GitHub MCP server
GitHub is the world's leading software development platform hosting over 100 million repositories. An AI agent with access to GitHub can manage repositories, create and merge pull requests, manage issues, trigger workflows, and coordinate development workflows without manual GitHub UI operations.
Setting up an MCP server
This article covers the standard steps for creating an MCP server in AI Gateway and connecting it to an AI client. The steps are the same for every integration — application-specific details (API credentials, OAuth endpoints, and scopes) are covered in the Authentication section on this page.
Before you begin
You'll need:
- Access to AI Gateway with permission to create MCP servers.
- API credentials for the application you're connecting (see the Authentication section on this page for what to collect).
Create an MCP server
Find the app in the catalog
- Sign in to AI Gateway and select App Catalog from the left navigation.
- Search for the application you want to connect, then select it from the catalog.
- Select Create MCP Server to start the wizard.
App Configuration
Confirm the Base URL for the API, then, under Tools, select the endpoints you want to expose. Select Next.
MCP Server Setup
- Enter a Name for your server — something descriptive that identifies both the application and its purpose.
- Enter a Description so your team knows what the server is for.
- Set the log level: choose Production Mode for terser logs, or Non-Production Mode for more verbose logs that can help with debugging.
- Select Next.
Authentication
Enter the authentication details for the application. This varies by service — see the Authentication section on this page for the specific credentials, OAuth URLs, and scopes to use.
Review
Look over the summary of your MCP server configuration, then select Create & Deploy. AI Gateway provisions the server and provides a server URL you'll use when configuring your AI client.
Connect to an AI client
Once your server is deployed, you'll need to add it to the AI client your team uses. Select your client for setup instructions:
Tips
- You can create multiple MCP servers for the same application — for example, a read-only server for reporting agents and a read-write server for automation workflows.
- If you're unsure which OAuth scopes to request, start with the minimum read-only set and add write scopes only when needed. Most application pages include scope recommendations.
Authentication
GitHub uses OAuth 2.0 authentication. Create an OAuth app in your GitHub account settings at Settings > Developer settings > OAuth Apps.
| Value | Setting |
|---|---|
| Auth endpoint | https://github.com/login/oauth/authorize |
| Token endpoint | https://github.com/login/oauth/access_token |
| Base URL | https://api.github.com |
| Scopes | repo, user, actions:read, actions:write, gist, read:org, read:packages, write:packages |
Available tools
This MCP server enables repository management, pull request operations, issue tracking, action workflows, release management, and code search for GitHub-hosted projects.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Create repository | Create a new GitHub repository with settings |
| Get repository | Retrieve repository details and configuration |
| Update repository | Modify repository settings and metadata |
| Delete repository | Remove a repository |
| List repositories | Retrieve repositories for a user or organization |
| Create branch | Create a new branch from an existing branch |
| Get branch | Retrieve branch details and protection status |
| Delete branch | Delete a branch |
| List branches | Retrieve all branches in a repository |
| Create pull request | Create a new pull request between branches |
| Get pull request | Retrieve pull request details and status |
| Update pull request | Modify PR title, description, or state |
| Merge pull request | Merge an approved pull request |
| Create review | Add a code review to a pull request |
| Request reviewers | Request code review from specific users |
| List issues | Retrieve issues with filtering options |
| Create issue | Create a new issue with title and description |
| Get issue | Retrieve issue details and comments |
| Update issue | Modify issue status, labels, or assignee |
| Close issue | Close an issue |
| Create release | Create a release with tagged version and notes |
| Get release | Retrieve release details and assets |
| List releases | Retrieve all releases for a repository |
| Trigger workflow | Trigger a GitHub Actions workflow run |
| Get workflow run | Retrieve workflow execution status and logs |
| List workflow runs | Retrieve recent workflow executions |
| Search code | Search for code patterns across repositories |
| Search issues | Search for issues and pull requests |
| Create commit | Create a commit with specified changes |
| Get commit | Retrieve commit details and diff |
| Create tag | Create a git tag for a version |
Tips
Only request the OAuth scopes your integration actually needs — excessive scopes are a security risk if your token is compromised.
Choose the appropriate PR merge strategy (merge commit, squash, or rebase) based on your repository's commit history preferences and communicate it to your team.
Store GitHub Actions workflows in .github/workflows/ and commit them before you can trigger them through the API.
Monitor the X-RateLimit-Remaining response header to avoid hitting limits — rate limits apply per OAuth token, not per API key.
Repository secrets are write-only through the API — you can create or update them but cannot read their values back.
Cequence AI Gateway