GitHub MCP Server
Manage repositories, issues, pull requests and Actions on GitHub from Claude.
Officialby GitHubHosted or on your computerChecked October 18, 2026
GitHub's official MCP server lets Claude work with repositories, issues, pull requests, Actions runs and security alerts through the GitHub API. You can use the hosted endpoint or run the open-source server yourself in Docker, and you choose which toolsets it exposes.
Who it is for
- Developers who host code on GitHub
- Maintainers triaging issues and pull requests
- Teams that run CI on GitHub Actions
Prompts to try
Once it is connected, ask in plain words. Claude decides when to use the server and asks before it changes anything important.
List the open issues labeled bug in my-org/my-repo and summarize the three oldest.Open a pull request from my feature branch to main with a short summary of the changes.Why did the last GitHub Actions run on main fail? Show me the log of the failing step.How to connect it
In Claude Code
claude mcp add --transport http github https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_GITHUB_PAT"
In the Claude desktop app
Add this to claude_desktop_config.json, then restart the app:
{
"mcpServers": {
"github": {
"command": "docker",
"args": [
"run",
"-i",
"--rm",
"-e",
"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
"ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
],
"env": {
"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "YOUR_GITHUB_PAT"
}
}
}
}Hosted address: https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/
Good to know
GitHub's guide says the hosted server does not work in Claude Desktop, so use the Docker config there; a classic token needs at least the repo, read:org and read:packages scopes.
Unlock the setup steps
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How we checked it
Checked the GitHub repo (MIT, 33.7k stars, release v2.0.2 on 2026-10-08), its Claude install guide and the registry entry io.github.github/github-mcp-server; the hosted endpoint answers with an OAuth challenge.