GitLab MCP Server

What this server does

Nine tools cover the parts of GitLab you actually touch from a code chat: read a file with `get_file_contents`, commit a single file with `create_or_update_file`, batch-commit multiple files with `push_files`, file an issue, open a merge request, fork a project, create a branch, search projects, and create a new repository. Multi-file pushes batch into one commit, which keeps history clean. Branches you reference are created automatically if they do not exist. That is convenient and also a footgun: be aware before letting the model commit on a branch name it invented. Self-hosted GitLab works via the optional `GITLAB_API_URL` (default `https://gitlab.com/api/v4`). Token scopes: `api` for full read/write, `read_api` for browsing only, or the narrower `read_repository` + `write_repository` if you want repo-only access without project administration. Create one at gitlab.com/-/user_settings/personal_access_tokens. Compared to the GitHub server: same shape, narrower surface. No PR review tools, no CI controls, no notifications, no labels API beyond what `create_issue` accepts. For deeper GitLab work the community projects go further, but this reference covers the file, issue, and MR loop cleanly and preserves git history without force-pushing. Operations either succeed or return a clear error.

Tools included

• create_or_update_file

  Create or update a file in a repository.

• search_repositories

  Search GitLab projects.

• create_issue

  Open an issue in a project.

• create_merge_request

  Open a merge request.

• get_file_contents

  Read a file at a path.

The authoritative list comes from the server's tools/list at runtime. This catalog entry may lag the upstream until the next ToolPiper release.

Install in ToolPiper

ToolPiper handles the JSON configuration. Click Install, fill in any required tokens, and the server is ready in your chat.

Install in another client

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gitlab"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Example prompts

Security notes

The personal access token is the whole authorization story. A token with `api` scope can read, write, and delete anything your user can. Treat it like a password and rotate at gitlab.com/-/user_settings/personal_access_tokens if it leaks. For self-hosted GitLab, the same applies plus whatever IP allowlist you maintain. The token is passed via the `GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN` env var; do not commit the JSON config to a public repo. The upstream Anthropic reference is archived and GitLab has not published an official MCP server yet, though active community forks exist for users who outgrow this surface.

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