Como instalo GitLab MCP Server?

Copie nesta página a configuração stdio para Cursor, Claude Desktop, Claude Code ou VS Code. Ela usa a instalação do publicador, não um proxy do PlugMCP.

GitLab MCP Server precisa de uma chave de API?

O publicador lista estas variáveis de ambiente: GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN, GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN_FILE, GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN, GITLAB_AUTH_COOKIE_PATH, GITLAB_USE_OAUTH, GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, GITLAB_OAUTH_TOKEN_SCRIPT, GITLAB_API_URL, GITLAB_ALLOWED_PROJECT_IDS, GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE, GITLAB_TOOLSETS, GITLAB_TOOLS, GITLAB_DENIED_TOOLS_REGEX, GITLAB_TOOL_POLICY_APPROVE, GITLAB_TOOL_POLICY_HIDDEN, NODE_TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED, GITLAB_CA_CERT_PATH, GITLAB_MASKING_ENABLED, GITLAB_MASKING_CONFIG, GITLAB_MASKING_POLICY_FILE, GITLAB_MASKING_WORKSPACE_DIR.

Qual transporte GitLab MCP Server usa?

GitLab MCP Server roda localmente via stdio.

Quando GitLab MCP Server foi verificado pela última vez?

Última verificação: 2026-11-13. MR 2-step review — list_merge_request_changed_files → batched get_merge_request_file_diff. Agent Skill built in — workflow guidance in skills/gitlab-mcp/. Flexible auth — Personal Access Token, local OAuth2 browser flow, MCP OAuth proxy, and per-request remote authorization

Servidor MCP GitLab MCP Server

GitLab MCP Server

English | 한국어 | 简体中文 | Português (Brasil)

📖 Documentation → · llms.txt · llms-full.txt

Default: 40 tools (38 core + discover_tools + help). 288 tools exist in total (285 in toolsets + execute_graphql + discover_tools + help). Start lean; call discover_tools to activate more for this session.

Token budget: MCP clients send the whole tools/list to the model at session start. Keep the default (~40 tools, ~12k schema tokens). Call discover_tools to activate a category for this session (session-only; with OAUTH_STATELESS_MODE=true persist a named GITLAB_TOOLSETS list), or use Skill + CLI and skip MCP schemas. Do not set GITLAB_TOOLSETS=all — it loads ~all tools and costs ~73k schema tokens. See tools/list size and comparison.

Install the zereight-mcp-gitlab binary first with npm install -g @zereight/mcp-gitlab, or Homebrew brew tap zereight/gitlab-mcp https://github.com/zereight/gitlab-mcp and brew install zereight/gitlab-mcp/zereight-mcp-gitlab. Official MCP Registry listing: io.github.zereight/gitlab-mcp. One-liner: npx -y @zereight/mcp-gitlab@latest.

Without → With

Without this MCP	With this MCP
Paste MR URLs and diffs into chat	`list_merge_request_changed_files` → batched `get_merge_request_file_diff`
Hunt job logs in the GitLab UI	`get_pipeline_job_output` with pagination
Re-explain the project path every turn	`project_id=group%2Fproject` and `merge_request_iid=123`

Three install paths

Path	When	How
Local IDE	Cursor, Claude Code, Codex on your machine	stdio + PAT or local OAuth
Shared HTTP	Team or hosted MCP	Streamable HTTP URL + remote auth or MCP OAuth
Claude.ai	Claude web connectors	Public HTTPS + `GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH`

Install

Install the binary first (npm install -g @zereight/mcp-gitlab, or Homebrew brew tap zereight/gitlab-mcp https://github.com/zereight/gitlab-mcp then brew install zereight/gitlab-mcp/zereight-mcp-gitlab). Read the token without echo:

read -rs GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN && export GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN

# Claude Code
claude mcp add gitlab --transport stdio --scope local --env GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="$GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN" --env GITLAB_API_URL=https://gitlab.com/api/v4 -- zereight-mcp-gitlab

# Codex
codex mcp add gitlab --env GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="$GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN" --env GITLAB_API_URL=https://gitlab.com/api/v4 -- zereight-mcp-gitlab

Other clients: VS Code · GitHub Copilot · JSON clients · Cursor details

Agent paste-prompt

Copy this into an agent that can edit MCP config:

Install the GitLab MCP server (@zereight/mcp-gitlab) for this workspace.
Binary: zereight-mcp-gitlab (npm i -g @zereight/mcp-gitlab, or npx -y @zereight/mcp-gitlab@latest).
Auth: GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN plus GITLAB_API_URL=https://gitlab.com/api/v4 (or GITLAB_USE_OAUTH=true).
Local: claude mcp add gitlab --transport stdio --scope local --env GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="$GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN" --env GITLAB_API_URL=https://gitlab.com/api/v4 -- zereight-mcp-gitlab
Or: codex mcp add gitlab --env GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="$GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN" --env GITLAB_API_URL=https://gitlab.com/api/v4 -- zereight-mcp-gitlab
Cursor: use the README deeplink or docs/clients/cursor.md.
Remote HTTP: point the client at https://mcp.example.com/mcp (Streamable HTTP). Claude.ai needs GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH on that host.
Default list: 40 tools (38 core + discover_tools + help). Call discover_tools to expand. Do not set GITLAB_TOOLSETS=all (loads ~all schemas, ~73k tokens). Do not enable the api toolset unless you accept its bypass risk.
Equal non-MCP path: npx skills add zereight/gitlab-mcp --skill gitlab-mcp-skill plus the zereight-mcp-gitlab CLI.

