GitLab MCP Server

The GitLab MCP Server connects Claude and other MCP-compatible agents directly to the GitLab API. Search repositories, open issues, create merge requests, read and write file contents, and manage branches — all from within your AI chat session. Works with both gitlab.com and self-hosted GitLab instances.

Installation & Configuration

Add this block to your claude_desktop_config.json (or your agent framework's MCP config file):

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

The GITLAB_API_URL environment variable is optional and defaults to https://gitlab.com/api/v4. Override it to point at your self-hosted instance.

Config file location:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Generate a Personal Access Token: GitLab → User Settings → Access Tokens → create a token with api scope (or read_api for read-only).

Available Tools (10)

• create_or_update_file
• search_repositories
• create_repository
• get_file_contents
• push_files
• create_issue
• create_merge_request
• fork_repository
• create_branch
• list_commits

Use Cases

• Merge request review — ask Claude to summarise open MRs and suggest approvals
• Issue triage — have agents label, comment on, and close GitLab issues automatically
• Branch & file management — create feature branches and commit scaffolded code in one shot
• Cross-project search — find code patterns or duplicated logic across all your GitLab repos

Gotchas

• Token scope matters: The api scope grants full read/write access. Use read_api if you only need read operations — it's safer and still covers most use-cases.
• Self-hosted URL: Forgetting to set GITLAB_API_URL when using a self-hosted instance is the most common setup failure. The URL must end with /api/v4.
• Group vs personal namespaces: create_repository creates under your personal namespace by default. To create under a group, pass the full group path as the namespace.
• Rate limits on gitlab.com: The REST API is throttled. Bulk operations (push_files across many repos) can hit 429s — add delays or batch carefully.

Security Note

Source & Documentation