GitHub MCP¶

GitHub's official MCP server for repository management, issues, pull requests, Actions, and code security. Connects over HTTP using a Personal Access Token.

Source: github/github-mcp-server

Enabling¶

The server is included in servers.yaml with enabled: false. To activate it permanently:

github:
  enabled: true

Or enable for the current session only:

ot.server(enable="github")

Server Config¶

github:
  type: http
  url: https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/
  headers:
    Authorization: "Bearer ${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
    Accept: "application/json, text/event-stream"
  timeout: 120
  enabled: true

Setup¶

Create a Personal Access Token at https://github.com/settings/tokens
Add it to your secrets.yaml:
```
GITHUB_TOKEN: ghp_your_token_here
```
Set enabled: true in servers.yaml

Tools¶

Toolset	Description
`repos`	Browse code, search files, analyze commits, manage branches
`issues`	Create, update, list, search, and manage issues
`pull_requests`	Create PRs, review changes, merge, manage reviews
`actions`	Monitor workflows, analyze build failures, trigger runs
`code_security`	Review security findings, Dependabot alerts

Usage Patterns¶

Search before creating: Check for existing issues/PRs before creating new ones
Batch operations: Use list tools to get multiple items at once rather than individual gets
Code changes: Create branch → push files → create PR
Issue workflow: search_issues → issue_read → add_issue_comment or issue_write

Examples¶

1. Check who you're authenticated as¶

Verify your token is working and see your account details.

github.get_me()
# Returns: login, name, public_repos, followers, ...

2. List open PRs waiting for review¶

See what's pending in a repository.

github.list_pull_requests(owner="myorg", repo="myrepo", state="open")

3. Search for bug issues across a repo¶

Find open bugs without browsing the UI.

github.search_issues(q="is:open is:issue label:bug repo:myorg/myrepo")

4. Get the contents of a file¶

Read any file directly from a branch — useful for comparing config across environments.

github.get_file_contents(owner="myorg", repo="myrepo", path="pyproject.toml", branch="main")

5. Find code using a specific pattern across GitHub¶

Search for all public usage of an API or function name.

github.search_code(q="onetool_mcp language:python")

6. Get the latest release of a repository¶

Check the current published version of any project.

github.get_latest_release(owner="microsoft", repo="playwright-mcp")
# Returns: tag_name, published_at, assets, body (release notes)

7. Create a new issue¶

File a bug or feature request with a structured body.

github.issue_write(
    owner="myorg",
    repo="myrepo",
    title="Fix: connection timeout on slow networks",
    body="## Description\nConnection drops after 30s on high-latency links.\n\n## Steps to reproduce\n1. ...",
)

8. Push a file change in one call¶

Create or update a file without cloning the repo locally.

github.push_files(
    owner="myorg",
    repo="myrepo",
    branch="main",
    message="docs: update changelog",
    files=[{"path": "CHANGELOG.md", "content": "## v1.2.0\n- Added X\n- Fixed Y\n"}],
)

Common Mistakes to Avoid¶

Don't create duplicate issues — search first
Don't forget to specify the repository in owner/repo format
Don't make multiple API calls when a single list or search call works
Check PR status before attempting to merge