GitHub MCP Server
Read repos, files and issues. Open PRs, comment, search code.
The GitHub MCP server lets your AI client read and modify GitHub data — repository files, pull requests, issues, comments, code search — through a personal access token. It's the most-installed MCP server in 2026 because it bridges the gap between an AI assistant and the place most code actually lives. Configure it once and Claude or Cursor can browse a repo, comment on a PR, search for usages of a function, or open a new issue without leaving the chat.
Install in your client
Copy and paste — no manual config. Replace placeholder values for GITHUB_TOKEN.
run in any terminal
GITHUB_TOKEN="<your-github-token>" claude mcp add github npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-githubPackage: @modelcontextprotocol/server-github
Common use cases
- Have Claude review an open PR and post inline comments
- Search a repository for the right call site before making a change
- Triage issues by labeling, assigning, and closing duplicates in bulk
- Generate release notes from merged PRs since the last tag
Note
Use a fine-scoped PAT — read-only when you can. The GitHub MCP server inherits whatever scopes your token has, including write and admin if you grant them.