What GitHub permissions does the token need?

The token needs permissions matching the tools you enable. For repository operations, you need repo scope. For issue and PR management, you need repo and read:org scopes.

Can I run this with GitHub Enterprise Server?

Yes. Set the GITHUB_API_URL environment variable to your GHES instance URL.

How do I enable only specific toolsets?

Pass the --toolsets flag when starting the server. For example, use --toolsets repos,issues to load only repository and issue tools.

GitHub MCP Server

officialstdionpm

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About

GitHub's official MCP server bridges AI assistants to the GitHub API. Turn every major GitHub operation into an MCP tool call — create issues, review PRs, search code, manage branches, all from your AI chat.

Features

Modular toolsets that can be toggled independently
Supports stdio transport protocol
Authenticates via GitHub personal access tokens
Automatic rate limiting and pagination handling
Active maintenance by GitHub's official team
Works with any MCP-compatible client

Use Cases

Developer

Create and manage GitHub issues from an AI assistant

Team lead

Automate pull request reviews and merges through AI chat

Security engineer

Search code across repositories from an AI assistant

What This Server Can Do

MCP servers expose three types of capabilities to AI clients. Here's what GitHub MCP Server supports.

Tools

Supported23 tools

Functions your AI client can call to perform actions — like querying a database, creating a file, or calling an API.

How to use: Tools run automatically when your AI client decides they're needed. Ask your AI assistant to perform a task, and it will invoke the right tool.