GitHub MCP server
Commit Oct 1, 2026Lets Zed's Agent Panel use GitHub tools to read repos, issues, pull requests, and other GitHub resources.
Also known as LoamStudios/zed-mcp-server-github
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- 96
- Tools
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- Downloads, 30 days
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- Latest version
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- Last commit
- Oct 1, 2026
- License
- MIT
What is GitHub MCP?
GitHub lets Zed's Agent Panel use GitHub tools to read repos, issues, pull requests, and other GitHub resources.
Summary generated from the project's README
About GitHub MCP server
Connecting the Zed Agent Panel to your GitHub repositories allows developers to manage code and project management tasks directly within their editor. By integrating this server, the AI agent gains the ability to interact with various GitHub resources including issues, pull requests, and repositories. This setup works locally through the Zed extension system and can be configured to use either OAuth for standard GitHub accounts or a personal access token for GitHub Enterprise Server or ghe.com environments.
Users can customize the server behavior through specific settings in Zed. You can restrict the agent to read-only mode or select specific toolsets like repos, issues, or pull_requests to limit the scope of available tools. Authentication via OAuth happens in the browser during the first tool call, while personal access tokens can be provided via environment variables or the Zed settings file. The server also supports custom hosts for enterprise users through the github_host setting.
What you can do with it
- 1Connect to Enterprise GitHubConfigure the server to work with private GitHub Enterprise Server instances.
Written from the project's README. Every use case is checked against a quote from it.
Configuration
GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN
| Name | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN | — |
README
View on GitHubGitHub MCP Server Extension for Zed
This extension integrates GitHub MCP Server as a context server for Zed's Agent Panel.
To install navigate to: Zed > Extensions. Or use the command palette (macOS, Linux) to search extensions.
Authentication
OAuth (default). On github.com no setup is needed. On the first tool call, the server opens your browser to log in. The token is kept in memory only, so you'll log in again after Zed restarts. If you take longer than Zed's request timeout (context_server_timeout, 60 seconds by default) to approve, the first request fails; retry it once you've approved.
Personal access token. Create a fine-grained token (or a classic token with repo scope). A token is required for GitHub Enterprise Server and ghe.com. Either export it from your shell profile, which keeps it out of Zed's settings:
export GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="<GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
Zed loads your login shell's environment at startup and passes it to the server, so restart Zed after changing it. GITHUB_HOST, GITHUB_READ_ONLY, and GITHUB_TOOLSETS work the same way. Values in Zed's settings take precedence over the environment.
Or add it to your settings:
"context_servers": {
"mcp-server-github": {
"settings": {
"github_personal_access_token": "<GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN>"
}
}
},
Settings
All settings are optional.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
github_personal_access_token |
Token to use instead of OAuth. |
github_host |
GitHub Enterprise Server or ghe.com host, e.g. https://github.example.com. |
read_only |
true to only expose read-only tools. |
toolsets |
Toolsets to enable, e.g. ["repos", "issues", "pull_requests"]. See the list of toolsets. |
GitHub MCP questions
How do I authenticate the GitHub MCP server in Zed?
OAuth is the default: on github.com no setup is needed and the server opens your browser on the first tool call. You can instead supply a fine-grained personal access token, which is required for GitHub Enterprise Server and ghe.com.
Do I need a personal access token for GitHub Enterprise?
Yes. A token is required for GitHub Enterprise Server and ghe.com, and you can set it via the GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN environment variable or the github_personal_access_token setting.
How do I limit the GitHub MCP server to read-only tools?
Set the read_only setting to true, or export GITHUB_READ_ONLY in your shell environment.
Can I choose which GitHub toolsets are enabled?
Yes, use the toolsets setting to enable specific ones such as repos, issues, and pull_requests.
How do I install the GitHub extension for Zed?
Navigate to Zed > Extensions, or use the command palette to search for extensions.