GitHub MCP Server

// Overview

The GitHub MCP Server is GitHub's official Model Context Protocol server. It hands an AI agent, assistant or chatbot a set of GitHub tools: reading repositories and code files, creating and updating issues and pull requests, monitoring Actions workflow runs and analysing build failures, reading code-scanning, Dependabot and secret-scanning alerts, and working with discussions, notifications, projects, gists and organisation data.

There are two ways to run it. The remote server is hosted by GitHub at `https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/` and is the quickest path for any host that supports remote MCP with OAuth — VS Code 1.101+, Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf and others — with one-click install buttons in the README. The local server is a Go binary, published as a Docker image at `ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server`, authenticated with OAuth or a `GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN`; installation guides cover Copilot CLI, Claude, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Windsurf, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Eclipse and Xcode.

Tool surface is controlled rather than all-or-nothing. Functionality is grouped into toolsets — `context`, `repos`, `issues`, `pull_requests`, `actions`, `code_security`, `secret_protection`, `dependabot`, `discussions`, `gists`, `git`, `governance`, `labels`, `notifications`, `orgs`, `projects`, `security_advisories`, `stargazers`, `users` and more — enabled with `--toolsets` or the `GITHUB_TOOLSETS` environment variable, and individual tools can be allow-listed with `--tools`. Enabling only what you need helps tool choice and keeps the context small. A `--read-only` flag drops every write tool and takes priority over explicit `--tools` entries. The project is MIT licensed.

// What it does

• Official, GitHub-maintained MCP server, available both hosted (remote) and self-run (local)
• Toolsets for repositories, issues, pull requests, Actions, code security, secret protection, Dependabot, discussions, projects and more
• Fine-grained control with `--toolsets` / `GITHUB_TOOLSETS` and `--tools` / `GITHUB_TOOLS`
• `--read-only` mode that removes every write tool, overriding explicit tool requests
• OAuth or personal-access-token authentication, so the agent only gets the scopes you grant
• Distributed as a Go binary and a public Docker image, with install guides for a dozen MCP hosts

// Getting started

Start with the remote server if your host supports remote MCP; otherwise run the Docker image locally. Then narrow the tool surface.

{
  "servers": {
    "github": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"
    }
  }
}

claude mcp add github -e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=$GITHUB_PAT -- \
  docker run -i --rm -e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server

github-mcp-server --toolsets repos,issues,pull_requests,actions,code_security

# or via the environment
GITHUB_TOOLSETS="repos,issues,pull_requests" ./github-mcp-server

./github-mcp-server --read-only

Commands and code are distilled from the project's own documentation — always check the official repo for the latest.

// When to use it

• Let a coding agent open, review and update pull requests in the repositories you grant it
• Triage issues and project boards from an assistant instead of the web UI
• Have an agent read a failing Actions run and explain or fix the build
• Give a read-only agent access to code scanning, Dependabot and secret-scanning findings for security review

// How GitHub MCP Server compares

GitHub MCP Server alongside other open-source workflow automation tools AI/TLDR tracks, ranked by GitHub stars.