How do I set up GitLab MCP?

Install with npx -y @modelcontextprotocol/server-gitlab. You'll need: GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN, GITLAB_API_URL. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, Claude Desktop, and Continue.

How many tokens does GitLab MCP use?

GitLab MCP uses approximately 9,270 tokens (18 tools). That's about 5% of Claude's 200K context window.

Is GitLab MCP free to use?

GitLab MCP is open source (GitHub: 83,047 stars). It is an official MCP server maintained by Anthropic.

devopsOfficial

GitLab MCP

Anthropic

Access the GitLab API to manage repositories, merge requests, issues, pipelines, and CI/CD workflows from your AI editor.

83.0k5.7k/wk9.3K tokens(5%)Official1w ago

gitlabgitrepositoriesmerge-requestsci-cd

Quick Setup

Paste in ~/.claude.json

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-gitlab"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "YOUR_GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "GITLAB_API_URL": "YOUR_GITLAB_API_URL"
      }
    }
  }
}

Part of these stacks

Platform Engineer Stack

View on GitHub npm