Lean Github Mcp

by noushad999

202 downloads

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GitHub Website

About

The lean GitHub MCP server for Claude — 26x smaller responses, 19 tools, zero Docker required.

Details

Author: noushad999
Downloads: 202
Categories: Developer Tools, Automation

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 Lean Github Mcp

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": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_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": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_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": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_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": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_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": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

JSON

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

From the repository

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github-mcp-server": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": [
        "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Claude Desktop / Cursor

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

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "lean github mcp": {
            "github-mcp-server": {
                "command": "node",
                "args": [
                    "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
                ],
                "env": {
                    "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

McpServers

{
    "github-mcp-server": {
        "command": "node",
        "args": [
            "/path/to/github-mcp-server/dist/index.js"
        ],
        "env": {
            "GITHUB_TOKEN": "your_github_token_here"
        }
    }
}

Lean GitHub MCP

Control GitHub entirely through Claude — in plain English.

Create PRs, manage issues, trigger workflows, cut releases, review diffs — without touching a browser.

GitHub MCP Server demo

26x smaller responses than the official GitHub MCP — your Claude context window goes further.

</div>

---

What is this?

This is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects Claude directly to the GitHub API. Once installed, you can manage your entire GitHub workflow through natural conversation — no GUI, no copy-pasting URLs, no context switching.

You type this in Claude:

Merge PR #47 with squash, delete the branch, then create a release v2.1.0 with those changes

Claude does all of it. Three API calls. Done.

---

Why this instead of the official GitHub MCP?

| | This Server | Official GitHub MCP |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | npm install + token | Docker required |
| Response size | ~320 avg tokens | 2000+ tokens (raw API) |
| Token efficiency | Null stripping, compactify | Raw JSON passthrough |
| Caching | 120s in-memory cache | No cache |
| Tools | 19 tools | ~30 tools |
| Default branch | Auto-detected | Hard-coded main |
| Error messages | Status codes included | Generic messages |
| License | MIT — use anywhere | MIT |

Bottom line: This server was built to be lean. Every response is stripped of nulls, truncated intelligently, and cached where it makes sense. Your Claude context window is treated as a precious resource.

---

60-Second Setup

Option 1 — Run with npx (no install needed):

GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_token npx @noushad999/lean-github-mcp

Option 2 — Install globally from npm:

npm install -g @noushad999/lean-github-mcp

lean-github-mcp

Option 3 — Docker _(coming soon)_:

docker run -e GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_token ghcr.io/noushad999/lean-github-mcp

Option 4 — Clone from source:

git clone https://github.com/noushad999/lean-github-mcp.git

cd lean-github-mcp

npm install && npm run build

echo "GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_token" > .env

Claude Desktop — edit %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows) or ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (Mac):

Using npx (easiest — no install needed):

{

  "mcpServers": {

    "github": {

      "command": "npx",

      "args": ["-y", "@noushad999/lean-github-mcp"],

      "env": {

        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"

      }

    }

  }

}

Using local build:

{

  "mcpServers": {

    "github": {

      "command": "node",

      "args": ["C:/absolute/path/to/lean-github-mcp/dist/index.js"],

      "env": {

        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token_here"

      }

    }

  }

}

Claude Code (CLI):

claude mcp add github -- node /absolute/path/to/lean-github-mcp/dist/index.js

Restart Claude. You're done.

---

Token Permissions Required

Go to github.com/settings/tokens?type=beta → Fine-grained token:

| Permission | Level | Used by |
|---|---|---|
| Contents | Read & Write | get_file, create_branch, delete_branch |
| Issues | Read & Write | list_issues, create_issue, assign_issue, add_comment |
| Pull requests | Read & Write | list_prs, create_pr, merge_pr, get_pr_diff |
| Actions | Read & Write | list_workflows, trigger_workflow |
| Metadata | Read | list_repos, get_repo |

---

Available Tools

Repositories

`list_repos`

List repositories for any user or organization.

"Show me all of vercel's public repos sorted by recent activity"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| type | owner \| member | no | owner |

---

`get_repo`

Get detailed stats for a specific repository.

"Tell me about facebook/react — stars, forks, language, open issues"

| Param | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes |
| repo | string | yes |

---

Issues

`list_issues`

List issues with labels and assignees.

"Show all open bugs in my repo"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| state | open \| closed \| all | no | open |

---

`create_issue`

Create a new issue with labels.

"Create an issue titled 'Login crashes on Safari' with labels bug and priority"

| Param | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes |
| repo | string | yes |
| title | string | yes |
| body | string | no |
| labels | string[] | no |

---

`assign_issue`

Add or remove assignees on an issue or PR.

"Assign issue #42 to alice and bob"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| issue_number | number | yes | — |
| assignees | string[] | yes | — |
| action | add \| remove | no | add |

---

Pull Requests

`list_prs`

List pull requests by state.

"What PRs are currently open in vercel/next.js?"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| state | open \| closed \| all | no | open |

---

`create_pr`

Create a pull request. Automatically detects the repo's default branch if base is omitted.

