GitLab MCP Server

Name: GitLab MCP Server
Author: sumirati

by sumirativersion 3.2.0i★ –iRuns on your computer

Registry nameio.github.sumirati/mcp-gitlab

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

Developer-ready GitLab MCP server for CE and EE instances.

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

These three are never merged into one score: opinions, measurements and popularity are different things.

User voiceiNo reviews yetReviews open together with accounts in a later step
Our basic checksi1 of 1 passedChecked from public information; code not scanned yet
UsageiNot measured yet★ –

What you can do with it

We have not written a plain-language summary for this one yet. Below are the facts we read from the registry.

Connection: Runs on your computer
Transport: stdio
Category: Developer tools
You need to fill in: GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN

Install

Pick the AI app you use, then copy the settings.

Before you install

Basic checks: 1 of 1 passed
Runs on your computer with your user’s permissions (files, network, apps).
You fill in yourself: GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN, GITLAB_API_URL, GITLAB_READ_ONLY, GITLAB_EXPOSE_ALL_TOOLS, MCP_OUTPUT_FORMAT

Values marked secret are keys to your account. Never share them or paste them into a chat.

You need

npmNode.js installed (for the npx command)

Which app do you use?

ClaudeClaude CodeCursorVS CodeChatGPT

Pick your app above. We remember it, so next time the button says “Install in …”.

Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config, and paste this into claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@sumirati/mcp-gitlab"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_READ_ONLY": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_EXPOSE_ALL_TOOLS": "your-value",
        "MCP_OUTPUT_FORMAT": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add gitlab --env GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=your-value --env GITLAB_API_URL=your-value --env GITLAB_READ_ONLY=your-value --env GITLAB_EXPOSE_ALL_TOOLS=your-value --env MCP_OUTPUT_FORMAT=your-value -- npx -y @sumirati/mcp-gitlab

Fill in the empty values before running it.

Open in Cursor

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .cursor/mcp.json in your project, or ~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@sumirati/mcp-gitlab"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_READ_ONLY": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_EXPOSE_ALL_TOOLS": "your-value",
        "MCP_OUTPUT_FORMAT": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

Open in VS Code

Or copy the settings yourself

Paste into .vscode/mcp.json in your project

{
  "servers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@sumirati/mcp-gitlab"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_READ_ONLY": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_EXPOSE_ALL_TOOLS": "your-value",
        "MCP_OUTPUT_FORMAT": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Your browser asks to open the app, then the app shows the settings and asks you to confirm. Key values are left empty for you to fill in.

This one runs on your computer, and ChatGPT can only connect to servers on the internet. Pick another app.

Your choice stays on this device in a cookie; no account needed.

Values you fill in

GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN secret required env
GitLab Personal Access Token with api scope
GITLAB_API_URL env
GitLab instance API URL (defaults to https://gitlab.com/api/v4)
GITLAB_READ_ONLY env
Enable read-only safety mode (true/false, default: false)
GITLAB_EXPOSE_ALL_TOOLS env
Set to true to expose all 90 catalog actions directly on ListTools instead of the 5-tool hybrid surface
MCP_OUTPUT_FORMAT env
Default output format: 'markdown' (default, compact tables) or 'json'

These settings are generated from the maker’s registry entry. If the README says otherwise, follow the README.

What it can do

Runs on your computer; the tool list appears in your AI app after you install it.

Basic checksi

We check information anyone can see; we have not read the code. Checks that do not apply are left out of the count. · Checked Nov 6, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account sumirati, which owns the repo
… Not checked yet
Still maintained
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
… Not checked yet
Has a licence
We have not read this repo from GitHub yet
– Not applicable
Endpoint responds
This one runs on your computer; there is no internet endpoint
– Not applicable
Sign-in with OAuth
Runs on your computer and uses local settings instead
… Not checked yet
No hidden instructions in tool descriptions
Runs on your computer; we can only read tool lists from internet endpoints

Compared with others in Developer toolsi

More stars than 0% of the other 1389 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 70% of the other 1389 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 1389 servers in this category

Compared with every active server in this category in the registry. Stars count only when the publisher owns the repo.

