Dev tools · GitHub

Set up GitHub

GitHub's own server for repos, issues, pull requests, Actions and code search, with switchable toolsets.

Publisher: GitHub Official
Hosted endpoint: https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/
Run locally: docker run -i --rm -e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server
Transports: streamable-http, stdio
Authentication: OAuth on the hosted endpoint if your client has a GitHub app, otherwise a personal access token.
Environment: GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN
What it can touch: Read and write; read-only mode and toolset filtering are available.
Licence: MIT
Source: github.com/github/github-mcp-server
Status: Active

Install

The vendor hosts this server, so you only add its URL and nothing runs on your machine. If it needs authentication, the row above says how; OAuth servers prompt you on first connection.

Claude Code

shell

claude mcp add --transport http --scope project github https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/

Cursor

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"
    }
  }
}

Codex

~/.codex/config.toml

[mcp_servers.github]
url = "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/"

Run it locally instead (Cursor)

.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "${env:GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Config for other clients →

A broad token lets the agent write to every repository it covers, so prefer read-only mode or a narrowly scoped token.

Other servers in dev tools

MCP Steering Group

Everything

Reference test server from the MCP project that exposes every protocol feature, for checking that a client works.

MCP Steering Group

Git

Works with a local Git repository from the agent: status, diffs, history, branches and commits, on a repo path you choose.

GitLab

GitLab's built-in endpoint for issues, merge requests, pipelines and search, with selectable toolsets.

Figma

Feeds coding agents frames, variables and components from Figma files so the code they write matches the design.

Upstash

Context7

Pulls current, version-specific library docs and code examples into the prompt. Hosted, with an optional API key.

Docker

Docker MCP Gateway

Runs servers from Docker's MCP catalogue in containers behind one gateway endpoint.

Sources

github.com/github/github-mcp-server
registry.modelcontextprotocol.io/v0.1/servers?search=github-mcp-server