GitHub

At a glance

This is the server GitHub maintains. Through it an assistant can browse code, open and comment on issues and pull requests, check Actions runs and search across repositories you can see.

GitHub hosts it, so most people never install anything: point the client at the URL and authenticate. A Docker image exists for anyone who needs to run it themselves.

Made by

GitHub

GitHub stars

34K

Last commit

23 Oct 2026

Tools

46

Runs on

Hosted

Our check: It needs something our Linux test machine does not have (an account, a desktop app, a Mac or a running service), so on 26 Oct 2026 we listed its tools from its package instead of running this config.

What's in the pod: its tools

We found 46 tools when we ran its package, before any sign-in or app was connected, on 26 Oct 2026. 27 only read. The rest can change things, so keep your app's "ask before each tool call" setting on for them.

How we tested it: Listed by the official github-mcp-server binary built from source with its default toolsets, without a real token. The hosted URL on this page serves the same toolsets after you sign in.

Tool groups

repos

Browse files, branches, commits and tags; create or update files and branches.

issues

Search, read, open, comment on and close issues.

pull_requests

Read diffs and reviews, open pull requests, comment, request reviews and merge.

actions

List workflow runs, read job logs, re-run or cancel runs.

code_security

Read code scanning alerts.

secret_protection

Read secret scanning alerts.

dependabot

Read Dependabot alerts.

discussions

Read and search repository discussions.

notifications

Read and dismiss your GitHub notifications.

projects

Read and update GitHub Projects boards.

gists

Read and create gists.

users / orgs

Look up people and organisations.

all

Turns on every toolset at once.

Grouped and described by us. The README on GitHub lists the inputs each tool takes.

Set it up

Pick your app for the exact snippet and where it goes.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "mcp-remote",
        "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
        "--header",
        "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      ]
    }
  }
}

claude mcp add --transport http github https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/ --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "servers": {
    "github": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "serverUrl": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/

Swap YOUR_API_KEY for a fine-grained token limited to the repositories and permissions you actually want the assistant to use.

New to this? See the setup guides for Claude Code, Cursor, Claude Desktop and ChatGPT.

Settings

Names are exactly as the project spells them. Required ones are marked.

What it can touch

Safer setup: Start with read-only mode, use a fine-grained token limited to the repositories you name, and turn on lockdown mode if the assistant reads public issues from strangers.

Before you start

• A GitHub account
• A fine-grained personal access token, or OAuth in clients that support it

If it does not work

401 Bad credentials

The token is wrong or expired, or the variable is not reaching the container. With Docker, pass it with -e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN as well as in env.

The assistant picks odd tools or the prompt is very long

Limit the toolsets to what you use, for example repos,issues,pull_requests.

Your app cannot sign in to the hosted server

Not every app supports GitHub's OAuth flow yet. Send a token as an Authorization: Bearer header instead, or run the Docker version.

403 on an organisation's repositories

The organisation may require approval for fine-grained tokens or SSO authorisation. Approve the token in the organisation's settings.

Peas in a pod: similar servers

How GitHub lines up against other developer tools servers on the shelf.

Questions

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.