GitHub MCP

Access GitHub repositories, pull requests, issues, and GitHub Actions via the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Overview

The GitHub MCP Server enables AI agents to interact with GitHub programmatically. It provides tools for repository operations, code review, issue management, and CI/CD pipeline inspection.

Configuration

The MCP server is configured in .rulesync/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
      "oauth": false,
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer {env:GITHUB_TOKEN}"
      },
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}

Prerequisites: Set GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable with a GitHub Personal Access Token.

Capabilities

Repository Operations

• List repositories for authenticated user or organization
• Create new repositories
• Get repository details and metadata
• Clone and fork repositories
• Manage repository settings

Pull Requests

• List open/closed PRs
• Create new pull requests
• Get PR details and diff
• Add comments and reviews
• Merge pull requests
• Update PR status and labels

Issues

• List issues with filters
• Create new issues
• Update issue status and labels
• Add comments
• Manage milestones and projects

Code Review

• Get file contents and diffs
• Review PR changes
• Request changes or approve
• Check review status

GitHub Actions

• List workflows
• Get workflow runs
• Trigger workflows
• Check workflow status and logs

Commits and Branches

• List commits with filters
• Get commit details
• Compare branches
• Create/delete branches
• Protect branches

Use Cases

• Automate PR reviews and issue triage
• Monitor CI/CD pipeline status
• Generate release notes from PRs
• Analyze repository metrics
• Manage project boards programmatically

Best Practices

• Use fine-grained PATs with minimal required scopes
• Handle rate limiting gracefully
• Cache frequently accessed data
• Validate permissions before operations
• Log actions for audit trails

References

• GitHub MCP Server
• GitHub API Documentation
• Creating Personal Access Tokens