MCP server, by GitHub
GitHub MCP Server
GitHub official MCP server that connects AI tools directly to GitHub to read repositories and code, manage issues and pull requests, analyze code, and automate workflows.
Quick facts
What it does
The GitHub MCP Server connects AI tools directly to GitHub platform. This gives AI agents, assistants, and chatbots the ability to read repositories and code files, manage issues and PRs, analyze code, and automate workflows through natural language interactions, per the README.
Use cases listed are repository management, issue and PR automation, CI/CD and workflow intelligence, code analysis including security findings and Dependabot alerts, and team collaboration. The README documents both a remote server hosted by GitHub at https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/ and a local server, including a Docker image at ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server and OAuth or Personal Access Token authentication.
Configuration
Remote: configure type http with url https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/ using OAuth or a GitHub PAT header, as shown in the README. Local: run the Docker image ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server, or build from source, with GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN. GHES does not support remote hosting and uses the local server with GITHUB_HOST.
{"servers":{"github":{"type":"http","url":"https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"}}}Source: https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server. Placeholders only. Replace them in your own environment, and never commit real keys to a repository.
| Environment variable | Required | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN | Optional | GitHub Personal Access Token for local server authentication. Takes precedence over OAuth when set, per README. OAuth is the default on github.com for the local Docker flow. |
GITHUB_HOST | Optional | Hostname for GitHub Enterprise Server or GitHub Enterprise Cloud with data residency (ghe.com), used with the --gh-host flag, per README. |
Verified tools and features
Repository Management Config checked
Browse and query code, search files, analyze commits, and understand project structure across any repository you have access to, per README Use Cases.
Issue and PR Automation Config checked
Create, update, and manage issues and pull requests, with AI help to triage bugs, review code changes, and maintain project boards, per README Use Cases.
CI/CD and Workflow Intelligence Config checked
Monitor GitHub Actions workflow runs, analyze build failures, manage releases, and get insights into your development pipeline, per README Use Cases.
Code Analysis Config checked
Examine security findings, review Dependabot alerts, understand code patterns, and get insights into your codebase, per README Use Cases.
Security notes
- README token best practices: grant minimum scopes, use separate tokens per project or environment, rotate regularly, never commit tokens, and restrict config file permissions.
- Remote server supports OAuth or PAT authentication, varying by MCP host. Each host needs a GitHub App or OAuth App to support remote OAuth.
- GitHub Enterprise Server requires HTTPS for GITHUB_HOST so credentials are never sent over cleartext, except loopback localhost for local development.
An MCP server runs with the permissions of the process you start it from. Scope credentials to the narrowest access the job needs, and review what the client will send before connecting anything sensitive.
Sources and freshness
- Official source: https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server
- Repository: https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server
Last checked 2026-10-07. Verification label: config checked, which means the configuration and feature list trace to the official source above. It does not mean AgentsUse ran the server. Spotted an error? Send a correction. Back to the MCP server index.