gitlab-mcp

A production-ready MCP server for GitLab. Provides 80+ tools that let AI assistants read and manage GitLab projects, merge requests, issues, pipelines, wikis, releases, and more through a unified, policy-controlled interface.

Highlights

• Comprehensive GitLab coverage — projects, merge requests (with code-context analysis), issues, pipelines, wikis, milestones, releases, labels, commits, branches, GraphQL, and file management
• Multiple transports — stdio for local CLI usage, Streamable HTTP for remote deployments, optional SSE
• Flexible authentication — personal access tokens, OAuth 2.0 PKCE, external token scripts, token files, cookie-based auth, and per-request remote authorization
• Policy engine — read-only mode, tool allowlist/denylist, feature toggles, and project-scoped restrictions
• Enterprise networking — HTTP/HTTPS proxy, custom CA certificates, Cloudflare bypass, multi-instance API rotation
• Output control — JSON, compact JSON, or YAML formatting with configurable response size limits

Usage

Supported clients

Claude Desktop, Claude Code, VS Code, GitHub Copilot Chat (VS Code), Cursor, JetBrains AI Assistant, GitLab Duo, and any MCP client that supports stdio or streamable HTTP.

Current client format references:

• MCP transports and protocol
• Claude Code MCP
• VS Code MCP servers
• Cursor MCP
• JetBrains AI Assistant MCP

Authentication methods

The server supports three auth patterns:

1. Personal Access Token (PAT)
2. OAuth 2.0 PKCE (recommended for local interactive use)
3. Remote per-request auth (REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true, HTTP mode)

OAuth2 setup (stdio, recommended for local interactive use)

1. Create a GitLab OAuth application in Settings -> Applications.
2. Set redirect URI to http://127.0.0.1:8765/callback (or your custom callback).
3. Set scope to api.
4. Copy the Application ID as GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "gitlab-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_USE_OAUTH": "true",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID": "your_oauth_client_id",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI": "http://127.0.0.1:8765/callback",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "https://gitlab.com/api/v4",
        "GITLAB_ALLOWED_PROJECT_IDS": "",
        "GITLAB_READ_ONLY_MODE": "false",
        "USE_GITLAB_WIKI": "true",
        "USE_MILESTONE": "true",
        "USE_PIPELINE": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

If your OAuth app is confidential, also set GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET.

Personal Access Token setup (stdio)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "gitlab-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "https://gitlab.com/api/v4",
        "GITLAB_ALLOWED_PROJECT_IDS": "",
        "GITLAB_READ_ONLY_MODE": "false",
        "USE_GITLAB_WIKI": "true",
        "USE_MILESTONE": "true",
        "USE_PIPELINE": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code .vscode/mcp.json examples

PAT with secure prompt input:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "gitlab_token",
      "description": "GitLab Personal Access Token",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/gitlab-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "${input:gitlab_token}",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "https://gitlab.com/api/v4",
        "GITLAB_READ_ONLY_MODE": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

OAuth (confidential app) with secure prompt input:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "gitlab_oauth_secret",
      "description": "GitLab OAuth Client Secret",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/gitlab-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_USE_OAUTH": "true",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID": "your_oauth_client_id",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET": "${input:gitlab_oauth_secret}",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI": "http://127.0.0.1:8765/callback",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "https://gitlab.com/api/v4"
      }
    }
  }
}

GitHub Copilot Chat in VS Code uses the same .vscode/mcp.json format.

Claude Desktop / Claude Code / Cursor

Claude Desktop reads claude_desktop_config.json. Claude Code supports project-level .mcp.json and claude mcp add-json. Cursor uses .cursor/mcp.json.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/gitlab-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "https://gitlab.com/api/v4"
      }
    }
  }
}

GitLab Duo (~/.gitlab/duo/mcp.json)

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/gitlab-mcp/dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "https://gitlab.com/api/v4"
      }
    }
  },
  "approvedTools": ["gitlab_get_project", "gitlab_list_merge_requests"]
}

JetBrains AI Assistant

JetBrains can import an existing MCP JSON config or register the server manually. Use stdio command node /absolute/path/to/gitlab-mcp/dist/index.js, or HTTP endpoint http://127.0.0.1:3333/mcp with required headers.