Common questions

Is GitLab MCP Server safe?

It passed 1 of 1 applicable basic checks. We have not read the code. Before adding a key or token, see what access the server asks for and use a key with only the permissions you need.

What keys or codes does it need?

You need to fill in: GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN

Does it run on my computer or in the cloud?

It runs on your computer. Your AI app starts it when needed, and data does not pass through the maker’s servers (unless it calls an online service itself).

Is it still maintained?

The GitHub repo last changed –, and the latest version (3.2.0) reached the registry 21 days ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Node.js on your computer.

What can I use instead?

In the same category: GitHub, Desktop Commander, Cloudflare MCP

Alternatives

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README from the maker

Open the README

Copied from the maker’s repo as written. PopNx MCP has not reviewed or endorsed it. HTML, images and scripts are removed. Links lead off this site.

GitLab MCP Server (`@sumirati/mcp-gitlab`)

A modern, 2026 AI-native Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for GitLab API v4, engineered for self-hosted GitLab Community Edition (CE), Enterprise Edition (EE), and GitLab.com.

What makes v3.0.0 Unique: The 2026 5-Tool Hybrid Standard

In early MCP servers, dumping 50–100 tools into the client's tool list consumed 10,000+ prompt context tokens on every turn ("System Prompt Tax") and resulted in poor Coherence ratings on the [Glama TDQS](https://github.com/glama-ai/tool-definition-quality-score) rubric.

@sumirati/mcp-gitlab v3 solves this with a 5-Tool Hybrid Surface:

Glama TDQS Coherence Tier A (5/5): By exposing exactly 5 tools to the client, the server sits in the ideal 3–15 tool coherence sweet spot.
Ultra-Lean System Prompt Tax: Drops schema overhead from 27,681 tokens to 1,292 tokens (95.3% reduction), preserving context windows and maximizing LLM prompt-cache hits.
Zero-Hop Hourly Drivers: The 3 operations developers and agents actually use constantly during pair-programming (get_file_contents, get_project, get_commit) remain eager tools for instant zero-hop execution.
100% Platform Access on Demand: The entire platform surface of 90 actions across 14 domains is accessible on-demand via dynamic action discovery (gitlab_find_actions $\rightarrow$ gitlab_execute_action), delivering 75%–96% token savings with default high-density Markdown tables and summaries (format: "markdown" | "json").
Resilient Fallback: If an agent directly invokes any catalog action name (e.g. list_pipelines), the server dynamically executes it with full input validation and projection.

LLM Prompt Context (1,292 tokens total):

├── 1. gitlab_find_actions(query, [domain], [format]) [Meta Discovery] ├── 2. gitlab_execute_action(action, params, [format]) [Meta Dynamic Execution] ├── 3. get_file_contents(project_id, file_path, [ref]) [Eager Daily Driver #1] ├── 4. get_project(project_id, [statistics]) [Eager Daily Driver #2] └── 5. get_commit(project_id, sha) [Eager Daily Driver #3]

Under the hood (Dynamic Registry): └── 90 Curated Actions across 14 Domains (with 75%–99% token reduction projections)

Core Capabilities Across 14 Domains

Enterprise Observability & Self-Hosted Operations:

System Health Diagnostics: End-to-end connectivity, token identity verification, and API latency testing (system_health_check).
Push Mirrors: Verify upstream replication to remote Git hosts (list_push_mirrors) and force immediate sync (trigger_push_mirror_sync).
CI Runners: Audit runner health, online/paused status, and tags (list_runners, get_runner_status).
Webhooks: Inspect registered automation hooks (list_project_hooks).

