MCP GitLab

Name: MCP GitLab
Author: vish288

by vish288version 0.21.3i★ –iRuns on your computer

Registry nameio.github.vish288/mcp-gitlab

Install

Overview

Description from the maker (original English)

GitLab MCP server (MCP 2026-07-28): projects, MRs, pipelines, CI/CD, issues; writes or read-only

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_TOKEN, GITLAB_URL, GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET, GITLAB_OAUTH_JWT_KEY, GITLAB_HTTP_BEARER_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_TOKEN, GITLAB_URL, GITLAB_READ_ONLY, MCP_READ_ONLY, GITLAB_AUTH, GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET, GITLAB_OAUTH_BASE_URL, GITLAB_OAUTH_SCOPES, GITLAB_OAUTH_JWT_KEY, GITLAB_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN

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

You need

PyPIPython’s uv installed (for the uvx 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": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-gitlab"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_URL": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_READ_ONLY": "your-value",
        "MCP_READ_ONLY": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_AUTH": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_BASE_URL": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_SCOPES": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_JWT_KEY": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN": "your-value"
      }
    }
  }
}

Run this in your terminal

claude mcp add gitlab --env GITLAB_TOKEN=your-value --env GITLAB_URL=your-value --env GITLAB_READ_ONLY=your-value --env MCP_READ_ONLY=your-value --env GITLAB_AUTH=your-value --env GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID=your-value --env GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET=your-value --env GITLAB_OAUTH_BASE_URL=your-value --env GITLAB_OAUTH_SCOPES=your-value --env GITLAB_OAUTH_JWT_KEY=your-value --env GITLAB_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN=your-value -- uvx 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": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-gitlab"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_URL": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_READ_ONLY": "your-value",
        "MCP_READ_ONLY": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_AUTH": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_BASE_URL": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_SCOPES": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_JWT_KEY": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN": "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": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "mcp-gitlab"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_TOKEN": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_URL": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_READ_ONLY": "your-value",
        "MCP_READ_ONLY": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_AUTH": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_BASE_URL": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_SCOPES": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_OAUTH_JWT_KEY": "your-value",
        "GITLAB_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN": "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_TOKEN secret env
GitLab personal access token (token mode). Optional after `mcp-gitlab auth login`; also accepts GITLAB_PAT, GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN, GITLAB_API_TOKEN
GITLAB_URL required env
GitLab instance URL (e.g. https://gitlab.com)
GITLAB_READ_ONLY env
Alias for MCP_READ_ONLY. Any value other than false/0/no/off/empty locks the server read-only; --read-only can only raise the lock
MCP_READ_ONLY env
Locks the server read-only: write tools and write-workflow prompts are not listed and nothing lifts the lock at runtime. Shared name across the mcp-* servers; set it in the deployer's env
GITLAB_AUTH env
Authentication mode: token (default) or oauth (OAuth 2.1 proxy; streamable-http only)
GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID env
Application ID of the GitLab OAuth app (oauth mode, or local sign-in on a self-managed instance)
GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET secret env
Secret of the GitLab OAuth app (oauth mode)
GITLAB_OAUTH_BASE_URL env
Public URL of this server, no trailing slash (oauth mode); redirect URI is /auth/callback
GITLAB_OAUTH_SCOPES env
Space-separated GitLab scopes required on every request (oauth mode; default api)
GITLAB_OAUTH_JWT_KEY secret env
FastMCP JWT signing key, >=32 random chars (oauth mode; defaults to one derived from the client secret)
GITLAB_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN secret env
Bearer token (min 16 chars) required to bind an HTTP transport to a non-loopback host; clients send it as 'Authorization: Bearer ' (token mode; --auth oauth has its own sign-in)

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 7, 2026

✓ Pass
Maker matches the repo
The registry name was verified with the GitHub account vish288, 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 1393 servers in this category
Published to the registry more recently than 93% of the other 1393 servers in this category
Basic checks equal to or better than 100% of the other 1393 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 MCP GitLab 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_TOKEN, GITLAB_URL, GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET, GITLAB_OAUTH_JWT_KEY, GITLAB_HTTP_BEARER_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 (0.21.3) reached the registry 3 days ago.

Which apps can use it?

Apps that support MCP, such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor and VS Code. You also need Python (uv) on your computer.

What can I use instead?

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

Alternatives

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Reading a card:★ GitHub starsiThree pillars: reviews · checks · usageiUpdated = latest version published to the registryi

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by github

GitHub’s official server lets AI read and manage code, issues and pull requests in your account. Use GitHub’s hosted version or run it locally with Docker.

Computer or cloud★ 34,245MITUpdated 3 days ago

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Desktop Commander

by wonderwhy-er

MCP server for terminal commands, file operations, and process management

Runs on your computer★ 10,225MITUpdated 15 days ago

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Cloudflare MCP

by cloudflare

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Runs in the cloud★ 4,446Apache-2.0Updated 14 months ago

Install

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.

mcp-gitlab

mcp-gitlab is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the GitLab REST API. It gives AI assistants 91 tools, 7 resources, and 6 prompts to manage projects, merge requests, pipelines, CI/CD variables, approvals, issues, and code reviews. Works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code Copilot, and any MCP-compatible client. Runs in one of two modes: with writes, or locked read-only (MCP_READ_ONLY=true) so the 57 write tools are never offered to the model.

