Install GitHub MCP Server

Pick your client, copy the command, done.

claude mcp add -e "GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN=${GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN}" -e "OWNER_NAME=${OWNER_NAME}" github-mcp-server -- uv run gitHubMcpServer.py

Required:GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKENOWNER_NAME

Environment Variables

Set these before running GitHub MCP Server.

VariableDescriptionRequired

GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKENYour GitHub Personal Access TokenYes

OWNER_NAMEYour GitHub username (repository owner)Yes

Once configured, GitHub MCP Server gives your AI agent access to:

getUserRepoRetrieves detailed information for a specific GitHub repository.

repoName

updateRepoUpdates settings for an existing repository.

repoNamenamedescriptionhomepageprivatevisibilityhas_issueshas_projectshas_wikidefault_branch

After setup, try these prompts with your AI agent:

→Get the repository information for my project 'GitHubMcpServer'.

→Update the description of my repository 'my-project' to 'An AI-managed repository'.

→Change the visibility of my repository 'test-repo' to private.

→Check the current settings and default branch for my repository 'my-repo'.

Prerequisites & system requirements

An MCP-compatible client (Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Desktop, or Codex)
Python 3.8+ with pip installed
GITHUB_ACCESS_TOKEN — Your GitHub Personal Access Token
OWNER_NAME — Your GitHub username (repository owner)

Alternative installation methods

pip install "fastmcp>=3.1.1" httpx pydantic-settings

Save the docs, env vars, and workflow around GitHub MCP Server in Conare so Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor remember it next time.