GitLab MCP server

With the GitLab Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, you can securely connect AI tools and applications to your GitLab instance. AI assistants like Claude Desktop, Cursor, and other MCP-compatible tools can then access your GitLab data and perform actions on your behalf.

The MCP server provides a standardized way for AI tools to:

• Access GitLab project information.
• Retrieve issue and merge request data.
• Interact with GitLab APIs securely.
• Perform GitLab-specific operations through AI assistants.

The GitLab MCP server supports OAuth 2.0 Dynamic Client Registration, which enables AI tools to register themselves with your GitLab instance. When an AI tool connects to your GitLab MCP server for the first time, it:

1. Registers itself as an OAuth application.
2. Requests authorization to access your GitLab data.
3. Receives an access token for secure API access.

For a click-through demo, see Duo Agent Platform - MCP server.

Connect Cursor to a GitLab MCP server

Prerequisites:

• Install Node.js version 20 or later.

To configure the GitLab MCP server in Cursor:

1. Open Cursor.

2. In Cursor, go to Settings > Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations.

3. Under MCP Tools, select New MCP Server.

4. Add this definition to the mcpServers key in the opened mcp.json file, editing as needed:

   • For the "command": parameter, if npx is installed locally instead of globally, provide the full path to npx.
   • Replace <gitlab.example.com> with:
     • On GitLab Self-Managed, your GitLab instance URL.
     • On GitLab.com, GitLab.com.
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "GitLab": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "mcp-remote",
           "https://<gitlab.example.com>/api/v4/mcp"
         ]
       }
     }
   }

   • The --static-oauth-client-metadata parameter is optional for the mcp-remote module to explicitly set the OAuth scope to mcp. If omitted, GitLab defaults to the mcp scope for dynamic applications.
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "GitLab": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "mcp-remote",
           "https://<gitlab.example.com>/api/v4/mcp",
           "--static-oauth-client-metadata",
           "{\"scope\": \"mcp\"}"
         ]
       }
     }
   }

5. Save the file, and wait for your browser to open the OAuth authorization page.

   If this does not happen, close and restart Cursor.

6. In your browser, review and approve the authorization request.

You can now start a new chat and ask a question depending on the available tools.

Connect Claude Desktop to a GitLab MCP server

Prerequisites:

• Install Node.js version 20 or later.
• Ensure Node.js is available globally in the PATH environment variable (which -a node).

To configure the GitLab MCP server in Claude Desktop:

1. Open Claude Desktop.

2. Edit the configuration file. You can do either of the following:

   • In Claude Desktop, go to Settings > Developer > Edit Config.
   • On macOS, open the ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json file.

3. Add this entry for the GitLab MCP server, editing as needed:

   • For the "command": parameter, if npx is installed locally instead of globally, provide the full path to npx.
   • Replace <gitlab.example.com> with:
     • On GitLab Self-Managed, your GitLab instance URL.
     • On GitLab.com, GitLab.com.
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "GitLab": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "mcp-remote",
           "https://<gitlab.example.com>/api/v4/mcp"
         ]
       }
     }
   }

   • The --static-oauth-client-metadata parameter is optional for the mcp-remote module to explicitly set the OAuth scope to mcp. If omitted, GitLab defaults to the mcp scope for dynamic applications.
   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "GitLab": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "mcp-remote",
           "https://<gitlab.example.com>/api/v4/mcp",
           "--static-oauth-client-metadata",
           "{\"scope\": \"mcp\"}"
         ]
       }
     }
   }

4. Save the configuration and restart Claude Desktop.

5. On first connect, Claude Desktop opens a browser window for OAuth. Review and approve the request.

6. Go to Settings > Developer and verify the new GitLab MCP configuration.

7. Go to Settings > Connectors and inspect the connected GitLab MCP Server.

You can now start a new chat and ask a question depending on the available tools.

Available tools

The GitLab MCP server provides the following tools.

get_mcp_server_version

Returns the current version of the GitLab MCP server.

Example:

What version of the GitLab MCP server am I connected to?

create_issue

Creates a new issue in a GitLab project.

Example:

Create a new issue titled "Fix login bug" in project 123 with description
"Users cannot log in with special characters in password"

get_issue

Retrieves detailed information about a specific GitLab issue.

Example:

Get details for issue 42 in project 123

create_merge_request

Creates a merge request in a project.

Example:

Create a merge request in project gitlab-org/gitlab titled "Bug fix broken specs"
from branch "fix/specs-broken" into "master" and enable squash

get_merge_request

Retrieves detailed information about a specific GitLab merge request.

Example:

Get details for merge request 15 in project gitlab-org/gitlab

get_merge_request_commits

Retrieves the list of commits in a specific merge request.

Example:

Show me all commits in merge request 42 from project 123

get_merge_request_diffs

Retrieves the diffs for a specific merge request.

Example:

What files were changed in merge request 25 in the gitlab project?

get_merge_request_pipelines

Retrieves the pipelines for a specific merge request.

Example:

Show me all pipelines for merge request 42 in project gitlab-org/gitlab

get_pipeline_jobs

Retrieves the jobs for a specific CI/CD pipeline.

Example:

Show me all jobs in pipeline 12345 for project gitlab-org/gitlab

gitlab_search

Searches for a term across the entire GitLab instance with the search API. This tool is available only for global search.

Example:

Search issues for "flaky test" across GitLab

semantic_code_search

Searches for relevant code snippets in a project.

Example:

How are authorizations managed in this project?