Supports GitLab.com and self-hosted GitLab instances (CE/EE). No GitLab Duo or Premium required.

Supports the MCP 2026-07-28 specification, often called MCP 2.0, and stays compatible with 2025-11-25 clients.

Built with FastMCP 4.x, httpx, and Pydantic.

Install: uvx mcp-gitlab | PyPI | MCP Registry | Changelog

uvx mcp-gitlab                          # with writes

MCP_READ_ONLY=true uvx mcp-gitlab # locked read-only: write tools are not listed

1-Click Installation

💡 Tip: For other AI assistants (Claude Code, Windsurf, IntelliJ, Gemini CLI), visit the [GitLab MCP Installation Gateway](https://vish288.github.io/mcp-install?server=mcp-gitlab).

Manual Setup Guides (Click to expand)

Prerequisite: Install uv first (required for all uvx install flows). Install uv.

Claude Code

# with writes

claude mcp add gitlab -e GITLAB_URL=https://gitlab.example.com -e GITLAB_TOKEN=glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- uvx mcp-gitlab

locked read-only

claude mcp add gitlab -e MCP_READ_ONLY=true -e GITLAB_URL=https://gitlab.example.com -e GITLAB_TOKEN=glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- uvx mcp-gitlab

Windsurf & IntelliJ

Windsurf: Add to ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json IntelliJ: Add to Settings | Tools | MCP Servers

Note: The actual server config starts at gitlab inside the mcpServers object. Remove MCP_READ_ONLY to allow writes.

"mcpServers": { "gitlab": { "command": "uvx", "args": ["mcp-gitlab"], "env": { "GITLAB_URL": "https://gitlab.example.com", "GITLAB_TOKEN": "glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", "MCP_READ_ONLY": "true" } } } }

Gemini CLI

# with writes

gemini mcp add -s user -e GITLAB_URL=https://gitlab.example.com -e GITLAB_TOKEN=glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx gitlab uvx mcp-gitlab

locked read-only

gemini mcp add -s user -e MCP_READ_ONLY=true -e GITLAB_URL=https://gitlab.example.com -e GITLAB_TOKEN=glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx gitlab uvx mcp-gitlab

VS Code

Add to .vscode/mcp.json. Remove MCP_READ_ONLY to allow writes.

"servers": { "gitlab": { "type": "stdio", "command": "uvx", "args": ["mcp-gitlab"], "env": { "GITLAB_URL": "https://gitlab.example.com", "GITLAB_TOKEN": "glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx", "MCP_READ_ONLY": "true" } } } }

Codex

# with writes

codex mcp add gitlab --env GITLAB_URL=https://gitlab.example.com --env GITLAB_TOKEN=glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- uvx mcp-gitlab

locked read-only

codex mcp add gitlab --env MCP_READ_ONLY=true --env GITLAB_URL=https://gitlab.example.com --env GITLAB_TOKEN=glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx -- uvx mcp-gitlab

pip / uv

uv pip install mcp-gitlab

Drop MCP_READ_ONLY to allow writes. On a shared or hosted server put it in the deployer's env, not the client config.

Configuration

Variable	Required	Default	Description
`GITLAB_URL`	Yes	-	GitLab instance URL (e.g. `https://gitlab.example.com`)
`GITLAB_TOKEN`	Yes, unless signed in with `mcp-gitlab auth login`	-	Authentication token (see below)
`MCP_READ_ONLY`	No	`false`	Shared name across the mcp-* servers. Any value other than `false`/`0`/`no`/`off`/empty locks the server read-only: the 57 write tools and write-workflow prompts are not listed, and nothing can turn it back off at runtime
`GITLAB_READ_ONLY`	No	`false`	Per-server alias for `MCP_READ_ONLY`; either one locks the server read-only. `--read-only` can only raise the lock
`GITLAB_HTTP_BEARER_TOKEN`	No	-	Bearer token (min 16 chars) required to bind an HTTP transport to a non-loopback host; clients send `Authorization: Bearer` ; token mode only
`GITLAB_TIMEOUT`	No	`30`	Request timeout in seconds
`GITLAB_SSL_VERIFY`	No	`true`	Set to `false` to skip SSL verification
`GITLAB_AUTH`	No	`token`	`token` (PAT from env) or `oauth` (OAuth 2.1 proxy; see below)

Supported Token Types

The server checks these environment variables in order — first match wins:

GITLAB_TOKEN
GITLAB_PAT
GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN
GITLAB_API_TOKEN

These accept any of the following token types:

Token Type	Format	Use Case
Personal access token	`glpat-xxx`	User-level access with `api` scope
OAuth2 token	`oauth-xxx`	OAuth app integrations
CI job token	`$CI_JOB_TOKEN`	GitLab CI pipeline access

Sign in without a token

Use this when you run the server for yourself over stdio and have no personal access token. mcp-gitlab auth login signs you in to GitLab as a public OAuth client and stores the tokens locally. The server then reads them at startup and refreshes them on its own. This is not OAuth mode; the server stays in token mode and nothing on the MCP wire changes.