Remote HTTP

First-class option for a hosted or self-hosted server. Point the client at a Streamable HTTP URL:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.example.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Hosted / Claude.ai: GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH=true on the server (see MCP OAuth)
Per-user PAT headers: REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true (see Remote Authorization)
Local Docker examples are in Usage

Skill + CLI (no MCP required)

Skill + CLI is an equal path, not a fallback. Same workflows, full payloads in a terminal, no MCP registration.

npx skills add zereight/gitlab-mcp --skill gitlab-mcp-skill
zereight-mcp-gitlab user whoami
zereight-mcp-gitlab mr list

See CLI without MCP and skills/gitlab-mcp/.

MCP vs Human CLI

Use MCP when	Use the CLI when
The agent needs structured tools in chat	You need the full payload (diffs, logs, artifacts)
`jmespath` or compact results are enough	`GITLAB_MCP_COMPACT_RESULTS` is on and you want the rest in a terminal
You already registered the server	You have a PAT or ran `auth` and do not want MCP

Human CLI is never compacted. Destructive tools and GITLAB_TOOL_POLICY_APPROVE tools need --yes.

Tips

project_id is a numeric ID or a URL-encoded path. Example: group group, project project, merge request !123 → project_id=group%2Fproject, merge_request_iid=123. Nested groups use %2F between every segment (group%2Fsubgroup%2Fproject).

FAQ

How do I authenticate? Local desktop: GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN (or GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN_FILE) is the simplest. Local OAuth is GITLAB_USE_OAUTH=true. Remote Claude.ai uses GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH. Multi-user HTTP uses REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION and a per-request token header.

Why do I only see ~40 tools? The default core toolset is 38 tools plus always-on discover_tools and help. That is intentional: a client sends every listed schema to the model up front. Call discover_tools with no args to list categories, then pass a category (pipelines, wiki, …) to activate it for this session. Session-only; with OAUTH_STATELESS_MODE=true persist a named GITLAB_TOOLSETS list. Do not set GITLAB_TOOLSETS=all — it loads ~all schemas (~73k tokens) and still does not enable api.

Local OAuth vs MCP OAuth vs remote auth? Local OAuth opens a browser on the same machine as the server. MCP OAuth is for a public HTTPS server and clients such as Claude.ai. Remote authorization forwards the caller's PAT or job token; there is no OAuth dance.

How do I shrink huge replies? Pass jmespath on any tool call. Or set GITLAB_MCP_COMPACT_RESULTS=true so oversized MCP replies become a preview plus a CLI command. Use the CLI when you need the full payload.

Why is the api toolset dangerous? gitlab_api_request bypasses group/project allowlists, other tool filters, and per-tool safety checks. Prompt injection can drive it. Enable it only by listing api in GITLAB_TOOLSETS. all, discover_tools, and GITLAB_TOOLS do not.

Cursor rule / CLAUDE.md snippet

GitLab merge requests, issues, and pipelines go through this MCP (@zereight/mcp-gitlab).
Start with the default core tools. Call discover_tools to expand. Do not set GITLAB_TOOLSETS=all.
Prefer list_merge_request_changed_files, then batched get_merge_request_file_diff.
Use jmespath or compact results; use the CLI for full diffs and job logs.

@zereight/mcp-gitlab

Agent-workflow-optimized GitLab MCP — manage projects, merge requests, issues, pipelines, wiki, releases, tags, milestones, and more through stdio, SSE, and Streamable HTTP.

Supports PAT, OAuth, read-only mode, dynamic API URLs, and remote authorization for VS Code, Claude, Cursor, Copilot, and other MCP clients.

Why use this GitLab MCP?

Default 40 tools (38 core + discover_tools + help); 288 total — start lean; call discover_tools to activate more without CQRS-style grouping. GITLAB_TOOLSETS=all loads ~all schemas (~73k tokens); prefer discover-on-demand or Skill + CLI
MR 2-step review — list_merge_request_changed_files → batched get_merge_request_file_diff
Agent Skill built in — workflow guidance in skills/gitlab-mcp/
Flexible auth — Personal Access Token, local OAuth2 browser flow, MCP OAuth proxy, and per-request remote authorization
Multiple transports — stdio for local clients, SSE for legacy clients, and Streamable HTTP for modern remote deployments
Client-friendly setup — examples for Claude Code, Codex, Antigravity, OpenCode, Copilot, Cline, Roo Code, Cursor, Kilo Code, and Amp Code
Self-hosted ready — works with custom GitLab instances, proxy settings, and dynamic API URL routing
JMESPath result filtering — optional jmespath on tool calls (see tools/list) shrinks JSON results without changing GitLab API requests; when response masking is enabled, JMESPath runs on masked data.

How we compare

	@zereight/mcp-gitlab	GitLab MCP A (community CQRS-style)	GitLab official MCP server
Best for	AI agent workflows	Enterprise multi-instance / grouped tools	Built into GitLab, no separate install
Tool model	288 tools: 285 in toolsets + `execute_graphql` + `discover_tools` + `help`	~50–60 grouped `browse_` / `manage_` tools	Toolsets chosen with an HTTP header
MR review	2-step batched diff	Varies	`get_merge_request` with diffs
Node.js	>=20.0.0	Often >=24	Node.js 20+ for stdio via `mcp-remote`
License	MIT	Varies	Part of GitLab

tools/list size (measured 2026-11-05)

A client sends the whole tools/list result to the model at session start. Token estimate is UTF-8 bytes / 4.

