Enables comprehensive interaction with GitLab repositories, including managing projects, branches, merge requests, and issues; reviewing and commenting on code; configuring project settings and integrations; managing CI/CD pipelines and variables; and administering users and groups.
Allows configuration and control of Slack integration with GitLab projects, enabling management of Slack notifications for GitLab events.
GitLab MCP Server
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables you to interact with your GitLab account. Get diffs, analyze merge requests, review code, cherry-pick changes, and more.
Features
This MCP server provides comprehensive tools for interacting with GitLab repositories, including:
Core Repository Features
- Listing projects and retrieving details
- Managing branches and repositories
- Working with merge requests and diffs
- Adding comments and internal notes to merge requests
- Updating merge request attributes
- Listing and working with issues
- Getting and comparing repository file contents
Project Settings & Integrations
- Managing project integrations and services
- Configuring and controlling Slack integration
- Setting up, updating, and testing webhooks
CI/CD Management
- Working with pipeline trigger tokens
- Managing CI/CD variables
- Triggering and controlling pipelines
User & Group Administration
- Listing and managing users
- Working with groups and group memberships
- Managing project members and access levels
🚀 Perfect Match: MCP-Workflow Integration
MCP-GitLab + MCP-Workflow = GitLab Development Superpowers!
This MCP server works seamlessly with MCP-Workflow to provide structured, workflow-driven GitLab development. Together, they deliver:
🔄 Structured GitLab Operations
- Guided Development: Follow proven workflows for every GitLab operation
- Code Review Excellence: Systematic merge request reviews with comprehensive feedback
- Issue Management: Step-by-step issue analysis and resolution workflows
🎯 Workflow-Driven GitLab
- Consistent Process: Every GitLab action follows established, repeatable workflows
- Never Get Lost: Complex operations broken down into clear, sequential steps
- Quality Assurance: Built-in validation and quality gates throughout
💡 Real-World Example
🏆 Why This Combination Works
- 🧭 Guided Navigation: MCP-Workflow provides the roadmap, this server provides the GitLab tools
- 🔒 Consistency: Same high-quality process every time, regardless of project complexity
- ⚡ Efficiency: No more wondering "what's next?" - structured workflows guide every step
- 🎨 Flexibility: 29+ interconnected workflows covering every GitLab development scenario
- 🔄 Context Preservation: Workflow state maintained across long development sessions
- 🎯 Precision: Line-specific code comments with full GitLab discussion threading
- 🛡️ Quality: Built-in review gates, security analysis, and best practice enforcement
Get Started: Install both MCP servers and experience structured GitLab development!
🔧 This MCP Server Provides
- 70+ GitLab Tools: Complete API coverage for repositories, merge requests, issues, CI/CD, webhooks
- Line-Level Code Comments: Precise feedback with
gitlab_create_merge_request_discussion
- Multi-Client Support: Concurrent access for team collaboration
- Session Management: Robust session handling with automatic recovery
- Production Ready: Comprehensive logging, monitoring, and error handling
Installation
Option 1: Using Pre-built Docker Image (Recommended)
The easiest way to run the GitLab MCP Server is using the pre-built Docker image:
The server will be available at http://localhost:3001/mcp
Option 2: Using Docker Compose
Create a docker-compose.yml
file:
Then run:
Option 3: Building from Source
If you want to build from source or contribute to the project:
Prerequisites
- Node.js (v16 or higher)
- npm
- A GitLab account with an API token
Setup
- Clone the repository:
- Install dependencies:
- Build the server:
- Install git hooks (optional, but recommended for contributors):
This installs a pre-commit hook that automatically regenerates TOOLS.md when src/utils/tools-data.ts changes.
- Deploy the server:
The server will be available at http://localhost:3001/mcp
Configuration
This server implements Streamable HTTP as the primary MCP transport, which is now natively supported by Claude Code.
For Claude Code/Desktop (Recommended)
The easiest way to add the GitLab MCP server is using the Claude CLI:
Manual Configuration (Alternative)
Alternatively, you can manually add the following to your MCP settings file (~/.claude.json
):
Configuration Details
X-GitLab-Token
: Your GitLab API token (required)X-GitLab-URL
: Your GitLab instance URL (optional, defaults tohttps://gitlab.com
)
Important Notes:
- The server automatically appends
/api/v4
to the GitLab URL if not present - Only GitLab API v4 is supported
- You can generate a token in your GitLab account under Settings > Access Tokens
Example GitLab URLs:
Environment Configuration
The server supports configuration via environment variables with validation and sensible defaults:
Available Configuration Options:
Variable | Description | Default |
---|---|---|
PORT | Server port | 3000 |
NODE_ENV | Environment (development/production/test) | development |
LOG_LEVEL | Logging level (error/warn/info/http/debug) | info |
SESSION_MAX_AGE | Session lifetime in milliseconds | 604800000 (7 days) |
SESSION_CLEANUP_INTERVAL | Session cleanup interval in milliseconds | 300000 (5 minutes) |
AXIOS_TIMEOUT | HTTP request timeout in milliseconds | 30000 (30 seconds) |
ENABLE_REQUEST_LOGGING | Enable detailed API request logging | true |
ENABLE_DETAILED_ERRORS | Enable detailed error messages | false |
Example .env
file:
Logging & Monitoring
The server features comprehensive structured logging with Winston:
Log Components:
- API Logger: GitLab API requests and responses
- Session Logger: Session creation, cleanup, and lifecycle
- Server Logger: HTTP server events and errors
- Auth Logger: Authentication and authorization events
Log Formats:
- Console: Colorized, human-readable format for development
- Files: JSON format in production (saved to
logs/
directory)
Log Level Control:
Set the LOG_LEVEL
environment variable to control verbosity:
error
: Only errorswarn
: Warnings and errorsinfo
: General information, warnings, and errors (default)http
: HTTP requests/responses plus abovedebug
: Detailed debugging information plus above
Production Logging:
Updating to Latest Version
To update to the latest version when using the pre-built Docker image:
Or if using Docker Compose:
Available Tools
For a complete list of available tools and their parameters, see TOOLS.md.
Example Usage
Here are examples of how to use these tools with AI assistants that support MCP:
List your projects
Get information about a specific merge request
Add a comment to a merge request
Add an internal note to a merge request
Update a merge request title and description
Compare branches
Practical Workflows
Reviewing a Merge Request
Project Exploration
Available Resources
gitlab://projects
List of GitLab projects accessible with your API token.
Integration with AI Assistants
The GitLab MCP Server integrates with AI assistants that support the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
Capabilities
When connected to an AI assistant, this server enables the assistant to:
- View and analyze code: The assistant can fetch file contents, view branch differences, and examine merge request changes for better code understanding.
- Provide code reviews: The assistant can analyze merge requests and provide feedback through comments or internal notes.
- Manage project workflows: The assistant can update merge request attributes, add comments, and help with repository management tasks.
- Explore project structure: The assistant can browse projects, branches, and files to understand the codebase structure.
- Configure CI/CD and integrations: The assistant can help set up webhooks, manage CI/CD variables, and configure project integrations.
Getting the Most from AI Assistant Integration
- Be specific when asking about projects, merge requests, or files
- Provide project IDs or paths when possible
- Use the assistant for code review by asking it to analyze specific merge requests
- Have the assistant help with repository configuration and management tasks
- Use internal notes for team-only feedback on merge requests
License
MIT
This server cannot be installed
remote-capable server
The server can be hosted and run remotely because it primarily relies on remote services or has no dependency on the local environment.
mcp-gitlab
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