GitLab MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables you to interact with your GitLab account. Get diffs, analyze merge requests, review code, cherry-pick changes, and more.

Features

This MCP server provides comprehensive tools for interacting with GitLab repositories, including:

Core Repository Features

• Listing projects and retrieving details
• Managing branches and repositories
• Working with merge requests and diffs
• Adding comments and internal notes to merge requests
• Updating merge request attributes
• Listing and working with issues
• Getting and comparing repository file contents

Project Settings & Integrations

• Managing project integrations and services
• Configuring and controlling Slack integration
• Setting up, updating, and testing webhooks

CI/CD Management

• Working with pipeline trigger tokens
• Managing CI/CD variables
• Triggering and controlling pipelines

User & Group Administration

• Listing and managing users
• Working with groups and group memberships
• Managing project members and access levels

Installation

Option 1: Using Pre-built Docker Image (Recommended)

The easiest way to run the GitLab MCP Server is using the pre-built Docker image:

# Pull the latest image
docker pull ghcr.io/atla-digital/mcp-gitlab:latest

# Run the container
docker run -d -p 3001:3000 --name mcp-gitlab-server ghcr.io/atla-digital/mcp-gitlab:latest

The server will be available at http://localhost:3001/mcp

Option 2: Using Docker Compose

Create a docker-compose.yml file:

services:
  mcp-gitlab:
    image: ghcr.io/atla-digital/mcp-gitlab:latest
    ports:
      - "3001:3000"
    restart: unless-stopped

Then run:

docker compose up -d

Option 3: Building from Source

If you want to build from source or contribute to the project:

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v16 or higher)
• npm
• A GitLab account with an API token

Setup

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/atla-digital/mcp-gitlab.git
cd mcp-gitlab

2. Install dependencies:

npm install

3. Build the server:

npm run build

4. Install git hooks (optional, but recommended for contributors):

npm run install-hooks

This installs a pre-commit hook that automatically regenerates TOOLS.md when src/utils/tools-data.ts changes.

5. Deploy the server:

docker compose up --build -d

The server will be available at http://localhost:3001/mcp

Configuration

This server implements Streamable HTTP as the primary MCP transport. For clients that don't support Streamable HTTP natively (like Claude Code), use mcp-remote as a proxy.

For Claude Code/Desktop

Add the following to your MCP settings file (~/.claude.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sm-gitlab": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-remote@latest",
        "http://host.docker.internal:3001/mcp",
        "--allow-http",
        "--header",
        "X-GitLab-Token: ${GITLAB_TOKEN}",
        "--header",
        "X-GitLab-URL: ${GITLAB_URL}"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_TOKEN": "YOUR_GITLAB_API_TOKEN",
        "GITLAB_URL": "https://your-gitlab-instance.com/api/v4"
      }
    }
  }
}

For Streamable HTTP Compatible Clients

Direct connection to the server:

http://localhost:3001/mcp

Pass GitLab credentials as HTTP headers:

• X-GitLab-Token: Your GitLab API token
• X-GitLab-URL: Your GitLab API base URL (defaults to https://gitlab.com/api/v4)

Replace YOUR_GITLAB_API_TOKEN with your actual GitLab API token. You can generate a token in your GitLab account under Settings > Access Tokens.

Updating to Latest Version

To update to the latest version when using the pre-built Docker image:

# Stop the current container
docker stop mcp-gitlab-server
docker rm mcp-gitlab-server

# Pull the latest image
docker pull ghcr.io/atla-digital/mcp-gitlab:latest

# Run with the new image
docker run -d -p 3001:3000 --name mcp-gitlab-server ghcr.io/atla-digital/mcp-gitlab:latest

Or if using Docker Compose:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d

Available Tools

For a complete list of available tools and their parameters, see TOOLS.md.

Example Usage

Here are examples of how to use these tools with AI assistants that support MCP:

List your projects

Could you list my GitLab projects?

Get information about a specific merge request

Can you show me the details of merge request with ID 123 in the project 'mygroup/myproject'?

Add a comment to a merge request

Please add a comment to merge request 123 in project 'mygroup/myproject' saying "This looks good, but please add more tests."

Add an internal note to a merge request

Add an internal note to merge request 123 in project 'mygroup/myproject' that says "Needs security review before merging." Make sure it's only visible to team members.

Update a merge request title and description

Update the title of merge request 123 in project 'mygroup/myproject' to "Fix login page performance issues" and update the description to include "This PR addresses the slow loading times on the login page by optimizing database queries."

Compare branches

Compare the 'feature-branch' with 'main' in the project 'mygroup/myproject' and show me the differences.

Practical Workflows

Reviewing a Merge Request

1. Show me merge request 123 in project 'mygroup/myproject'
2. Show me the changes for this merge request
3. Add an internal note with my review comments
4. Update the merge request title to better reflect the changes

Project Exploration

1. List all my GitLab projects
2. Show me the details of project 'mygroup/myproject'
3. List all branches in this project
4. Show me the content of the README.md file in the main branch

Available Resources

gitlab://projects

List of GitLab projects accessible with your API token.

Integration with AI Assistants

The GitLab MCP Server integrates with AI assistants that support the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Capabilities

When connected to an AI assistant, this server enables the assistant to:

1. View and analyze code: The assistant can fetch file contents, view branch differences, and examine merge request changes for better code understanding.

2. Provide code reviews: The assistant can analyze merge requests and provide feedback through comments or internal notes.

3. Manage project workflows: The assistant can update merge request attributes, add comments, and help with repository management tasks.

4. Explore project structure: The assistant can browse projects, branches, and files to understand the codebase structure.

5. Configure CI/CD and integrations: The assistant can help set up webhooks, manage CI/CD variables, and configure project integrations.

Getting the Most from AI Assistant Integration

• Be specific when asking about projects, merge requests, or files
• Provide project IDs or paths when possible
• Use the assistant for code review by asking it to analyze specific merge requests
• Have the assistant help with repository configuration and management tasks
• Use internal notes for team-only feedback on merge requests

License

MIT