Profile	Tools	JSON bytes	Est. tokens
Default (`core` + `discover_tools` + `help`)	40	46,943	11,736
`GITLAB_TOOL_PROFILE=slim`	39	45,935	11,484
`GITLAB_TOOLSETS=all`	286	293,906	73,477

Re-measure with npm run build && npm run test:mock (test/tools-list-budget.test.ts) after description or schema changes.

GitLab also ships an official MCP server.

Free, Premium, and Ultimate. Moved from Premium to Free in GitLab 19.2. Generally available in GitLab 19.5.
On GitLab.com, a top-level group Owner allows access to the MCP server. On GitLab Self-Managed and GitLab Dedicated, an administrator controls the instance setting. Default rules are on the official page.
Remote clients use HTTP https://<gitlab.example.com>/api/v4/mcp with OAuth 2.0 dynamic client registration.
stdio goes through mcp-remote and needs Node.js 20 or later.
Toolsets use the X-Gitlab-Enabled-Mcp-Server-Toolsets header. An optional X-Gitlab-Mcp-Server-Tool-Name-Prefix header keeps the first 32 characters of a tool-name prefix.

Full comparison with the official GitLab MCP server →

Quick start: choose either Personal Access Token or OAuth2 setup below, install @zereight/mcp-gitlab, and use zereight-mcp-gitlab in your MCP client configuration.

Client Setup Guides

Claude Code Setup Guide
VS Code Setup Guide
GitHub Copilot Setup Guide
Codex Setup Guide
Cursor Setup Guide
JSON-Based MCP Clients Setup Guide - for Factory AI Droid, OpenClaw, and OpenCode style clients
OAuth2 Authentication Setup Guide
Environment Variables Reference
Stateless Mode — Multi-Pod HPA
Custom Agents and Multiple PAT Setup

Usage

Setup Overview

Authentication Methods

The server supports four authentication methods:

For local/desktop use (most common):

Personal Access Token (GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN or GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN_FILE) — simplest setup
OAuth2 — Local Browser (GITLAB_USE_OAUTH) — recommended for better security

For server/remote deployments:

OAuth2 — MCP Proxy (GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH) — for remote MCP clients such as Claude.ai
Remote Authorization (REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION) — multi-user deployments where each caller provides their own token

Quick setup paths

Claude Code: see Claude Code Setup Guide
VS Code: see VS Code Setup Guide
GitHub Copilot: see GitHub Copilot Setup Guide
Codex: see Codex Setup Guide
Cursor: see Cursor Setup Guide
Factory AI Droid / OpenClaw / OpenCode style clients: see JSON-Based MCP Clients Setup Guide
OAuth browser flow details: see OAuth2 Authentication Setup Guide
OAuth without a localhost callback (SSO, remote shell, background clients): run zereight-mcp-gitlab auth (GitLab 17.9+ device flow; 17.2–17.8 need oauth2_device_grant_flow), then start the server with GITLAB_USE_OAUTH=true. See standalone device-flow command.

For the simplest local setup, start with a Personal Access Token. For browser-based local auth, use OAuth2. For remote or multi-user deployments, continue to the MCP OAuth and Remote Authorization sections later in this README.

Install the server once:

brew tap zereight/gitlab-mcp https://github.com/zereight/gitlab-mcp
brew install zereight/gitlab-mcp/zereight-mcp-gitlab

Or with npm:

npm install -g @zereight/mcp-gitlab

Or with Nix, by adding this flake to your own:

# flake.nix
inputs.gitlab-mcp.url = "github:zereight/gitlab-mcp";

# wherever you configure your MCP client:
command = lib.getExe inputs.gitlab-mcp.packages.${system}.default;

The store path is pinned by your lock file; update it with nix flake update gitlab-mcp.

The examples use zereight-mcp-gitlab, a less collision-prone alias for the legacy mcp-gitlab binary. If your MCP client cannot find it, use the absolute path from which zereight-mcp-gitlab.

No global install? Pin npx to the previous stable release (the version these docs recommend), for example npx -y @zereight/[email protected]. If you always want the newest release, use npx -y @zereight/mcp-gitlab@latest instead. To try a fix merged to main before the next stable release, use npx -y @zereight/mcp-gitlab@next, a pre-release build that is not meant for production. The server prints a notice to stderr on startup when a newer version is available (disable with GITLAB_DISABLE_VERSION_CHECK=true).

Claude Desktop one-click install (MCP Bundle)

Every GitHub release after v2.3.1 ships a gitlab-mcp.mcpb MCP Bundle. Download the latest bundle and open it with Claude Desktop (or drag it into Settings → Extensions). Claude Desktop asks for your Personal Access Token (stored as a sensitive value) and lets you set GITLAB_API_URL, GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE, GITLAB_TOOLSETS, and GITLAB_MASKING_ENABLED. No separate Node.js or npm install is needed.

To build the bundle from source, run npm run pack:mcpb (writes gitlab-mcp.mcpb).

