mcp-gitlab

mcp-gitlab is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for the GitLab REST API. It gives AI assistants 83 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.

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

1-Click Installation

💡 Tip: For other AI assistants (Claude Code, Windsurf, IntelliJ, Gemini CLI), visit the GitLab MCP Installation Gateway.

claude mcp add gitlab -- uvx mcp-gitlab

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

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

uv pip install mcp-gitlab

Configuration

Supported Token Types

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

1. GITLAB_TOKEN
2. GITLAB_PAT
3. GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN
4. GITLAB_API_TOKEN

These accept any of the following token types:

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 <base>/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:

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 <base>/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.

Compatibility

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.

• Specification: MCP 2026-07-28 (MCP 2.0). Verified over stdio and streamable-http.
• Legacy clients: 2025-11-25 clients still work.
• Built on: FastMCP 4.x and the MCP Python SDK 2.x.
• Transports: stdio (default) and streamable-http (recommended for remote). The sse (HTTP+SSE) transport still works, but the 2026-07-28 specification deprecates it. The server prints a warning when you use it.
• Capabilities: tools, resources, and prompts. The server uses no roots, sampling, logging, elicitation, or resource subscriptions, so the 2026-07-28 deprecations do not affect it.

Tools (83)

Resources (7)

The server exposes curated workflow guides as MCP resources that clients can read on demand.

Prompts (6)

The server provides MCP prompts — reusable multi-tool workflow templates that clients can surface as slash commands.

Usage Examples

Projects & Branches

"Get details for project my-org/api-gateway"
→ gitlab_get_project(project_id="my-org/api-gateway")

"Create a feature branch from main"
→ gitlab_create_branch(project_id="123", branch_name="feat/login", ref="main")

"Delete all branches merged into main"
→ gitlab_list_branches(project_id="123") → filter merged → gitlab_delete_branch for each

Merge Requests & Code Review

"Open a merge request from feat/login to main"
→ gitlab_create_mr(project_id="123", source_branch="feat/login", target_branch="main", title="Add login")

"Review MR !42 — list changes and add inline comments"
→ gitlab_mr_changes(project_id="123", mr_iid=42)
→ gitlab_create_mr_discussion(project_id="123", mr_iid=42, body="nit: ...", new_path="src/auth.py", new_line=15)

"Merge MR !42 after resolving all threads"
→ gitlab_list_mr_discussions(project_id="123", mr_iid=42) → resolve unresolved
→ gitlab_merge_mr(project_id="123", mr_iid=42, squash=True)

Pipelines & CI/CD

"Show failed pipelines on main this week"
→ gitlab_list_pipelines(project_id="123", ref="main", status="failed")

"Retry a failed pipeline"
→ gitlab_retry_pipeline(project_id="123", pipeline_id=456)

"Get the build log for job 789"
→ gitlab_get_job_log(project_id="123", job_id=789, tail_lines=100)

Issues

"Create a bug report in project 123"
→ gitlab_create_issue(project_id="123", title="Login page 500 error", labels=["bug","P1"])

"Find open issues assigned to me"
→ gitlab_list_issues(project_id="123", state="opened", assignee_username="johndoe")

Security Considerations

• Token scope: Use the minimum required scope. api scope grants full access; prefer read_api for read-only deployments.
• Read-only mode: Set GITLAB_READ_ONLY=true to disable all write operations (create, update, delete, merge). The server enforces read-only mode before any API call.
• SSL verification: GITLAB_SSL_VERIFY=true by default. Only disable for self-signed certificates in trusted networks.
• CI/CD variable masking: gitlab_list_variables and gitlab_list_group_variables automatically mask values of variables marked as masked in GitLab, returning ***MASKED*** instead of the actual value.
• MCP tool annotations: Each tool declares readOnlyHint, destructiveHint, and idempotentHint for client-side permission prompts.
• No credential storage: The server does not persist tokens. The server reads credentials from environment variables at startup.

Rate Limits & Permissions

Rate Limits

GitLab enforces per-user rate limits (default: 2000 requests/minute for authenticated users). When rate-limited, tools return a 429 error with a hint to wait before retrying. Paginated endpoints default to 20 results per page; use per_page (max 100) to reduce the number of API calls.

Required Permissions

CLI & Transport Options

# Default: stdio transport (for MCP clients)
uvx mcp-gitlab

# HTTP transport — streamable-http is recommended for remote use
uvx mcp-gitlab --transport streamable-http --port 9000

# SSE transport — deprecated by MCP 2026-07-28; still works, prints a warning
uvx mcp-gitlab --transport sse --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8000

# OAuth 2.1 mode (per-user GitLab sign-in; streamable-http only) — see "OAuth 2.1" above
uvx mcp-gitlab --auth oauth --transport streamable-http

# CLI overrides for config
uvx mcp-gitlab --gitlab-url https://gitlab.example.com --gitlab-token glpat-xxx --read-only

--auth {token,oauth} selects the authentication mode (token by default); oauth requires --transport streamable-http.

The server loads .env files from the working directory automatically via python-dotenv.

FAQ

Does mcp-gitlab support MCP 2.0?

Yes. It supports the MCP 2026-07-28 specification, often called MCP 2.0. It also stays compatible with 2025-11-25 clients.

Does it work with self-hosted GitLab?

Yes. It works with GitLab.com and self-hosted GitLab (CE and EE). It needs no GitLab Duo or Premium.

Which transports does it support?

It supports stdio (the default) and streamable-http. The sse transport still works, but the 2026-07-28 specification deprecates it. OAuth 2.1 mode (--auth oauth) is available on streamable-http only.

Is mcp-gitlab safe for read-only use?

Yes. Set GITLAB_READ_ONLY=true to disable every create, update, delete, and merge. The server enforces this before any API call.

What token scopes does it need?

Use a token with the api scope for full access. Use the read_api scope for read-only deployments. The server reads the token from the environment and never stores it.

Which AI assistants work with it?

It works with Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VS Code Copilot, and any MCP-compatible client.

How do I install mcp-gitlab?

Run uvx mcp-gitlab, or add it to your MCP client configuration. See the installation section above.

Related MCP Servers

• mcp-atlassian-extended — Jira + Confluence integration (23 tools, 15 resources, 5 prompts)
• mcp-coda — Coda.io integration (54 tools, 12 resources, 5 prompts)

Development

git clone https://github.com/vish288/mcp-gitlab.git
cd mcp-gitlab
uv sync --all-extras

uv run pytest --cov
uv run ruff check .
uv run ruff format --check .

License

MIT