Repository & Branch Governance: Project CRUD, group hierarchy resolution (buggycode/project-name), branch lifecycle, branch protection management (list_protected_branches, protect_branch, unprotect_branch), file/directory reading (get_file_contents), and atomic multi-file commits (push_files, create_commit).
CI/CD Observability: Query pipelines by status, trigger/cancel/retry pipelines (create_pipeline, cancel_pipeline, retry_pipeline), tail failed job logs (get_job_trace) without token blowout, read build artifacts (get_job_artifact_file), and inspect JUnit test reports (get_pipeline_test_report).
Merge Request Reviews & Diff Discussions: Two-stage diff inspection (get_merge_request_changes), automated lockfile pruning (package-lock.json), and inline diff discussions with SHA coordinate resolution (create_diff_discussion).
Issues & Task Planning: CRUD issues, track blockers/dependencies (list_issue_links, create_issue_link), and add progress notes (list_issue_notes, create_issue_note).
Milestones & Labels: Human-readable milestone resolution, label creation, and scoped milestone inspection.
Wikis & Snippets: Documentation outline slicing (toc_only: true), chapter extraction, and snippet management.
User & Identity Context: Authenticated identity lookup, group enumeration and creation (create_group), and owned project discovery.

Quickstart & Installation

Option 1: Run with `npx` (No installation needed)

npx -y @sumirati/mcp-gitlab

Option 2: Install Globally

npm install -g @sumirati/mcp-gitlab

mcp-gitlab

Option 3: Local Clone

git clone https://github.com/sumirati/mcp-gitlab.git

cd mcp-gitlab npm install npm test npm start

Environment Configuration

Variable	Required	Default	Description
`GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN`	Yes	—	Personal access token with `api` scope.
`GITLAB_API_URL`	No	`https://gitlab.com/api/v4`	Base API URL of your GitLab CE/EE or cloud instance.
`GITLAB_READ_ONLY`	No	`false`	Enable Read-Only safety mode (`true`, `1`, `yes`). Filters out mutating tools and strictly blocks write/modify HTTP requests across all 90 actions.
`GITLAB_EXPOSE_ALL_TOOLS`	No	`false`	Set to `true` (or `GITLAB_EXPOSE_LEGACY_TOOLS=true`) to disable the 5-tool hybrid surface and expose all 90 tools directly on `ListTools` for legacy clients.
`MCP_OUTPUT_FORMAT`	No	`markdown`	Default output format (`markdown` for compact tables/summaries, or `json` for structured objects).

Client Configuration

Google Antigravity / Claude Desktop / Cursor

Add to your MCP configuration file (mcp_config.json or claude_desktop_config.json):

"mcpServers": { "gitlab": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "@sumirati/mcp-gitlab"], "env": { "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": " ", "GITLAB_API_URL": "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4" } } } }

Complete Action Catalog Reference (90 Actions across 14 Domains)

All 90 actions feature strict input validation and field-mask projections:

1. The 5 Client-Exposed Tools (Hybrid Mode)

Tool	Type	Description
`gitlab_find_actions`	Meta	Search and discover available GitLab operations across all 14 domains with compact parameter signatures
`gitlab_execute_action`	Meta	Execute any discovered GitLab platform action with input validation and token-optimized projection
`get_file_contents`	Eager	Read decoded file contents, symbol outlines, or directory listings from any branch or commit ref without cloning
`get_project`	Eager	Retrieve project metadata, project ID, visibility, clone URLs, topics, and default branch
`get_commit`	Eager	Inspect Git commit details, author info, and token-capped file diffs

2. Enterprise & Self-Hosted Operations (`enterprise` — 6 actions)

Action	Description	Mutating?
`system_health_check`	Perform end-to-end connectivity, latency, and permission diagnostics against the GitLab instance. Verifies API availability, authentication identity, server version/edition (when permitted), and active read-only policy.	No
`list_push_mirrors`	List remote push mirrors configured for a project, including synchronization status, target URLs, and last error diagnostics. Essential for verifying repository synchronization between local self-hosted instances and upstream GitLab instances or remote Git hosts.	No
`trigger_push_mirror_sync`	Force an immediate push mirror synchronization for a designated project remote mirror. Use when code has been committed locally and immediate upstream replication is required without waiting for the scheduled background sync interval.	Yes
`list_runners`	List available GitLab CI/CD runners (instance, group, or project-level), detailing their online status, active/paused state, and executor types. Use to diagnose CI pipeline execution delays, runner connectivity, or missing executor tags.	No
`get_runner_status`	Retrieve comprehensive details and health status for a specific CI/CD runner, including IP address, architecture, runner version, tags, and last contacted timestamp. Use to troubleshoot stuck jobs or unresponsive self-hosted runners.	No
`list_project_hooks`	List configured project webhooks and their subscribed triggers (push, merge requests, issues, pipeline events). Use to audit integration webhooks and verify CI/CD automation hook registrations.	No