Remote authorization (multi-user HTTP)

Start server:

REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true \
HTTP_HOST=0.0.0.0 \
HTTP_PORT=3333 \
node dist/http.js

Client config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:3333/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

Dynamic per-request API URL:

REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true \
ENABLE_DYNAMIC_API_URL=true \
HTTP_HOST=0.0.0.0 \
HTTP_PORT=3333 \
node dist/http.js

Add header in client requests:

{
  "headers": {
    "Authorization": "Bearer glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "X-GitLab-API-URL": "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4"
  }
}

Remote auth behavior matrix:

| Server Mode | Required Request Headers | Token Fallback Chain | | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------- | | REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=false | none | enabled | | REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true | Authorization: Bearer <token> or Private-Token: <token> | disabled | | REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true + ENABLE_DYNAMIC_API_URL=true | Authorization or Private-Token, and X-GitLab-API-URL: https://host/api/v4 | disabled |

Docker

For containerized deployments, PAT or remote auth is recommended. OAuth interactive callback flow is usually less convenient in containers.

docker compose up --build -d

or:

docker build -t gitlab-mcp .

docker run -d \
  --name gitlab-mcp \
  -p 3333:3333 \
  -e GITLAB_API_URL=https://gitlab.com/api/v4 \
  -e GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx \
  gitlab-mcp

Compatibility notes

• GITLAB_PROJECT_ID is not a supported environment variable in this repository.
• To set an effective default project, use GITLAB_ALLOWED_PROJECT_IDS with one project ID, or pass project_id in tool arguments.
• CLI argument overrides such as --token or --api-url are not implemented.
• JSON config files do not support comments (//).

MCP Server Configuration

HTTP server

pnpm install
cp .env.example .env
pnpm build

# stdio (local MCP)
pnpm start

# streamable HTTP server (http://127.0.0.1:3333/mcp)
pnpm start:http

Transport and entrypoint

| Transport | Entry Point | Endpoint | Best For | | ------------------- | -------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | stdio | node dist/index.js | stdin/stdout | Local single-user MCP clients | | Streamable HTTP | node dist/http.js | POST/GET/DELETE /mcp | Remote/shared deployments | | SSE (legacy) | node dist/http.js | GET /sse, POST /messages | Legacy SSE-only clients (SSE=true) | | Health | node dist/http.js | GET /healthz | Liveness/readiness checks |

SSE=true is not compatible with REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true.

Tool Categories

Tools are organized into these categories. All GitLab tools use the gitlab_ prefix, except health_check.

| Category | Examples | Count | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----- | | Projects | get_project, list_projects, create_repository, fork_repository | 8 | | Repository | get_repository_tree, get_file_contents, push_files, create_branch | 7 | | Merge Requests | list_merge_requests, create_merge_request, merge_merge_request | 12 | | MR Code Context | get_merge_request_code_context (advanced code review) | 1 | | MR Discussions | list_merge_request_discussions, create_merge_request_thread | 7 | | MR Notes | list_merge_request_notes, create_merge_request_note | 7 | | Draft Notes | list_draft_notes, create_draft_note, bulk_publish_draft_notes | 7 | | Issues | list_issues, create_issue, update_issue, issue links | 13 | | Pipelines | list_pipelines, get_pipeline_job_output, create_pipeline | 12 | | Commits | list_commits, get_commit, get_commit_diff | 3 | | Labels | list_labels, create_label, update_label | 5 | | Milestones | list_milestones, create_milestone, burndown events | 10 | | Releases | list_releases, create_release, download_release_asset | 7 | | Wiki | list_wiki_pages, create_wiki_page, update_wiki_page | 5 | | Uploads | upload_markdown, download_attachment | 2 | | GraphQL | execute_graphql_query, execute_graphql_mutation | 3 | | Users & Groups | get_users, list_namespaces, list_events | 6 | | Health | health_check | 1 |

See docs/tools.md for the complete reference.

Policy & Security

The policy engine controls which tools are available at registration time:

# Read-only mode — disables all mutating tools
GITLAB_READ_ONLY_MODE=true

# Only expose specific tools (supports with or without gitlab_ prefix)
GITLAB_ALLOWED_TOOLS=get_project,list_merge_requests,get_merge_request

# Block tools by regex pattern
GITLAB_DENIED_TOOLS_REGEX=^gitlab_(delete|create)_

# Restrict to specific projects
GITLAB_ALLOWED_PROJECT_IDS=123,456,789

# Keep GraphQL tools enabled in project-scoped mode (disabled by default)
GITLAB_ALLOW_GRAPHQL_WITH_PROJECT_SCOPE=true

# Disable feature groups
USE_PIPELINE=false
USE_GITLAB_WIKI=false

Configuration

All configuration is done through environment variables. Key settings:

| Area | Variable | Default | Description | | --------------- | ----------------------------------------- | --------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | GitLab API | GITLAB_API_URL | https://gitlab.com/api/v4 | Base API URL. Supports comma-separated multi-instance URLs. | | GitLab API | GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN | — | Static default token used when REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=false. | | Remote Auth | REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION | false | Require per-request token headers in HTTP mode (disables fallback token chain). | | Remote Auth | ENABLE_DYNAMIC_API_URL | false | Require X-GitLab-API-URL per request. Requires REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true. | | HTTP Server | HTTP_HOST | 127.0.0.1 | HTTP bind host (0.0.0.0 for external access). | | HTTP Server | HTTP_PORT | 3333 | HTTP server port. | | HTTP Server | HTTP_JSON_ONLY | false | Force JSON-only responses (no streaming framing). | | HTTP Server | SSE | false | Enable legacy SSE endpoints (/sse, /messages). Not compatible with remote auth. | | Sessions | SESSION_TIMEOUT_SECONDS | 3600 | Idle session timeout in HTTP mode. | | Sessions | MAX_SESSIONS | 1000 | Maximum concurrent sessions (503 when reached). | | Sessions | MAX_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE | 300 | Per-session rate limit (429 when exceeded). | | Policy | GITLAB_READ_ONLY_MODE | false | Disable mutating tools at registration time. | | Policy | GITLAB_ALLOWED_PROJECT_IDS | — | Restrict access to specific GitLab project IDs. | | Policy | GITLAB_ALLOWED_TOOLS | — | Tool allowlist (supports names with or without gitlab_ prefix). | | Policy | GITLAB_DENIED_TOOLS_REGEX | — | Regex denylist for tool names. | | Policy | GITLAB_ALLOW_GRAPHQL_WITH_PROJECT_SCOPE | false | Keep GraphQL tools enabled when project scope restriction is active. | | Auth Extensions | GITLAB_USE_OAUTH | false | Enable OAuth 2.0 PKCE flow. | | Auth Extensions | GITLAB_TOKEN_SCRIPT | — | Resolve token from an external script. | | Auth Extensions | GITLAB_TOKEN_FILE | — | Resolve token from a local file. | | Auth Extensions | GITLAB_AUTH_COOKIE_PATH | — | Enable cookie-jar based session auth from Netscape cookie file. | | Output | GITLAB_RESPONSE_MODE | json | Response format: json, compact-json, yaml. | | Output | GITLAB_MAX_RESPONSE_BYTES | 200000 | Max response payload (1KB–2MB), oversized payloads are truncated safely. | | Output | GITLAB_HTTP_TIMEOUT_MS | 20000 | Upstream GitLab HTTP timeout (1s–120s). | | Output | GITLAB_ERROR_DETAIL_MODE | safe/full | Error verbosity (safe by default in production, full otherwise). | | Network/TLS | HTTP_PROXY, HTTPS_PROXY | — | Proxy settings for outbound GitLab requests. | | Network/TLS | GITLAB_CA_CERT_PATH | — | Custom CA certificate path (PEM). | | Network/TLS | GITLAB_CLOUDFLARE_BYPASS | false | Add browser-like headers for Cloudflare-protected instances. | | Network/TLS | GITLAB_USER_AGENT | — | Custom User-Agent for GitLab requests. |

See docs/configuration.md for the complete reference.

Authentication Methods

Authentication behavior depends on mode:

1. REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true (HTTP strong mode) Each request must include Authorization: Bearer <token> or Private-Token: <token>. When ENABLE_DYNAMIC_API_URL=true, each request must also include X-GitLab-API-URL.
2. REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=false (default mode) The server resolves credentials in this order: GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN -> OAuth PKCE (GITLAB_USE_OAUTH=true) -> GITLAB_TOKEN_SCRIPT -> GITLAB_TOKEN_FILE.

Cookie-based auth (GITLAB_AUTH_COOKIE_PATH) is applied independently via a cookie jar and can work with or without a token.

See docs/authentication.md for setup guides.

Development

pnpm dev           # stdio mode with hot-reload
pnpm dev:http      # HTTP mode with hot-reload
pnpm test          # Run tests
pnpm test:watch    # Run tests in watch mode
pnpm lint          # Lint
pnpm typecheck     # Type check
pnpm inspector     # Launch MCP Inspector

Project Structure

See docs/architecture.md for detailed design documentation.

Documentation

• Configuration Reference — All environment variables
• Tools Reference — Complete list of MCP tools
• Authentication Guide — Auth methods and setup
• Deployment Guide — Docker, production, and multi-instance
• Architecture — Internal design and patterns

Acknowledgements

This repository references and learns from parts of the implementation in zereight/gitlab-mcp. Thanks to the maintainers and contributors for their work.

License

MIT