GitLab MCP Server

GitLab Find Action

gitlab_find_action

Read-onlyIdempotent

Search the local GitLab action catalog. Read-only and no GitLab API call. Use when the action ID or params are unclear. Returns schemas, hints, destructive flags, and execute examples. Example: {"query":"issue list"}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Maximum number of matches to return. Defaults to 20 and is capped at 50.
`query`	Yes	Search terms combining a GitLab domain or resource with a verb, filter, or object name, such as project create, merge request approve, pipeline retry, issue delete, or ci variable. At most 256 characters: a longer query is refused, not truncated.
`explain`	No	When true, include deterministic scoring reasons for each returned action. Defaults to false to keep responses compact.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`count`	Yes	Number of returned matches.
`query`	Yes	Original search query.
`results`	Yes	Matching GitLab catalog actions with schemas and execute examples.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedOct 31, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / required_params_any_of / description

Previous value: -"Alternative groups: a call also needs every name of one group, not all groups."New value: +"Alternative groups: a call also needs every name of at least one group, not all groups, and of exactly one when required_params_exclusive is true."

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / required_params_exclusive

Added value: +{
+  "description": "True when a call completes exactly one group of required_params_any_of: GitLab refuses a call completing two as it refuses one completing none.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedOct 20, 2026

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / required_params_any_of

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Alternative groups: a call also needs every name of one group, not all groups.",
+  "items": {
+    "items": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "type": [
+      "null",
+      "array"
+    ]
+  },
+  "type": [
+    "null",
+    "array"
+  ]
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedSep 6, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / query / description

Previous value: -"Search terms combining a GitLab domain or resource with a verb, filter, or object name, such as project create, merge request approve, pipeline retry, issue delete, or ci variable."New value: +"Search terms combining a GitLab domain or resource with a verb, filter, or object name, such as project create, merge request approve, pipeline retry, issue delete, or ci variable. At most 256 characters: a longer query is refused, not truncated."

addedInput schema / properties / query / maxLength
```
Added value: +256
```

First observedSep 3, 2026

TDQS

A4.1/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare read-only, idempotent and non-destructive, and the description adds genuinely new context: the catalog is local with no GitLab API call, so there is no auth or rate-limit exposure. It also previews what comes back (schemas, hints, destructive flags, execute examples), which annotations alone would not convey.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Four short sentences plus one inline example, with the local/read-only guarantee and the usage trigger front-loaded. Nothing repeats the schema or wastes a clause.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists, yet the description still briefly names the shape of the response, and it covers cost (no API call) and the routing decision. For a 3-parameter search tool this is everything an agent needs to call it correctly.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100% and every parameter (limit, query, explain) is documented in the schema, including caps and the no-truncation rule, so the schema carries the load. The description adds only an example query string and does not explain limit or explain beyond what the schema says.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ("Search the local GitLab action catalog") and makes the search-vs-execute split legible through "Use when the action ID or params are unclear." It never names gitlab_execute_action, so the differentiation is inferred rather than explicit.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Gives a clear trigger condition: use it when the action ID or params are unclear, which implicitly excludes the case where they are known. It does not explicitly point to the sibling execution tool as the alternative for that excluded case.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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