Using CLI Arguments (for clients with env var issues)

Some MCP clients (like GitHub Copilot CLI) have issues with environment variables. Use CLI arguments instead:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "zereight-mcp-gitlab",
      "args": ["--token=YOUR_GITLAB_TOKEN", "--api-url=https://gitlab.com/api/v4"],
      "tools": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

Available CLI arguments:

--token - GitLab Personal Access Token (replaces GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN)
--api-url - GitLab API URL (replaces GITLAB_API_URL)
--read-only=true - Deprecated (removed in next major (v3.0.0)); use --permission-mode=readonly instead (replaces GITLAB_READ_ONLY_MODE)
--permission-mode - Permission level: readonly, modify (no delete or teardown tools), or full (replaces GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE, default full)
--toolsets - Named toolsets (replaces GITLAB_TOOLSETS; unset uses the lean core default). Do not pass all unless you accept ~73k schema tokens. gitlab_api_request needs --toolsets=api
--tools=list_issues - Add individual tools (replaces GITLAB_TOOLS)
--use-wiki=true - Deprecated (removed in next major (v3.0.0)); use --toolsets=core,wiki instead (replaces USE_GITLAB_WIKI)
--use-milestone=true - Deprecated (removed in next major (v3.0.0)); use --toolsets=core,milestones instead (replaces USE_MILESTONE)
--use-pipeline=true - Deprecated (removed in next major (v3.0.0)); use --toolsets=core,pipelines and append validate_ci_lint,validate_project_ci_lint to the existing --tools list (or set --tools=validate_ci_lint,validate_project_ci_lint when that list is unset) (replaces USE_PIPELINE)
--disable-version-check=true - Disable the startup new-version notice (replaces GITLAB_DISABLE_VERSION_CHECK)
--masking-enabled=true - Enable text-response masking (replaces GITLAB_MASKING_ENABLED)
--masking-config - Path to a masking configuration file (replaces GITLAB_MASKING_CONFIG)
--masking-policy-file - Path to a protected managed-policy file (replaces GITLAB_MASKING_POLICY_FILE)
--masking-workspace-dir - Directory used to resolve masking files (replaces GITLAB_MASKING_WORKSPACE_DIR)
--download-dir - Directory download_attachment and download_job_artifacts save files under (replaces ; default )

If you already set GITLAB_TOOLSETS or --toolsets, append wiki, milestones, or pipelines to that list instead of replacing it. If you already set GITLAB_TOOLS or --tools, append validate_ci_lint and validate_project_ci_lint to that list instead of replacing it. An explicit list replaces the default core toolset; it does not merge.

CLI arguments take precedence over environment variables.

zereight-mcp-gitlab auth is a subcommand (not an MCP server flag). It runs GitLab device flow and exits. See CLI Arguments.

The same binary is also a gh-style GitLab CLI (tool <name> or curated forms such as mr list). No MCP registration is needed — set a PAT, or run auth and set GITLAB_USE_OAUTH=true: see CLI without MCP. setup --cursor / setup --claude prints client config; doctor checks token, API URL, toolsets, and version. Use it for the full payload in a terminal. MCP replies stay in the chat unless you set GITLAB_MCP_COMPACT_RESULTS=true (or --compact-results), which replaces oversized tool replies with a preview and a CLI command. Human CLI is never compacted. Same permission mode, toolsets, denied-tools regex, and tool-policy filters. Destructive tools and GITLAB_TOOL_POLICY_APPROVE tools need --yes. See Human CLI.

Fine-grained tool filtering: use GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE=modify to allow create/update while blocking every delete tool and the destructive teardown tools (cancel_pipeline, cancel_pipeline_job, stop_environment, stop_stale_environments, unprotect_branch, unprotect_tag) — including destructive mutations (deletion and teardown verbs) through execute_graphql and push_files delete/move actions — or GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE=readonly for read-only access. You can also enable toolset groups with GITLAB_TOOLSETS=<group,…>, allow-list individual tools with GITLAB_TOOLS=<tool,…> (e.g. read-only groups plus a few specific write tools), and deny-list by pattern with GITLAB_DENIED_TOOLS_REGEX. The legacy USE_GITLAB_WIKI / USE_MILESTONE / USE_PIPELINE flags are deprecated (removed in next major (v3.0.0)). Use GITLAB_TOOLSETS=core,wiki, core,milestones, or core,pipelines (USE_PIPELINE also needs validate_ci_lint,validate_project_ci_lint appended to an existing GITLAB_TOOLS list instead of replacing it). If you already set GITLAB_TOOLSETS, append the toolset to your existing list instead of replacing it. If GITLAB_TOOLS is unset, set GITLAB_TOOLS=validate_ci_lint,validate_project_ci_lint. If it is already set, append validate_ci_lint,validate_project_ci_lint instead of replacing that list. See Tools Reference and Environment Variables.

[!CAUTION] gitlab_api_request (toolset api) bypasses GITLAB_ALLOWED_GROUPS and other group restrictions, project allowlists, tool-level restrictions (GITLAB_TOOLS, GITLAB_DENIED_TOOLS_REGEX on other tools), and individual tool safety checks. The full token permission scope is exposed. Prompt injection can drive this tool. Operators who rely on these restrictions must NOT enable it. Enable it only by listing api in GITLAB_TOOLSETS (GITLAB_TOOLSETS=all, discover_tools, GITLAB_TOOLS, legacy USE_* flags, and GITLAB_TOOL_PROFILE do not). With GITLAB_ALLOWED_PROJECT_IDS or a session project scope, only /projects/:id paths for an allowed project are accepted. Endpoints such as /search, /users, /groups/:id, and /runners are rejected. Body and query parameters that name another project are not checked. GITLAB_PROJECT_ID and OAuth group allowlists are not enforced.

