What are the prerequisites to run this server?

Node.js v16 or newer is required, along with a GitHub personal access token with appropriate permissions.

How do I authenticate with the GitHub API?

Set the `GITHUB_TOKEN` environment variable in your `.env` file or in your MCP client settings with your personal access token.

What credentials does it need?

It reads `GITHUB_TOKEN`, `LOG_LEVEL`, `SERVER_NAME` from the environment. Store these in your client's env block or a secrets manager — never commit them to a repository — and grant the narrowest scope that still covers your use case.

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GitHub MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server built in TypeScript that integrates with GitHub's API, enabling AI assistants to manage repositories, issues

Local serverstdio

What is the GitHub MCP Server?

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server built in TypeScript that integrates with GitHub's API, enabling AI assistants to manage repositories, issues, pull requests

What it actually does

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides tools for interacting with the GitHub API. This server allows LLM agents manage GitHub repositories, issues, pull requests, branches, files, and releases through a standardized interface.

github-mcp-server implements the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling standardized communication between LLMs and external systems through:

Configuration

Node.js (v16 or newer) - A GitHub personal access token with appropriate permissions

More MCP options

Compare MCP servers by category, or browse hosted MCP servers if you prefer an endpoint over a local process.

Maintainer setup documentation.

Recorded tools

Check the linked publisher documentation and your connected client's tool list. Names and availability can vary with the server version and account permissions.

Tool	What it does
get_repository	Get detailed information about a specific repository Parameters: owner, repo
list_repositories	List repositories for the authenticated user Parameters: type (optional), sort (optional)
create_repository	Create a new GitHub repository Parameters: name, description (optional), private (optional)
list_branches	List branches in a repository Parameters: owner, repo, protected (optional), per_page (optional)
create_branch	Create a new branch Parameters: owner, repo, branch, sha
delete_branch	Delete a branch Parameters: owner, repo, branch
create_issue	Create a new issue in a repository Parameters: owner, repo, title, body (optional), labels (optional)
list_issues	List issues in a repository Parameters: owner, repo, state (optional), labels (optional)
create_pull_request	Create a new pull request Parameters: owner, repo, title, head, base, body (optional)
merge_pull_request	Merge a pull request Parameters: owner, repo, pull_number, commit_title (optional), commit_message (optional), merge_method (optional)
update_pull_request	Update an existing pull request Parameters: owner, repo, pull_number, title (optional), body (optional), state (optional), base (optional), maintainer_can_modify (optional)
list_pull_requests	List pull requests in a repository Parameters: owner, repo, state (optional), head (optional), base (optional), sort (optional), direction (optional)
update_file	Create or update a file in a repository Parameters: owner, repo, path, message, content, sha (optional), branch (optional)
create_release	Create a new release Parameters: owner, repo, tag_name, name (optional), body (optional), draft (optional), prerelease (optional)

How to install the GitHub MCP Server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/github-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_personal_access_token",
        "LOG_LEVEL": "info",
        "SERVER_NAME": "github-mcp-server"
      }
    }
  }
}

Configuration as documented by the project. Restart the client after saving.

Configuration

Node.js (v16 or newer) - A GitHub personal access token with appropriate permissions

Variable	Description	Required
GITHUB_TOKEN	Credential the server authenticates with.	Yes
LOG_LEVEL	Configuration value read at startup.	Optional
SERVER_NAME	Configuration value read at startup.	Optional