GitLab MCP Server

Overview

GitLab MCP Server provides a standardized interface between LLMs and GitLab's robust API ecosystem. This reference implementation allows AI systems to manage repositories, handle files, create issues, and perform other GitLab operations through a structured protocol. The server maintains Git best practices while offering automated workflows to simplify complex operations, making it ideal for developers looking to integrate GitLab functionality into AI-assisted workflows.

Features

• Automatic Branch Creation: Creates branches on-demand when pushing changes
• Comprehensive Error Handling: Provides clear error messages for troubleshooting
• Git History Preservation: Maintains proper commit history without force pushing
• Batch Operations: Supports both single-file and multi-file operations
• Project Management: Enables repository, issue, and merge request management
• File Manipulation: Allows reading, creating, and updating repository files
• Multi-environment Support: Works with both gitlab.com and self-hosted instances

Use cases

• Automating repository creation and configuration
• Building AI-assisted code management workflows
• Implementing automated documentation updates
• Creating issue tracking and management systems
• Enabling file operations across multiple repositories
• Streamlining merge request processes
• Developing GitLab-integrated development assistants
• Automating repository forking and contribution workflows

Tools

• create_or_update_file: Creates or updates files with proper Git commits
• push_files: Pushes multiple files in a single commit
• search_repositories: Searches GitLab projects with pagination
• create_repository: Creates new GitLab projects with customizable settings
• get_file_contents: Retrieves file or directory contents
• create_issue: Creates project issues with configurable properties
• create_merge_request: Initiates merge requests between branches
• fork_repository: Forks existing repositories to specified namespaces
• create_branch: Creates new branches from existing references

Integration complexity

3/5 - Moderate complexity requiring GitLab token setup and configuration choices.

Setup Guide

Prerequisites

1. Create a GitLab Personal Access Token with appropriate permissions:
   • Go to User Settings > Access Tokens in GitLab
   • Select required scopes (api, read_repository, write_repository)
   • Create and securely store your token

Docker Configuration

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e",
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "-e",
        "GITLAB_API_URL",
        "mcp/gitlab"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<YOUR_TOKEN>",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "https://gitlab.com/api/v4"
      }
    }
  }
}

NPX Configuration

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gitlab"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<YOUR_TOKEN>",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "https://gitlab.com/api/v4"
      }
    }
  }
}

Building From Source

To build a Docker image:

docker build -t mcp/gitlab -f src/gitlab/Dockerfile .

License

MIT License