Pass the variable name only. The Docker client copies the exported GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN into the container.

docker run -i --rm \
  -e HOST=0.0.0.0 \
  -e GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN \
  -e GITLAB_API_URL="https://gitlab.com/api/v4" \
  -e GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE=readonly \
  -e GITLAB_TOOLSETS=core,wiki,milestones,pipelines \
  -e SSE=true \
  -e SSE_AUTH_TOKEN=your_mcp_sse_token \
  -p 3333:3002 \
  zereight050/gitlab-mcp

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "type": "sse",
      "url": "http://localhost:3333/sse",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer your_mcp_sse_token"
      }
    }
  }
}

streamable-http

docker run -i --rm \
  -e HOST=0.0.0.0 \
  -e REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true \
  -e GITLAB_API_URL="https://gitlab.com/api/v4" \
  -e GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE=readonly \
  -e GITLAB_TOOLSETS=core,wiki,milestones,pipelines \
  -e STREAMABLE_HTTP=true \
  -p 3333:3002 \
  zereight050/gitlab-mcp

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "type": "streamable-http",
      "url": "http://localhost:3333/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer glpat-..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Using MCP OAuth Proxy (`GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH`)

For server/remote deployments only. This mode requires the MCP server to be deployed with a publicly accessible HTTPS URL. For local/desktop use, see GITLAB_USE_OAUTH above.

For remote MCP clients that support the MCP OAuth specification (e.g. Claude.ai). The server acts as a full OAuth 2.0 authorization server — unauthenticated requests receive a 401 + WWW-Authenticate response, which triggers the OAuth browser flow automatically on the client side.

Remote MCP clients such as OpenCode, MCPJam, and Claude.ai can send their own callback URL during authorization. If you cannot register every client callback URL in GitLab, enable GITLAB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PROXY=true. With callback proxy mode, GitLab only needs one registered redirect URI: {MCP_SERVER_URL}/callback.

GITLAB_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI is for local OAuth (GITLAB_USE_OAUTH) only. It does not override remote MCP OAuth client callback URLs and should not be used to fix remote Unregistered redirect_uri errors.

This variable exists because the local OAuth flow starts a browser on the same machine as the MCP server and listens for the callback on a local HTTP server, for example http://127.0.0.1:8888/callback.

Remote MCP OAuth is different. In GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH=true mode, the MCP client provides its own callback URL during /authorize. GITLAB_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI does not replace that client-provided URL.

Mode	Enable with	Callback variable	GitLab redirect URI
Local OAuth	`GITLAB_USE_OAUTH=true`	`GITLAB_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI`	`http://127.0.0.1:8888/callback` or your local callback
Remote MCP OAuth	`GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH=true`	`GITLAB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PROXY=true`	`{MCP_SERVER_URL}/callback`

Use GITLAB_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI only when the MCP server itself owns the local browser callback. Use GITLAB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PROXY=true when a remote MCP client owns the callback URL.

How it works: You deploy this MCP server somewhere with a public HTTPS URL. MCP clients connect to {MCP_SERVER_URL}/mcp. The server handles the OAuth 2.0 flow, exchanging credentials with GitLab on behalf of the client.

Prerequisites:

A publicly accessible HTTPS server URL (MCP_SERVER_URL) — use ngrok for local testing
A pre-registered GitLab OAuth application with api (or read_api) scopes — Go to Admin area → Applications, set Redirect URI to {MCP_SERVER_URL}/callback

Environment Variable	Required	Description
`GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH`	✅	Set to `true` to enable
`GITLAB_API_URL`	✅	GitLab API base URL. Do not embed credentials (`user:pass@`) in the URL; they are ignored. A comma in a password must be written as `%2C`.
`GITLAB_OAUTH_APP_ID`	✅	GitLab OAuth Application ID
`MCP_SERVER_URL`	✅	Public HTTPS URL of this MCP server
`STREAMABLE_HTTP`	✅	Must be `true`
`GITLAB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PROXY`	optional	Set to `true` to use the MCP server's fixed `/callback` URL
`GITLAB_OAUTH_ALLOWED_REDIRECT_URIS`	optional	Client callback URLs that callback proxy mode will redirect to (default: Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and loopback callbacks; `defaults,<url>` to add one)
`GITLAB_OAUTH_SCOPES`	optional	Comma-separated scopes (default: `api,read_api,read_user`)
`GITLAB_OAUTH_ALLOWED_GROUPS`	optional	Comma-separated group full paths — only members (and subgroup members) may use the server (replaces deprecated `GITLAB_ALLOWED_GROUPS`)
`OAUTH_DISABLE_REFRESH_TOKEN`	optional	Set to `true` to issue no refresh tokens: users re-authorize in the browser each time the GitLab access token expires (2 h), regardless of the session TTL

When STREAMABLE_HTTP=true, server-side GitLab credentials (GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN, GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN, GITLAB_AUTH_COOKIE_PATH, or GITLAB_USE_OAUTH) require REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true, GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH=true, or STREAMABLE_HTTP_AUTH_TOKEN.

Troubleshooting Unregistered redirect_uri

Check the redirect_uri in the browser URL. If it points to a client callback such as http://127.0.0.1:xxxxx/.../callback, enable:
GITLAB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PROXY=true
Do not fix remote MCP OAuth by changing GITLAB_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI. That variable is for local OAuth (GITLAB_USE_OAUTH) only.

docker run -i --rm \
  -e HOST=0.0.0.0 \
  -e GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH=true \
  -e GITLAB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PROXY=true \
  -e STREAMABLE_HTTP=true \
  -e MCP_SERVER_URL=https://your-server.example.com \
  -e GITLAB_API_URL="https://gitlab.com/api/v4" \
  -e GITLAB_OAUTH_APP_ID=your_app_id \
  -p 3000:3002 \
  zereight050/gitlab-mcp

MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://your-server.example.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Using Remote Authorization (`REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION`)

For server/remote deployments only. Each HTTP caller provides their own GitLab token directly in request headers — no OAuth flow involved.

