Under the Self-hosted group, select Plain git repository.
Paste the SSH clone URL into the Host URL field.
Paste your private SSH key into the text box, or click Upload Key File to upload the key file.
Enter the key’s Passphrase if you set one. Otherwise, leave it blank.
Click Add Integration to complete the setup.

The connected repository appears in your git configuration page.

For Jira Cloud, we recommend using the Git service integration panel to connect multiple repositories. It provides additional features not available with SSH integrations.

Last updated: December 2025

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