Mcp Github

GitHub MCP Server

MCP Server for the GitHub API, enabling file operations, repository management, search functionality, and more.

Mission Squad modifications

• github pat is now dynamic per request and does not have to be included via environment variables, but still falls back to environment variables.
• name: mcp-github

Features

• Automatic Branch Creation: When creating/updating files or pushing changes, branches are automatically created if they don't exist
• Comprehensive Error Handling: Clear error messages for common issues
• Git History Preservation: Operations maintain proper Git history without force pushing
• Batch Operations: Support for both single-file and multi-file operations
• Advanced Search: Support for searching code, issues/PRs, and users

Tools

1. create_or_update_file

• Create or update a single file in a repository
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner (username or organization)
• repo (string): Repository name
• path (string): Path where to create/update the file
• content (string): Content of the file
• message (string): Commit message
• branch (string): Branch to create/update the file in
• sha (optional string): SHA of file being replaced (for updates)
• Returns: File content and commit details

1. push_files

• Push multiple files in a single commit
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• branch (string): Branch to push to
• files (array): Files to push, each with path and content
• message (string): Commit message
• Returns: Updated branch reference

1. search_repositories

• Search for GitHub repositories
• Inputs:
• query (string): Search query
• page (optional number): Page number for pagination
• perPage (optional number): Results per page (max 100)
• Returns: Repository search results

1. create_repository

• Create a new GitHub repository
• Inputs:
• name (string): Repository name
• description (optional string): Repository description
• private (optional boolean): Whether repo should be private
• autoInit (optional boolean): Initialize with README
• Returns: Created repository details

1. get_file_contents

• Get contents of a file or directory
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• path (string): Path to file/directory
• branch (optional string): Branch to get contents from
• Returns: File/directory contents

1. create_issue

• Create a new issue
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• title (string): Issue title
• body (optional string): Issue description
• assignees (optional string[]): Usernames to assign
• labels (optional string[]): Labels to add
• milestone (optional number): Milestone number
• Returns: Created issue details

1. create_pull_request

• Create a new pull request
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• title (string): PR title
• body (optional string): PR description
• head (string): Branch containing changes
• base (string): Branch to merge into
• draft (optional boolean): Create as draft PR
• maintainer_can_modify (optional boolean): Allow maintainer edits
• Returns: Created pull request details

1. fork_repository

• Fork a repository
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• organization (optional string): Organization to fork to
• Returns: Forked repository details

1. create_branch

• Create a new branch
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• branch (string): Name for new branch
• from_branch (optional string): Source branch (defaults to repo default)
• Returns: Created branch reference

1. list_issues

• List and filter repository issues
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• state (optional string): Filter by state ('open', 'closed', 'all')
• labels (optional string[]): Filter by labels
• sort (optional string): Sort by ('created', 'updated', 'comments')
• direction (optional string): Sort direction ('asc', 'desc')
• since (optional string): Filter by date (ISO 8601 timestamp)
• page (optional number): Page number
• per_page (optional number): Results per page
• Returns: Array of issue details

1. update_issue

• Update an existing issue
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• issue_number (number): Issue number to update
• title (optional string): New title
• body (optional string): New description
• state (optional string): New state ('open' or 'closed')
• labels (optional string[]): New labels
• assignees (optional string[]): New assignees
• milestone (optional number): New milestone number
• Returns: Updated issue details

1. add_issue_comment

• Add a comment to an issue
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• issue_number (number): Issue number to comment on
• body (string): Comment text
• Returns: Created comment details

1. search_code

• Search for code across GitHub repositories
• Inputs:
• q (string): Search query using GitHub code search syntax
• sort (optional string): Sort field ('indexed' only)
• order (optional string): Sort order ('asc' or 'desc')
• per_page (optional number): Results per page (max 100)
• page (optional number): Page number
• Returns: Code search results with repository context

1. search_issues

• Search for issues and pull requests
• Inputs:
• q (string): Search query using GitHub issues search syntax
• sort (optional string): Sort field (comments, reactions, created, etc.)
• order (optional string): Sort order ('asc' or 'desc')
• per_page (optional number): Results per page (max 100)
• page (optional number): Page number
• Returns: Issue and pull request search results

1. search_users

• Search for GitHub users
• Inputs:
• q (string): Search query using GitHub users search syntax
• sort (optional string): Sort field (followers, repositories, joined)
• order (optional string): Sort order ('asc' or 'desc')
• per_page (optional number): Results per page (max 100)
• page (optional number): Page number
• Returns: User search results

1. list_commits

• Gets commits of a branch in a repository
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• page (optional string): page number
• per_page (optional string): number of record per page
• sha (optional string): branch name
• Returns: List of commits

1. get_issue

• Gets the contents of an issue within a repository
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• issue_number (number): Issue number to retrieve
• Returns: Github Issue object & details

1. get_pull_request

• Get details of a specific pull request
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• pull_number (number): Pull request number
• Returns: Pull request details including diff and review status

1. list_pull_requests

• List and filter repository pull requests
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• state (optional string): Filter by state ('open', 'closed', 'all')
• head (optional string): Filter by head user/org and branch
• base (optional string): Filter by base branch
• sort (optional string): Sort by ('created', 'updated', 'popularity', 'long-running')
• direction (optional string): Sort direction ('asc', 'desc')
• per_page (optional number): Results per page (max 100)
• page (optional number): Page number
• Returns: Array of pull request details

