GitLab MCP Server

List Projects

get_projects

Read-onlyIdempotent

List GitLab projects accessible to your account, including private projects when authenticated. Supports sorting and cursor-based pagination for complete results.

Instructions

List projects accessible to the user (requires authentication to see private projects)

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`sort`	No	GitLab project sort string (e.g., latest_activity_desc, created_desc, name_asc, stars_desc). Defaults to latest_activity_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 projects 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).
`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": {
+          "fullPath": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "id": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "name": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "webUrl": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "id",
+          "name",
+          "fullPath",
+          "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)."

Changed1 schema field changedv1.19.1Jul 4, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / sort / description

Previous value: -"Sort order (e.g., UPDATED_DESC, CREATED_DESC, CREATED_ASC). Defaults to UPDATED_DESC for recency."New value: +"GitLab project sort string (e.g., latest_activity_desc, created_desc, name_asc, stars_desc). Defaults to latest_activity_desc for recency."

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

B3.4/5.0

Behavior4/5

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

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint/idempotentHint/non-destructive, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds genuinely non-schema information: results are limited to what the authenticated user can see, and private projects require auth. Pagination behavior is left entirely to the schema rather than repeated here, which is acceptable.

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?

One short, front-loaded sentence with no filler or repetition of schema detail. It is efficient, though arguably thinner than a 5-parameter listing tool warrants.

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 parameters are fully documented, so return values and inputs need no prose. The remaining gap is selection context: with get_project, get_group_projects, and search_projects as siblings, the definition never clarifies which listing scope this returns.

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 each parameter (sort, after, first, fetchAll, userCredentials) is thoroughly documented in-schema. The description adds no parameter meaning of its own, 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?

Clear verb+resource ("List projects") plus a scope qualifier ("accessible to the user"). It does not distinguish itself from nearby siblings such as get_project, get_group_projects, or search_projects, so an agent must infer the boundary itself.

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?

The only guidance is a precondition ("requires authentication to see private projects"), not a when-to-use rule. There is no mention of when to prefer get_group_projects (scoped listing) or search_projects (filtered lookup) over this general list.

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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