"Create a PR from feat/dark-mode to main titled 'Add dark mode support'"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| title | string | yes | — |
| body | string | no | — |
| head | string | yes | — |
| base | string | no | repo default |

---

`get_pr_diff`

Get the unified diff of a pull request — up to 200 lines.

"Show me the diff for PR #88"

| Param | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes |
| repo | string | yes |
| pull_number | number | yes |

---

`merge_pr`

Merge with your chosen strategy.

"Squash-merge PR #47 with title 'feat: dark mode'"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| pull_number | number | yes | — |
| method | merge \| squash \| rebase | no | merge |
| commit_title | string | no | — |

---

Branches

`create_branch`

Create a branch from any base. Auto-detects default branch.

"Create branch fix/header-overflow from main"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| branch | string | yes | — |
| base | string | no | repo default |

---

`delete_branch`

Delete a branch — typically after merging.

"Delete the feat/dark-mode branch, it's been merged"

| Param | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes |
| repo | string | yes |
| branch | string | yes |

---

Commits & Files

`list_commits`

View recent commit history with authors and timestamps.

"Show the last 5 commits on the main branch"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| branch | string | no | repo default |
| per_page | 1–10 | no | 10 |

---

`get_file`

Read file content from any branch. Files over 100 lines are truncated.

"Show me the contents of src/auth.ts on the dev branch"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| path | string | yes | — |
| branch | string | no | repo default |

---

`search_code`

Search code across GitHub.

"Find all TypeScript files using useAuth hook"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| query | string | yes | — |
| per_page | 1–10 | no | 10 |

> GitHub's code search API requires authentication and has a rate limit of ~10 requests/minute. Results are cached for 120s.

---

Comments

`add_comment`

Comment on any issue or pull request.

"Add a comment to PR #55 saying the deployment is ready for testing"

| Param | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes |
| repo | string | yes |
| issue_number | number | yes |
| body | string | yes |

---

Releases

`get_release`

Get the latest release or look up a specific tag.

"What's the latest release of vercel/next.js?"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| tag | string | no | latest |

---

`create_release`

Publish a new release with release notes.

"Create release v2.1.0 on the main branch with the changelog I'll paste"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| tag_name | string | yes | — |
| name | string | no | tag name |
| body | string | no | — |
| draft | boolean | no | false |
| prerelease | boolean | no | false |
| target_commitish | string | no | repo default |

---

GitHub Actions

`list_workflows`

List all workflows in a repository.

"What GitHub Actions workflows does this repo have?"

| Param | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes |
| repo | string | yes |

---

`trigger_workflow`

Trigger a workflow dispatch event with optional inputs.

"Trigger the deploy.yml workflow on the staging branch"

| Param | Type | Required | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| owner | string | yes | — |
| repo | string | yes | — |
| workflow_id | string \| number | yes | — |
| ref | string | no | repo default |
| inputs | object | no | {} |

---

How It Works

You (natural language)
        │
        ▼
   Claude AI
        │  MCP Protocol (stdio)
        ▼
┌──────────────────────────────────┐
│        lean-github-mcp           │
│                                  │
│  ┌─────────────────────────┐     │
│  │   19 Tool Handlers      │     │
│  └────────┬────────────────┘     │
│           │                      │
│  ┌────────▼─────┐  ┌──────────┐  │
│  │  Token Guard │  │  Cache   │  │
│  │  4000 char   │  │  120s    │  │
│  │  null strip  │  │  200 max │  │
│  └────────┬─────┘  └────┬─────┘  │
│           └──────┬───────┘        │
│                  ▼                │
│      ┌──────────────────┐         │
│      │  GitHub Client   │         │
│      │  Axios + Auth    │         │
│      │  Status codes    │         │
│      └──────────────────┘         │
└──────────────┬───────────────────┘
               │ HTTPS
               ▼
        api.github.com

Token Efficiency — Why It Matters

Every response the MCP server sends consumes your Claude context window. Bloated responses mean Claude forgets earlier parts of your conversation faster. This server aggressively minimizes response size:

Raw GitHub API response for a single repository:

{

  "id": 1296269,

  "node_id": "MDEwOlJlcG9zaXRvcnkxMjk2MjY5",

  "name": "Hello-World",

  "full_name": "octocat/Hello-World",

  "private": false,

  "owner": {

    "login": "octocat",

    "id": 1,

    "node_id": "MDQ6VXNlcjE=",

    "avatar_url": "https://github.com/images/error/octocat_happy.gif",

    "gravatar_id": "",

    "url": "https://api.github.com/users/octocat",

    "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat",

    "followers_url": "...",

    ... 20 more owner fields

  },

  "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World",

  "description": "This your first repo!",

  ... 80+ more fields, mostly null

}

~2,400 tokens

This server's response:

{

  "name": "Hello-World",

  "full_name": "octocat/Hello-World",

  "description": "This your first repo!",

  "stars": 2045,

  "forks": 1731,

  "language": "JavaScript",

  "open_issues": 12,

  "updated_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",

  "html_url": "https://github.com/octocat/Hello-World"

}

~90 tokens — 26x smaller

---

Real-World Example Conversations

Full PR workflow:

You: Show me open PRs in my-org/my-repo Claude: Found 3 open PRs: #88 — "Add OAuth2 support" by sarah_dev #91 — "Fix memory leak in worker" by john_k #94 — "Upgrade to Node 22" by bot You: Show me the diff for #91 Claude: [shows unified diff of the memory leak fix] You: Looks good. Merge it with squash, then delete the branch Claude: Done — squash merged PR #91 (sha: a3f9c21), deleted branch fix/memory-leak You: Now create a release v3.2.1 from main with changelog: "Fixed memory leak in background workers"

Claude: Release v3.2.1 published — https://github.com/my-org/my-repo/releases/tag/v3.2.1

Four separate GitHub operations. One conversation.