For multi-user or multi-tenant deployments where each caller provides their own GitLab token in the HTTP request header. No OAuth flow — the MCP server forwards the token to GitLab on behalf of the caller.

Header priority: Private-Token > JOB-TOKEN > Authorization: Bearer

Environment Variable	Required	Description
`REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION`	✅	Set to `true` to enable
`STREAMABLE_HTTP`	✅	Must be `true`
`ENABLE_DYNAMIC_API_URL`	optional	Allow per-request GitLab URL via `X-GitLab-API-URL` header
`GITLAB_ALLOWED_HOSTS`	optional	Comma-separated allowed `X-GitLab-API-URL` hosts; `GITLAB_API_URL` hosts are always allowed. Also trusted as download redirect targets (release assets, job artifacts, uploaded attachments); list private-network hosts here
`GITLAB_ALLOW_UNAUTHENTICATED_TOOL_DISCOVERY`	optional	Allow unauthenticated `initialize`, `notifications/initialized`, `tools/list`, and `server/discover` only (tool calls still require auth)
`MCP_SERVER_URL` / `MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS` / `MCP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS`	optional	Allowed public `/mcp` host/origin values for DNS rebinding protection
`MCP_TRUST_PROXY`	optional	Trust `Forwarded` / `X-Forwarded-*` headers behind a reverse proxy (download URLs, Express `req.ip`, `/mcp` IP rate limits, OAuth rate limits)

GITLAB_ALLOW_UNAUTHENTICATED_TOOL_DISCOVERY=true is intended for MCP gateways or admin UIs that need to inspect tool metadata before a user provides a GitLab token. Leave it disabled unless the tool list is safe to expose in your deployment.

When MCP_SERVER_URL is not set, remote download URLs fall back to the local server address. Set MCP_TRUST_PROXY=true only if the server is reachable through a trusted reverse proxy and direct client access to the MCP server is blocked. This enables Express trust proxy for Streamable HTTP and SSE, derives public download URLs from Forwarded / X-Forwarded-Proto / X-Forwarded-Host / X-Forwarded-Prefix, and keeps OAuth endpoint rate limiting working when proxies send X-Forwarded-For with a client port (for example 1.2.3.4:5678). Existing OAuth+proxy deployments must set this explicitly after the flag was introduced.

Example request headers:

Private-Token: glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

or using a Bearer token:

Authorization: Bearer glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

⚠️ REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION is not compatible with SSE transport. STREAMABLE_HTTP=true is required.

Environment Variables

Use the dedicated reference for the full environment variable list:

Environment Variables Reference

Most users only need one of these starting sets:

Local PAT: GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN, GITLAB_API_URL
Local OAuth: GITLAB_USE_OAUTH=true, GITLAB_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID, GITLAB_OAUTH_REDIRECT_URI, GITLAB_API_URL
Remote multi-user HTTP: STREAMABLE_HTTP=true, REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true (or GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH=true), MCP_TRUST_PROXY=true (behind a reverse proxy), MAX_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE=300, MCP_SERVER_URL or MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS, HOST, PORT
Multiple side-by-side deployments: set a distinct MCP_SERVER_NAME per instance (e.g. gitlab-selfhosted-readonly) so clients, logs, and telemetry can tell them apart
Multi-pod HPA (stateless): above + OAUTH_STATELESS_MODE=true, OAUTH_STATELESS_SECRET (same across all pods). See Stateless Mode.

Commonly referenced variables:

GITLAB_API_URL
GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN
GITLAB_USE_OAUTH
REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION
MCP_TRUST_PROXY
MAX_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE
MAX_SESSIONS
MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS
MCP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS
GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH
GITLAB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PROXY
GITLAB_OAUTH_ALLOWED_REDIRECT_URIS
OAUTH_REGISTER_RATE_LIMIT_PER_HOUR
OAUTH_DISABLE_REFRESH_TOKEN
OAUTH_STATELESS_MODE
OAUTH_STATELESS_SECRET

The reference document also covers:

auth and OAuth variables
MCP OAuth proxy variables
project and tool filtering variables
dynamic tool discovery via discover_tools (on-demand toolset activation)
transport and session variables
proxy and TLS variables

For callback proxy mode details, see GitLab MCP OAuth Callback Proxy.

SSE session limits

GET /sse is subject to the same remote-transport controls as Streamable HTTP:

Capacity: at most MAX_SESSIONS concurrent SSE sessions (default 1000); further connections get 503.
Creation rate limit: new connections are limited to MAX_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE per client IP (default 60); excess connections get 429.
Idle timeout: a session that receives no POST /messages request for SESSION_TIMEOUT_SECONDS (default 1 hour) is closed, so an idle client must reconnect instead of holding a capacity slot. Unlike Streamable HTTP, holding the SSE stream open does not count as activity.
/health returns 503 with status: "degraded" while the instance is at capacity.

Tune these with MAX_SESSIONS, MAX_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE, and SESSION_TIMEOUT_SECONDS.

