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 on local HTTP bind only	none	enabled
REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true	Authorization: Bearer <token>, Private-Token: <token>, or Job-Token: <token>	disabled
REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true + ENABLE_DYNAMIC_API_URL=true	Authorization, Private-Token, or Job-Token, and X-GitLab-API-URL: https://host/api/v4	disabled

When HTTP_HOST is not 127.0.0.1, localhost, or ::1, HTTP startup rejects server-side GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN or GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN unless REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true.

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 (--env-file is supported).
• 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

# optional: load a specific env file
pnpm start -- --env-file .env.local
pnpm start:http -- --env-file .env.local

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, get_merge_request_conflicts, merge_merge_request	13
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, list_deployments, get_job_artifact_file_inline	20
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 write/delete/admin capabilities
GITLAB_READ_ONLY_MODE=true

# Disable specific capability classes without going fully read-only
GITLAB_DISABLED_CAPABILITIES=delete,graphql

# 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

Unsafe or invalid GITLAB_DENIED_TOOLS_REGEX patterns fail startup.

Configuration

All configuration is done through environment variables. Key settings:

For file-based loading, .env is loaded by default. You can override it with:

node dist/index.js --env-file .env.local
node dist/http.js --env-file=.env.production

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.
GitLab API	GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN	—	Static CI job token fallback when no personal access token is configured.
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.
Remote Auth	GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH	false	Enable MCP OAuth discovery/proxy endpoints for HTTP mode. Requires MCP_SERVER_URL.
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	MCP_SERVER_URL	—	Public base URL used when HTTP download tools return proxy URLs.
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	OAUTH_STATELESS_MODE	false	Use stateless Streamable HTTP transports; clients must send auth on every request.
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 tools that require write, delete, or admin capabilities.
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_DISABLED_CAPABILITIES	—	Capability denylist. Valid values: read, write, delete, admin, graphql.
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_OAUTH_SCOPES	mode-dependent	OAuth scopes advertised/requested by local OAuth and MCP OAuth.
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_MAX_LOCAL_FILE_BYTES	250000000	Max size for files saved locally by download tools such as job artifacts.
Output	GITLAB_DOWNLOAD_TOKEN_SECRET	random per process	Secret for short-lived HTTP download proxy URLs; set this for multi-replica deployments.
Output	GITLAB_DOWNLOAD_TOKEN_TTL_SECONDS	300	Lifetime of generated HTTP download proxy URLs.
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, NO_PROXY	—	Proxy settings for outbound GitLab requests, including per-host proxy bypass rules.
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>, Private-Token: <token>, or Job-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 -> GITLAB_JOB_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