GitHub Repo MCP

GitHub Repo MCP is an open-source MCP server that lets your AI assistants browse GitHub repositories, explore directories, and view file contents.

Table of contents

Getting started • Feature overview

✨ Key features

• 💻 Compatible with Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Desktop, and other MCP clients supporting stdio protocol
• 🔎 Browse the contents of any public GitHub repository
• 📂 Navigate through repository directories and subdirectories
• 📝 View the content of code and text files
• 📦 Easy installation via package manager

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Installing the server requires the following on your system:

• Node.js 18+
• npm or yarn

Step 1. Installation

You can install and run GitHub Repo MCP using Smithery, NPX, or setting in mcp.json of your IDE:

MacOS

npx github-repo-mcp

Windows NPX

cmd /c npx -y github-repo-mcp

Windows NPX via .cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-repo-mcp": {
      "command": "wsl",
      "args": [
        "bash",
        "-c",
        "cmd /c npx -y github-repo-mcp"
      ],
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}

Windows NPX via .cursor/mcp.json (if path not set)

# Find the full path to npx first
which npx

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-repo-mcp": {
      "command": "wsl",
      "args": [
        "bash",
        "-c",
        "'/home/[username]/.nvm/versions/node/v20.18.0/bin/npx github-repo-mcp'"
      ],
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}

Installing via Smithery

To install GitHub Repo MCP for Claude Desktop automatically via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @Ryan0204/github-repo-mcp --client claude

Wait a few seconds or click on the refresh button a few times if it does not register. If it still won't register, make sure you entered the right command.

Step 2. Configuration

The GitHub Repo MCP server can use a GitHub token for higher rate limits when accessing the GitHub API.

Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Default	Description
GITHUB_TOKEN	No	None	Your GitHub personal access token for higher rate limits

Setting Up a GitHub Token (Optional)

While the server works without authentication, GitHub API has rate limits that are much lower for unauthenticated requests. To increase your rate limit:

1. Create a personal access token at https://github.com/settings/tokens
2. Set the token as an environment variable in mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-repo-mcp": {
      "command": "...",
      "args": [
        ...
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "Your_Github_Token"
      }
      "enabled": true,
    }
  }
}

Feature Overview

Repository Browsing Tools

The server provides three main tools for interacting with GitHub repositories:

1. getRepoAllDirectories

Lists all files and directories at the root of a GitHub repository.

• Parameters:
  • repoUrl: The URL of the GitHub repository (e.g., "https://github.com/owner/repo")

2. getRepoDirectories

Lists contents of a specific directory in a GitHub repository.

• Parameters:
  • repoUrl: The URL of the GitHub repository
  • path: The directory path to fetch (e.g., "src")

3. getRepoFile

Retrieves and displays the content of a specific file from a GitHub repository.

• Parameters:
  • repoUrl: The URL of the GitHub repository
  • path: The file path to fetch (e.g., "src/index.js")

Usage Examples

Here are some examples of how to use these tools with an AI assistant:

1. Browsing a repository root: Ask your AI assistant to "Show me the contents of the repository at https://github.com/Ryan0204/github-repo-mcp"

2. Exploring a specific directory: Ask "What files are in the src directory of https://github.com/Ryan0204/github-repo-mcp?"

3. Viewing a file: Ask "Show me the README.md file from https://github.com/Ryan0204/github-repo-mcp"

Limitations

• Rate Limiting: Without authentication, GitHub API has strict rate limits (60 requests per hour)
• Private Repositories: Can only access public repositories unless a token with appropriate permissions is provided
• Binary Files: The server detects common binary file extensions and won't display their contents
• Large Files: GitHub API has limitations on the size of files that can be retrieved

Troubleshooting

Here are some common issues and their solutions:

• Rate limit exceeded: Set up a GitHub token as described in the Configuration section
• Command not found: Ensure the package is installed globally
• Connection errors: Check your internet connection and GitHub API status

If you encounter any issues, please check the output for error messages or create an issue in the GitHub repository.

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Enjoy! ☺️