---

Automated triage:

You: List open issues in my-org/api-server, assign the ones labeled "bug" to me

Claude: Found 4 open issues. 2 have the "bug" label (#34, #41). Assigned #34 and #41 to you.

---

Testing

npm run build
npx tsx tests/simulate-10-users.ts

Expected output:

╔══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗

║     GitHub MCP Server - 10 User Deployment Test        ║

║          19 Tools · Full Coverage Simulation           ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

...

║  Total Tests:        49                  ║

║  Passed:             49                  ║

║  Failed:             0                   ║

║  Pass Rate:          100.0          %    ║

║  Null Fields Found:  0                   ║

║  Avg Response:       319            tokens ║

╚══════════════════════════════════════════╝

🎉 ALL TESTS PASSED! Ready for production.

You can also inspect live with the MCP Inspector:

npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node dist/index.js

---

Project Structure

lean-github-mcp/
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts                  # MCP server entry, tool registration
│   ├── github-client.ts          # Axios client + getDefaultBranch helper
│   ├── middleware/
│   │   └── tokenGuard.ts         # Response trimmer: null strip, compactify, 4000 char limit
│   ├── utils/
│   │   └── cache.ts              # 120s TTL in-memory cache, max 200 entries
│   └── tools/                    # 19 tool handlers (one file each)
│       ├── list_repos.ts
│       ├── get_repo.ts
│       ├── list_issues.ts
│       ├── create_issue.ts
│       ├── assign_issue.ts
│       ├── list_prs.ts
│       ├── create_pr.ts
│       ├── get_pr_diff.ts
│       ├── merge_pr.ts
│       ├── create_branch.ts
│       ├── delete_branch.ts
│       ├── list_commits.ts
│       ├── get_file.ts
│       ├── search_code.ts
│       ├── add_comment.ts
│       ├── get_release.ts
│       ├── create_release.ts
│       ├── list_workflows.ts
│       └── trigger_workflow.ts
├── tests/
│   └── simulate-10-users.ts      # Full simulation test, 49 assertions
├── dist/                         # Compiled JS (after npm run build)
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── .env.example

---

Troubleshooting

GITHUB_TOKEN not set

cat .env    # make sure GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_... is there

GitHub API (403): Rate limited or insufficient permissions
- Fine-grained tokens need explicit repository access — check the permissions table above
- Code search has a stricter limit (~10 req/min) — wait 60s and retry

GitHub API (404): Resource not found
- Double-check the owner and repo spelling
- Private repos need your token to have access to them

GitHub API (422): Unprocessable
- Usually means a PR already exists for that branch, or a branch name is invalid

Command not found: node in Claude Desktop
- Use the full path: C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe (Windows) or run which node on Mac/Linux

---

Contributing

Contributions are welcome — see CONTRIBUTING.md for a step-by-step guide to adding new tools, code conventions, and the PR checklist.

---

Roadmap

- [ ] list_workflow_runs — view CI status for a branch
- [ ] get_commit — detailed single commit with files changed
- [ ] compare_branches — diff between two branches
- [ ] update_file — commit a file change directly
- [ ] add_label / remove_label — label management

Open an issue if you want something added.

---

License

MIT — do whatever you want with it.

---

Built for developers who'd rather talk to Claude than click through GitHub.

Report a bug · Request a feature

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About

Details

Jump to

Setting up with Highlight

From the repository

Claude Desktop / Cursor

McpServers

Lean GitHub MCP

What is this?

Why this instead of the official GitHub MCP?

60-Second Setup

Token Permissions Required

Available Tools

Repositories

list_repos

get_repo

Issues

list_issues

create_issue

assign_issue

Pull Requests

list_prs

create_pr

get_pr_diff

merge_pr

Branches

create_branch

delete_branch

Commits & Files

list_commits

get_file

search_code

Comments

add_comment

Releases

get_release

create_release

GitHub Actions

list_workflows

trigger_workflow

How It Works

Token Efficiency — Why It Matters

Real-World Example Conversations

Testing

Project Structure

Troubleshooting

Contributing

Roadmap

License

Install

More like this

@mendableai/firecrawl Mcp Server

Umut Naci

Playwright

Sentry

Github

Fetch

`list_repos`

`get_repo`

`list_issues`

`create_issue`

`assign_issue`

`list_prs`

`create_pr`

`get_pr_diff`

`merge_pr`

`create_branch`

`delete_branch`

`list_commits`

`get_file`

`search_code`

`add_comment`

`get_release`

`create_release`

`list_workflows`

`trigger_workflow`