Quick Configuration
Choose the setup that matches your environment.
Before You Start
- Confirm you have the account, endpoint, or API key required for GitLab.
- Start with minimum scopes and read-only access where possible.
- Keep secrets in environment variables instead of hardcoding them in JSON.
Hosted / Remote
JSON Hosted Config json
{
"gitlab": {
"url": "https://YOUR_GITLAB_MCP_ENDPOINT"
}
}Local CLI (npx)
JSON Local Config json
{
"gitlab": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://YOUR_GITLAB_MCP_ENDPOINT"],
"env": {
"GITLAB_API_KEY": "YOUR_GITLAB_API_KEY"
}
}
}Common Pitfalls & Fixes
- â ī¸ Watch out: Personal access token scopes, self-managed base URL, and group/project IDs.
- đ Always store API keys in environment variables, never hardcode them in JSON.
- đĄī¸ Start with read-only scopes if available to verify connection safely.
Example Prompts
Once connected, try these prompts to test capabilities:
- List open merge requests in my project and summarize what each changes.
- Find issues labeled "bug" updated in the last 7 days and group by status.
- Show the latest pipeline status and highlight any failing jobs.
Verification Checklist
- Run 1-2 real prompts to confirm GitLab returns usable data.
- Check that error messages are clear enough for troubleshooting.
- Document the required scopes, dependencies, and env vars for future reuse.