3. Repository & Project Management (`repositories` — 10 actions)

Action	Description	Mutating?
`search_repositories`	Search for GitLab projects and repositories across the instance or scoped to a specific group namespace (recommended to reduce instance load). Capped at 100 per page. If project_id or path_with_namespace is already known, look up directly via 'get_project'.	No
`get_project`	Retrieve comprehensive metadata for a specific GitLab project, including default branch, repository statistics, visibility, and topic tags. Use to inspect repository settings or verify project access. Do NOT use to inspect directory trees or source code; use 'get_file_contents' instead.	No
`create_repository`	Create a new GitLab project/repository under your personal namespace or a designated group. Use when provisioning new codebases or initializing repositories. Side effect: creates a new GitLab project immediately. Do NOT use to duplicate existing projects; use 'fork_repository' instead.	Yes
`update_project`	Update mutable project settings including display name, description, default branch, visibility level, and topics. Use to modify repository configurations or administrative details. Side effect: alters project settings immediately. Do NOT use to commit code changes; use 'create_or_update_file' or 'push_files'.	Yes
`delete_project`	Permanently delete a GitLab project and all its repository files, issues, merge requests, and CI/CD pipelines. Use solely for project decommissioning. Side effect: DESTRUCTIVE and irreversible. Requires explicit safety confirmation via confirm_project_name.	Yes
`get_file_contents`	Read the raw content of a specific file or directory tree from a repository at a designated branch, tag, or commit ref. Use when inspecting current repository source code or configs. Do NOT use for reviewing diffs between branches (use 'get_merge_request_changes') or viewing commit diffs (use 'get_commit').	No
`create_or_update_file`	Create a new file or update the content of an existing file in a repository with a Git commit. Use for single-file changes or documentation updates. Side effect: creates an immediate Git commit on the remote branch. Do NOT use when updating multiple files together; use 'push_files' instead for atomic multi-file commits.	Yes
`push_files`	Atomically commit multiple file additions, modifications, or deletions to a target branch in a single Git commit. Use for multi-file refactors, features, or project scaffolding. Side effect: creates an atomic multi-action Git commit on the remote branch. Use instead of calling 'create_or_update_file' in a loop.	Yes

| create_commit | Atomically commit multiple file additions, modifications, or updates to a target branch in a single Git commit using GitLab Commits API. Use for multi-file

Only the beginning is shown; read the rest in the repo

GitLab MCP Server

Overview

PopNx MCP’s three pillars

What you can do with it

Install

Before you install

Values you fill in

What it can do

Basic checksi

Maker matches the repo

Still maintained

Has a licence

Endpoint responds

Sign-in with OAuth

No hidden instructions in tool descriptions

Compared with others in Developer toolsi

Common questions

Alternatives

GitHub

Desktop Commander

Cloudflare MCP

README from the maker

GitLab MCP Server (@sumirati/mcp-gitlab)

What makes v3.0.0 Unique: The 2026 5-Tool Hybrid Standard

Core Capabilities Across 14 Domains

Quickstart & Installation

Option 1: Run with npx (No installation needed)

Option 2: Install Globally

Option 3: Local Clone

Environment Configuration

Client Configuration

Google Antigravity / Claude Desktop / Cursor

Complete Action Catalog Reference (90 Actions across 14 Domains)

1. The 5 Client-Exposed Tools (Hybrid Mode)

2. Enterprise & Self-Hosted Operations (enterprise — 6 actions)

3. Repository & Project Management (repositories — 10 actions)

GitLab MCP Server (`@sumirati/mcp-gitlab`)

Option 1: Run with `npx` (No installation needed)

2. Enterprise & Self-Hosted Operations (`enterprise` — 6 actions)

3. Repository & Project Management (`repositories` — 10 actions)