Three commands:

mcp-gitlab auth login     # device flow by default; add --web for the browser flow

mcp-gitlab auth status # show the stored account, scopes, and token freshness mcp-gitlab auth logout # revoke the token at GitLab and delete the local copy

auth login prints a code and a URL. Open the URL, enter the code, and approve. The server then works with GITLAB_URL set and no token.

Client ID

Each sign-in needs an OAuth application ID. Resolution order: --client-id, then GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, then a built-in default for https://gitlab.com.

The gitlab.com default is not registered yet. Until it is, set GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID or pass --client-id for gitlab.com too.

Register an app (self-managed, or gitlab.com until the default ships)

Create an application under User Settings → Applications → Add new application with these settings:

Field	Value
Name	`mcp-gitlab`
Redirect URI	`http://127.0.0.1/callback` (loopback IP, no port)
Confidential	unchecked (public client)
Scopes	`api`, `read_api`

Use 127.0.0.1, not localhost. The device flow needs GitLab 17.9 or later; on older instances use mcp-gitlab auth login --web.

Storage and precedence

Credentials live in ~/.config/mcp-gitlab/credentials.json, one entry per GitLab URL, mode 0600. An environment token always wins: if GITLAB_TOKEN is set, the server uses it and ignores the stored credentials.

Pass --scopes read_api for a read-only session; the server then blocks write tools before any API call.

OAuth 2.1 (remote deployments)

For a server shared by several people, --auth oauth turns mcp-gitlab into an MCP 2026-07-28 resource server with GitLab as the upstream OAuth provider: each user signs in with their own GitLab account, every request runs with that user's token, and no personal access token is configured on the server. Use it when you host the server once and multiple users connect to it; keep the default --auth token for a single-user local setup.

OAuth mode requires --transport streamable-http (OAuth applies to HTTP only; stdio keeps using the environment token).

1. Register a GitLab OAuth application (User Settings → Applications, or a group/instance application). Set the redirect URI to /auth/callback (e.g. https://mcp.example.com/auth/callback), mark it confidential, and grant the api scope (or read_api for a read-only deployment). Copy the Application ID and Secret.

2. Configure the server:

Variable	Required	Default	Description
`GITLAB_URL`	Yes	-	GitLab instance; also the upstream authorization server
`GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID`	Yes	-	Application ID (oauth mode, or local sign-in)
`GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET`	Yes	-	Its secret
`GITLAB_OAUTH_BASE_URL`	Yes	-	Public URL of this server, no trailing slash (e.g. `https://mcp.example.com`). Resource URL is `/mcp`
`GITLAB_OAUTH_SCOPES`	No	`api`	Space-separated GitLab scopes required on every request. For a read-only OAuth deployment set `read_api` here and `MCP_READ_ONLY=true`, so write tools are hidden server-wide and per-user tokens lack write scope
`GITLAB_OAUTH_JWT_KEY`	No	derived	FastMCP JWT signing key, ≥ 32 random chars. Set it in production so client registrations survive a client-secret rotation
`FASTMCP_HOME`	No	platform data dir	The encrypted token store lives at `$FASTMCP_HOME/oauth-proxy/ /`

GITLAB_URL=https://gitlab.com GITLAB_AUTH=oauth \

GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID=... GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_SECRET=... \ GITLAB_OAUTH_BASE_URL=https://mcp.example.com \ uvx mcp-gitlab --transport streamable-http

Point an MCP client (or the MCP Inspector, pnpm dlx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector) at /mcp; it discovers the authorization server, runs the OAuth flow, and each tool call then uses that user's GitLab token. A read_api-only token can read but is refused writes with an actionable hint.

Full guide, client setup and troubleshooting: docs/oauth.md.

Compatibility

Client	Supported	Install Method
Claude Desktop	Yes	`claude_desktop_config.json`
Claude Code	Yes	`claude mcp add`
Cursor	Yes	One-click deeplink or `.cursor/mcp.json`
VS Code Copilot	Yes	One-click deeplink or `.vscode/mcp.json`
Windsurf	Yes	`~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json`
Any MCP client	Yes	stdio or HTTP transport

Protocol support

mcp-gitlab implements the Model Context Protocol. It supports the 2026-07-28 specification, often called MCP 2.0. It stays compatible with 2025-11-25 clients.

**Speci

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

MCP GitLab

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

mcp-gitlab

1-Click Installation

Claude Code

locked read-only

Windsurf & IntelliJ

Gemini CLI

locked read-only

VS Code

Codex

locked read-only

pip / uv

Configuration

Supported Token Types

Sign in without a token

Client ID

Register an app (self-managed, or gitlab.com until the default ships)

Storage and precedence

OAuth 2.1 (remote deployments)

Compatibility

Protocol support