GitHub MCP Server Setup Guide

by sonadukane18

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GitHub

Developer Tools

About

Experimental MCP Server created via Github-MCP integration.

Details

Author: sonadukane18
Downloads: 393
Categories: Developer Tools

Setting up with Highlight

This MCP is not yet compatible with Highlight’s one-click setup. However, you can still use it with Highlight by following these steps:

Download and install Highlight from highlightai.com/download
Navigate to the plugins tab and select "Add Custom Plugin"
Configure the plugin with the settings below

Plugin Name GitHub MCP Server Setup Guide

Command (node, npx, python, etc.)

Please refer to the README for specific instructions on how to obtain API keys or other required environment variables.
Enable "Start Automatically" if you want the plugin to start when Highlight launches

Setting up with Cursor

Open Cursor's settings
Navigate to the MCP section
Click "Add new Global MCP server"
Copy and paste the configuration below based on your operating system

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Claude Desktop

Open Claude Desktop's settings
Go to the Integrations tab
Click "Add MCP Server"
Use the configuration below based on your operating system

Note: Make sure Claude Desktop is running before attempting to connect.

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Windsurf

Open Windsurf's preferences
Go to the Integrations section
Click "Add MCP Integration"
Use the configuration below based on your operating system

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Cline

Open Cline's settings
Navigate to the Integrations section
Click "Add MCP Server"
Copy and paste the configuration below based on your operating system

Note: Make sure to restart Cline after adding the configuration.

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

Setting up with Goose

Open Goose's preferences
Go to the Integrations tab
Select "MCP Servers"
Click "Add New Server"
Use the configuration below based on your operating system

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

From the repository

Install Node.js, create a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) with repository and user permissions, then configure an mcp.json file in your user directory (e.g., ~/.cursor/mcp.json) with the command npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-github and the token as an environment variable. Use a compatible AI assistant, such as Cursor, to execute GitHub operations via natural language.

Claude Desktop / Cursor

Paste into your MCP client config file to install this server.

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github mcp server setup guide": {
            "github": {
                "command": "npx",
                "args": [
                    "-y",
                    "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

McpServers

{
    "github": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": [
            "-y",
            "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
        ],
        "env": {
            "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
        }
    }
}

GitHub MCP Server Setup Guide

This repository demonstrates how to set up and use a GitHub Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for AI-assisted development workflows.

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) enables AI assistants to interact with external systems and APIs through standardized interfaces. The GitHub MCP server specifically allows AI models to perform GitHub operations like:

- Creating/managing repositories
- Managing files and content
- Working with issues and pull requests
- Accessing repository information
- And more!

Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

- Node.js installed on your system - A GitHub account - A GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) with appropriate permissions

Step 1: Create a GitHub Personal Access Token

1. Go to GitHub Settings → Developer Settings → Personal Access Tokens 2. Create a new fine-grained token with the following permissions: - Repository: Read and write (Administration, Contents, Issues, Pull requests) - User: Read-only 3. Save your token securely - you'll need it for the configuration

Step 2: Set Up MCP Configuration

1. Create a configuration file named mcp.json in your user directory (e.g., ~/.cursor/mcp.json or C:\Users\YourUsername\.cursor\mcp.json) 2. Add the following configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_github_pat_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Replace your_github_pat_here with your actual GitHub Personal Access Token

Step 3: Test Your MCP Server

1. Install a compatible AI coding assistant that supports MCP (like Cursor) 2. Ask the assistant to perform GitHub operations, such as: - Creating repositories - Fetching file contents - Creating issues - Making pull requests

Usage Examples

Here are some examples of operations you can perform with your GitHub MCP:

- Create a new repository: Create a new GitHub repository named "my-project"
- Push code to a repository: Push this file to my repository
- Create an issue: Create an issue titled "Fix navigation bug" in my repository
- Fetch repository contents: Show me the contents of the main.js file from my repository

Troubleshooting

- Permission Errors: Ensure your GitHub PAT has the necessary permissions for the operations you're trying to perform
- Connection Issues: Check that your MCP server is properly configured and running
- Token Expiration: GitHub PATs can expire - check if you need to generate a new one

Resources

- Model Context Protocol (MCP) Documentation
- GitHub API Documentation
- NPM Package: @modelcontextprotocol/server-github

---

Note: Always keep your GitHub Personal Access Token secure and never commit it to public repositories.

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About

Details

Jump to

Setting up with Highlight

From the repository

Claude Desktop / Cursor

McpServers

GitHub MCP Server Setup Guide

What is MCP?

Setup Instructions

Prerequisites

Step 1: Create a GitHub Personal Access Token

Step 2: Set Up MCP Configuration

Step 3: Test Your MCP Server

Usage Examples

Troubleshooting

Resources

Install

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