Streamable HTTP session timeout

Streamable HTTP sessions use the same SESSION_TIMEOUT_SECONDS idle timeout in every mode, including a server-side token without REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION or GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH: a session with no POST /mcp request for that long is closed, and its next request gets 404 so the client re-initializes. An open GET /mcp stream pauses the timer until the stream closes or the next POST /mcp arrives, so a client with a stream open still expires SESSION_TIMEOUT_SECONDS after its last POST.

Remote Authorization Setup (Multi-User Support)

When using REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true, the MCP server can support multiple users, each with their own GitLab token passed via HTTP headers. This is useful for:

Shared MCP server instances where each user needs their own GitLab access
IDE integrations that can inject user-specific tokens into MCP requests

Setup Example:

# Start server with remote authorization
docker run -d \
  -e HOST=0.0.0.0 \
  -e STREAMABLE_HTTP=true \
  -e REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION=true \
  -e GITLAB_API_URL="https://gitlab.com/api/v4" \
  -e GITLAB_PERMISSION_MODE=readonly \
  -e SESSION_TIMEOUT_SECONDS=3600 \
  -p 3333:3002 \
  zereight050/gitlab-mcp

Client Configuration:

Your IDE or MCP client must send one of these headers with each request:

Authorization: Bearer glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Private-Token: glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The token is stored per session (identified by mcp-session-id header) and reused for subsequent requests in the same session. The session belongs to the GitLab user of that token: a request with another user's token gets 404 Session not found, and GET / DELETE /mcp without a token get 401.

Remote Authorization Client Configuration Example with Cursor

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "GitLab": {
      "url": "http(s)://<your_mcp_gitlab_server>/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer glpat-..."
      }
    }
  }
}

Important Notes:

Remote authorization only works with Streamable HTTP transport
Each session is isolated - tokens from one session cannot access another session's data Tokens are automatically cleaned up when sessions close
Session timeout: Auth tokens expire after SESSION_TIMEOUT_SECONDS (default 1 hour) of inactivity. After timeout the session is closed and its next request gets 404, so the client re-initializes with its auth headers.
Each request resets the timeout timer for that session
Rate limiting: /mcp requests are limited to MAX_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE per client IP, and per MCP session when using OAuth or remote authorization (default 60). The per-IP limit uses a fixed 60-second window, counts per server process, and also covers GET /mcp; stateless mode skips the per-session limit. See environment-variables.md.
Capacity limit: Server accepts up to MAX_SESSIONS concurrent sessions (default 1000)

MCP OAuth Setup (Claude.ai Native OAuth)

When using GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH=true, the server acts as an OAuth proxy to your GitLab instance. Claude.ai (and any MCP-spec-compliant client) handles the entire browser authentication flow automatically — no manual Personal Access Token management needed.

Prerequisites:

A pre-registered GitLab OAuth application is required. GitLab restricts dynamically registered (unverified) applications to the mcp scope, which is insufficient for API calls (need api or read_api).

Go to your GitLab instance → Admin Area > Applications (instance-wide) or User Settings > Applications (personal)
Create a new application with:
- Confidential: unchecked
- Scopes: api, read_api, read_user (or whichever scopes you intend to request via GITLAB_OAUTH_SCOPES)
Save and copy the Application ID — this is your GITLAB_OAUTH_APP_ID

How it works:

User adds your MCP server URL in Claude.ai
Claude.ai discovers OAuth endpoints via /.well-known/oauth-authorization-server
Claude.ai registers itself via Dynamic Client Registration (POST /register) — handled locally by the MCP server (each client gets a virtual client ID)
Claude.ai redirects the user's browser to GitLab's login page using the pre-registered OAuth application
User authenticates; GitLab redirects back to https://claude.ai/api/mcp/auth_callback
Claude.ai sends Authorization: Bearer <token> on every MCP request
Server validates the token with GitLab and stores it per session

Server setup:

docker run -d \
  -e STREAMABLE_HTTP=true \
  -e GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH=true \
  -e GITLAB_OAUTH_APP_ID="your-gitlab-oauth-app-client-id" \
  -e GITLAB_API_URL="https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4" \
  -e MCP_SERVER_URL="https://your-mcp-server.example.com" \
  -p 3002:3002 \
  zereight050/gitlab-mcp

For local development (HTTP allowed):

MCP_DANGEROUSLY_ALLOW_INSECURE_ISSUER_URL=true \
STREAMABLE_HTTP=true \
GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH=true \
GITLAB_OAUTH_APP_ID=your-gitlab-oauth-app-client-id \
MCP_SERVER_URL=http://localhost:3002 \
GITLAB_API_URL=https://gitlab.com/api/v4 \
node build/index.js

Claude.ai configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "GitLab": {
      "url": "https://your-mcp-server.example.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

No headers field is needed — Claude.ai obtains the token via OAuth automatically.

