GitLab MCP Server

Project Issues

get_issues

Read-onlyIdempotent

Fetch issues from a specific GitLab project in read-only mode, with sorting and pagination options to support complete and accurate results.

Instructions

Get issues from a specific GitLab project (read-only)

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`sort`	No	Sort order (e.g., UPDATED_DESC, CREATED_DESC, CREATED_ASC). Defaults to UPDATED_DESC for recency.
`after`	No	Pagination cursor. To fetch the next page, pass the previous response pageInfo.endCursor here and repeat until pageInfo.hasNextPage is false. Paginating this way is the reliable path to complete results and accurate totals.
`first`	No	Number of issues to retrieve
`fetchAll`	No	Fetch multiple pages in one call, up to "first" items total (max 100) — NOT exhaustive. For complete results or accurate counts, leave this false and paginate via after (pageInfo.endCursor).
`projectPath`	Yes	Full path of the project (e.g., "group/project-name")
`userCredentials`	No	Your GitLab credentials (optional — falls back to the configured env token if not provided)

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`nodes`	Yes
`hasMore`	No
`pageInfo`	Yes
`totalFetched`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed3 schema fields changedv4.0.0Nov 2, 2026

removedInput schema / additionalProperties
```
Removed value: -false
```

changedInput schema / properties / userCredentials / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "additionalProperties": false,
-    "properties": {
-      "accessToken": {
-        "minLength": 1,
-        "type": "string"
-      },
-      "gitlabUrl": {
-        "format": "uri",
-        "type": "string"
-      }
-    },
-    "type": "object"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "properties": {
+      "accessToken": {
+        "minLength": 1,
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      "gitlabUrl": {
+        "format": "uri",
+        "type": "string"
+      }
+    },
+    "type": "object"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": {},
+  "properties": {
+    "hasMore": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "nodes": {
+      "items": {
+        "additionalProperties": {},
+        "properties": {
+          "id": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "iid": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "title": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "webUrl": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "id",
+          "iid",
+          "title",
+          "webUrl"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "pageInfo": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "properties": {
+        "endCursor": {
+          "type": [
+            "string",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        },
+        "hasNextPage": {
+          "type": "boolean"
+        },
+        "hasPreviousPage": {
+          "type": "boolean"
+        },
+        "startCursor": {
+          "type": [
+            "string",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "hasNextPage",
+        "endCursor"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "totalFetched": {
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": 0,
+      "type": "integer"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "nodes",
+    "pageInfo"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedv2.2.4Jul 24, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / after / description

Previous value: -"Cursor for pagination"New value: +"Pagination cursor. To fetch the next page, pass the previous response pageInfo.endCursor here and repeat until pageInfo.hasNextPage is false. Paginating this way is the reliable path to complete results and accurate totals."

changedInput schema / properties / fetchAll / description

Previous value: -"Fetch all pages up to 100 results"New value: +"Fetch multiple pages in one call, up to \"first\" items total (max 100) — NOT exhaustive. For complete results or accurate counts, leave this false and paginate via after (pageInfo.endCursor)."

Changed3 schema fields changedv1.15.0May 10, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / fetchAll

Added value: +{
+  "default": false,
+  "description": "Fetch all pages up to 100 results",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / sort

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Sort order (e.g., UPDATED_DESC, CREATED_DESC, CREATED_ASC). Defaults to UPDATED_DESC for recency.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

changedInput schema / properties / userCredentials / description

Previous value: -"Your GitLab credentials (optional - uses shared token if not provided)"New value: +"Your GitLab credentials (optional — falls back to the configured env token if not provided)"

First observedv1.7.3Mar 7, 2026

TDQS

C2.9/5.0

Behavior2/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true, idempotentHint=true and destructiveHint=false, so '(read-only)' merely repeats structured data. The description adds nothing about pagination behavior, result completeness, or auth fallback — all of which live only in the schema, not the description.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

A single front-loaded clause with zero filler. It is efficient, though it is arguably too terse for a six-parameter tool with non-obvious pagination tradeoffs.

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

Completeness3/5

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

An output schema exists and the schema documents pagination and the fetchAll-vs-after tradeoff, so much of the burden is carried elsewhere. Still, the description alone gives an agent no sense of result paging or that fetchAll is capped at 100, leaving it minimally viable rather than complete.

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%, so every parameter (sort, after, first, fetchAll, projectPath, userCredentials) is already documented thoroughly, including pagination semantics. The description adds no parameter-level meaning, so the baseline 3 applies.

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 ('Get issues') and narrows scope to a specific GitLab project, which distinguishes it from get_user_issues and search_issues. It does not explicitly name those siblings or explain the boundary, so it stops short of a 5.

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

Usage Guidelines2/5

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

There is no statement of when to use this versus search_issues, get_user_issues, get_issue_context, or list_work_items, and no preconditions or exclusions. The parenthetical '(read-only)' is the only usage-adjacent cue.

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

Deploy Server