GitHub

You can run a GitHub MCP Server that connects Claude Desktop to GitHub, giving you programmatic access to repositories, issues, pull requests, files, branches, and user information through a streamlined MCP interface. This server makes it practical to automate common GitHub workflows from Claude Desktop or other MCP clients.

How to use

Use the MCP client to perform typical GitHub actions through natural language commands. You can list repositories, create issues, manage pull requests, read and write files, list branches, search repositories and code, and fetch user information. Commands are issued to the GitHub MCP Server via its MCP endpoint, and the server returns structured results you can act on from your MCP client.

How to install

Prerequisites: Node.js and npm installed on your system. Ensure you have a functioning Claude Desktop setup and access to modify its configuration.

Step 1 — Install dependencies and build the project.

npm install

Step 2 — Build the project to generate the runtime assets.

npm run build

Step 3 — Create a GitHub Personal Access Token with the necessary scopes.

Visit: https://github.com/settings/tokens/new
Name it: "Claude MCP Server"
Scopes:
- repo (Full control of private repositories - includes all sub-scopes)
- user:read (Read user information)
- read:org (Read organization data)

Step 4 — Configure Claude Desktop to run the MCP server locally.

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

In the config, add the GitHub MCP server entry using the path to the built index and your token.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["C:\\Users\\DavidFurry\\Documents\\Github-MCP-Claude-Desktop\\dist\\index.js"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Additional setup notes

Step 5 — Restart Claude Desktop to pick up the new MCP server configuration. Completely quit Claude Desktop and start it again so the GitHub MCP Server is loaded.

Troubleshooting

Server not found: Ensure the config path is correct, the built assets exist at dist/index.js, and you completed the build step.

Authentication failed: Verify your GitHub token is correct, not expired, and includes the required scopes.

Build issues: Clean install and rebuild with the following commands.

rm -rf node_modules dist
npm install
npm run build

Security

Never commit your GitHub token to version control. Keep tokens secure, grant only the minimal required permissions, and consider setting an expiration date for tokens.

License

MIT

Available tools

Repositories

List, get, and create repositories within the connected GitHub account.

Issues

Fully manage issues including creation, updates, deletion, comments, and status tracking.

Pull Requests

Create, merge, list, and manage pull requests.

Files

Read and write repository files through the MCP interface.

Branches

List and create branches in repositories.

Search

Search repositories, code, and issues across GitHub.

Users

Retrieve user information and profile data.