1. create_pull_request_review

• Create a review on a pull request
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• pull_number (number): Pull request number
• body (string): Review comment text
• event (string): Review action ('APPROVE', 'REQUEST_CHANGES', 'COMMENT')
• commit_id (optional string): SHA of commit to review
• comments (optional array): Line-specific comments, each with:
• path (string): File path
• position (number): Line position in diff
• body (string): Comment text
• Returns: Created review details

1. merge_pull_request

• Merge a pull request
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• pull_number (number): Pull request number
• commit_title (optional string): Title for merge commit
• commit_message (optional string): Extra detail for merge commit
• merge_method (optional string): Merge method ('merge', 'squash', 'rebase')
• Returns: Merge result details

1. get_pull_request_files

• Get the list of files changed in a pull request
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• pull_number (number): Pull request number
• Returns: Array of changed files with patch and status details

1. get_pull_request_status

• Get the combined status of all status checks for a pull request
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• pull_number (number): Pull request number
• Returns: Combined status check results and individual check details

1. update_pull_request_branch

• Update a pull request branch with the latest changes from the base branch (equivalent to GitHub's "Update branch" button)
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• pull_number (number): Pull request number
• expected_head_sha (optional string): The expected SHA of the pull request's HEAD ref
• Returns: Success message when branch is updated

1. get_pull_request_comments

• Get the review comments on a pull request
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• pull_number (number): Pull request number
• Returns: Array of pull request review comments with details like the comment text, author, and location in the diff

1. get_pull_request_reviews

• Get the reviews on a pull request
• Inputs:
• owner (string): Repository owner
• repo (string): Repository name
• pull_number (number): Pull request number
• Returns: Array of pull request reviews with details like the review state (APPROVED, CHANGES_REQUESTED, etc.), reviewer, and review body

Webhook Tools

This server now supports the full repository and organization webhook REST surface that is available with the existing github_pat auth model.

Repository webhook tools

• list_repository_webhooks
• get_repository_webhook
• create_repository_webhook
• update_repository_webhook
• delete_repository_webhook
• get_repository_webhook_config
• update_repository_webhook_config
• ping_repository_webhook
• list_repository_webhook_deliveries
• get_repository_webhook_delivery
• redeliver_repository_webhook_delivery

Organization webhook tools

• list_organization_webhooks
• get_organization_webhook
• create_organization_webhook
• update_organization_webhook
• delete_organization_webhook
• get_organization_webhook_config
• update_organization_webhook_config
• ping_organization_webhook
• list_organization_webhook_deliveries
• get_organization_webhook_delivery
• redeliver_organization_webhook_delivery

Permissions

Repository webhooks:

• Classic PATs typically need admin:repo_hook (or broader repo) to create, edit, delete, ping, or redeliver.
• Fine-grained PATs need repository Webhooks permission with read for list/get and write for create/update/delete/ping/redelivery.

Organization webhooks:

• Classic PATs need admin:org_hook.
• Fine-grained PATs need organization Webhooks permission with read for list/get and write for create/update/delete/ping/redelivery.

Usage notes

• Create and update webhook tools hardcode name: "web" internally, which is what GitHub requires.
• Repository webhook config supports url, content_type, secret, and insecure_ssl.
• Organization webhook config supports those fields plus optional username and password for basic auth.
• GitHub strongly recommends setting a webhook secret and validating delivery signatures on the receiving service.
• insecure_ssl: "1" disables certificate verification and is discouraged.

Debugging flow

• Use ping_*_webhook to trigger a test delivery after create or update.
• Use list_*_webhook_deliveries to inspect recent attempts.
• Use get_*_webhook_delivery to inspect the request payload, headers, and GitHub's captured response.
• Use redeliver_*_webhook_delivery to replay a failed or stale delivery.

Out of scope

• This server does not implement an inbound HTTP receiver for webhook deliveries.
• This server does not perform delivery signature validation for your webhook endpoint.
• GitHub App webhook endpoints are not included in this phase because those APIs require JWT-based app authentication rather than a PAT.

Search Query Syntax

Code Search

• language:javascript: Search by programming language
• repo:owner/name: Search in specific repository
• path:app/src: Search in specific path
• extension:js: Search by file extension
• Example: q: "import express" language:typescript path:src/

Issues Search

• is:issue or is:pr: Filter by type
• is:open or is:closed: Filter by state
• label:bug: Search by label
• author:username: Search by author
• Example: q: "memory leak" is:issue is:open label:bug

Users Search

• type:user or type:org: Filter by account type
• followers:>1000: Filter by followers
• location:London: Search by location
• Example: q: "fullstack developer" location:London followers:>100

For detailed search syntax, see GitHub's searching documentation.

Setup

Personal Access Token

Create a GitHub Personal Access Token with appropriate permissions:

• Go to Personal access tokens (in GitHub Settings > Developer settings)
• Select which repositories you'd like this token to have access to (Public, All, or Select)
• Create a token with the repo scope ("Full control of private repositories")
• Alternatively, if working only with public repositories, select only the public_repo scope
• Copy the generated token

Usage with Claude Desktop

To use this with Claude Desktop, add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

Docker

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "mcp/github"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": ""
      }
    }
  }
}

NPX

{
  "mcpServers": {

…

## Source & license

This open-source MCP server is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [MissionSquad](https://github.com/MissionSquad)
- **Source:** [MissionSquad/mcp-github](https://github.com/MissionSquad/mcp-github)
- **License:** MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.