Environment variables:

Variable	Required	Description
`GITLAB_MCP_OAUTH`	Yes	Set to `true` to enable
`GITLAB_OAUTH_APP_ID`	Yes	Client ID of the pre-registered GitLab OAuth application
`MCP_SERVER_URL`	Yes	Public HTTPS URL of your MCP server; also allowed for `/mcp` Host/Origin checks
`GITLAB_API_URL`	Yes	Your GitLab instance API URL (e.g. `https://gitlab.com/api/v4`). Do not embed credentials (`user:pass@`) in the URL; they are ignored. A comma in a password must be written as `%2C`.
`STREAMABLE_HTTP`	Yes	Must be `true` (SSE is not supported)
`GITLAB_OAUTH_SCOPES`	No	Comma-separated GitLab scopes to request (e.g. `api,read_user`). Defaults to `api` (or `read_api` when the effective permission mode is `readonly`). The pre-registered application must be configured with at least these scopes.
`OAUTH_REGISTER_RATE_LIMIT_PER_HOUR`	No	Per-IP limit (fixed 1-hour window) for Dynamic Client Registration (`POST /register`). Default `20`/hour; range `1`–`1000`. Raise when clients (e.g. multiple IDE windows) hit registration throttling. Not a GitLab API limit.
`OAUTH_DISABLE_REFRESH_TOKEN`	No	Set `true` to drop `refresh_token` from `/token` responses and reject the refresh grant with `invalid_grant`, so users re-authorize in the browser when the GitLab access token expires. Default `false`. In callback proxy mode, MCP clients that follow this server's flow never receive a GitLab refresh token (in passthrough the client can get one from GitLab directly). This is a re-authorization policy for standard MCP clients, not a security boundary. Refresh tokens issued before enabling stay valid until revoked in GitLab under User Settings → Applications → Authorized applications → Revoke.

Important Notes:

MCP OAuth only works with Streamable HTTP transport (SSE=true is incompatible)
Each user session stores its own OAuth token — sessions are fully isolated
Session timeout, rate limiting, and capacity limits apply identically to the REMOTE_AUTHORIZATION mode (SESSION_TIMEOUT_SECONDS, MAX_REQUESTS_PER_MINUTE, MAX_SESSIONS)
DCR rate limiting: POST /register is limited to OAUTH_REGISTER_RATE_LIMIT_PER_HOUR per client IP (default 20/hour). Separate from /mcp limits and GitLab API quotas. See environment-variables.md.
Header auth fallback: when Private-Token or JOB-TOKEN request headers are present, OAuth validation is skipped and the raw token is used directly for that session. This allows PATs and CI job tokens to be used alongside the OAuth flow on the same server instance. Authorization: Bearer is always treated as an OAuth token — use Private-Token for PAT-based header auth.

Agent Skill Files

Skill + CLI is an equal path to MCP (see Skill + CLI). Pre-built skill files are available in skills/gitlab-mcp/ for AI agents that support skill/instruction loading (Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, etc.).

SKILL.md — Core guide (~800 tokens) with toolset overview, key workflows, and parameter hints
reference/ — Detailed workflow docs for code review, merge requests, issues, pipelines, and vulnerability triage

Install with the skills CLI:

npx skills add zereight/gitlab-mcp --skill gitlab-mcp-skill

Register the skill directory in your AI client to get optimal tool usage guidance without relying solely on the full ListTools response.

Tools 🛠️

merge_merge_request - Merge a merge request
approve_merge_request - Approve a merge request
unapprove_merge_request - Unapprove a merge request
get_merge_request_approval_state - Get merge request approval details including approvers
get_merge_request_conflicts - Get the conflicts of a merge request
list_merge_request_pipelines - List pipelines for a merge request with pagination
execute_graphql - Execute a GitLab GraphQL query
create_or_update_file - Create or update a file in a GitLab project
search_repositories - Search for GitLab projects
create_repository - Create a new GitLab project
create_group - Create new group or subgroup
get_file_contents - Get contents of a file or directory from a GitLab project
push_files - Push multiple files in a single commit
create_issue - Create a new issue
create_merge_request - Create a new merge request
fork_repository - Fork a project to your account or specified namespace
create_branch - Create a new branch
get_branch - Get branch details (commit, protection status)
list_branches - List branches in project with search filter
delete_branch - Delete branch from project
list_protected_branches - List protected branches in a project, supports search filter
get_protected_branch - Get details of a single protected branch (access levels, force push settings)
protect_branch - Protect a repository branch (set push/merge/unprotect access levels)
update_protected_branch - Update an existing protected branch rule in place (access levels, force push, code owner approval)
unprotect_branch - Remove protection from a previously protected branch
update_default_branch - Change the default branch of a project
get_merge_request - Get details of a merge request (merge_request_iid or source_branch required). Set include_summaries=true for deployment/commit/approval summaries
get_merge_request_diffs - Get the changes/diffs of a merge request (merge_request_iid or source_branch required)

Wiki page titles vs. slugs

GitLab derives a wiki page's slug (its URL, /-/wikis/<slug>) from the page title. Passing title to update_wiki_page / update_group_wiki_page therefore renames the page and changes its URL — for nested pages it can also move the page to a different path — which breaks existing links.

To change only the displayed title while keeping the URL stable, do not pass title. Instead, store the display title in the page content's YAML front matter and update the content:

---
title: My Custom Display Title
---

Page body…

GitLab keeps the slug/URL untouched and shows the front-matter title in the UI. Read it back with get_wiki_page using render_html: true, which populates the front_matter field — the plain title field always reflects the slug-derived value.

Testing 🧪

The project includes comprehensive test coverage including remote authorization:

# Run all tests (API validation + remote auth)
npm test

# Run only remote authorization tests
npm run test:remote-auth

# Run all tests including readonly MCP tests
npm run test:all

# Run only API validation
npm run test:integration

All remote authorization tests use a mock GitLab server and do not require actual GitLab credentials.

Sponsor 💖

Sponsorships through GitHub Sponsors help cover GitLab E2E testing costs: a paid GitLab tier to test Premium/Ultimate features (such as milestone burndown charts and iterations) that the free test instance cannot reach, and the infrastructure for live API tests.

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Host a copy with our keys and logs.

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