Install GitHub MCP Server in Cursor

Prerequisites

1. Cursor IDE installed (latest version)
2. GitHub Personal Access Token with appropriate scopes
3. For local installation: Docker installed and running

Remote Server Setup (Recommended)

Uses GitHub's hosted server at https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/. Requires Cursor v0.48.0+ for Streamable HTTP support. While Cursor supports OAuth for some MCP servers, the GitHub server currently requires a Personal Access Token.

Install steps

1. Click the install button above and follow the flow, or go directly to your global MCP configuration file at ~/.cursor/mcp.json and enter the code block below
2. In Tools & Integrations > MCP tools, click the pencil icon next to "github"
3. Replace YOUR_GITHUB_PAT with your actual GitHub Personal Access Token
4. Save the file
5. Restart Cursor

Streamable HTTP Configuration

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_GITHUB_PAT"
      }
    }
  }
}

Local Server Setup

The local GitHub MCP server runs via Docker and requires Docker Desktop to be installed and running.

Install steps

1. Click the install button above and follow the flow, or go directly to your global MCP configuration file at ~/.cursor/mcp.json and enter the code block below
2. In Tools & Integrations > MCP tools, click the pencil icon next to "github"
3. Replace YOUR_GITHUB_PAT with your actual GitHub Personal Access Token
4. Save the file
5. Restart Cursor

Docker Configuration

Log in with OAuth instead of a token. On github.com the official image already includes the app credentials, so you provide none yourself — the server opens a browser login on first use and keeps the token in memory only. In Docker, publish a fixed callback port to loopback:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-p",
        "127.0.0.1:8085:8085",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT",
        "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_OAUTH_CALLBACK_PORT": "8085"
      }
    }
  }
}

See Local Server OAuth Login for the native-binary flow (no fixed port), headless/device-code fallback, GitHub Enterprise, and bringing your own OAuth or GitHub App.

To authenticate with a Personal Access Token instead (it takes precedence over OAuth):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "-i",
        "--rm",
        "-e",
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN",
        "ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "YOUR_GITHUB_PAT"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important: The npm package @modelcontextprotocol/server-github is no longer supported as of April 2025. Use the official Docker image ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server instead.

Configuration Files

• Global (all projects): ~/.cursor/mcp.json
• Project-specific: .cursor/mcp.json in project root

Verify Installation

1. Restart Cursor completely
2. Check for green dot in Settings → Tools & Integrations → MCP Tools
3. In chat/composer, check "Available Tools"
4. Test with: "List my GitHub repositories"

Troubleshooting

Remote Server Issues

• Streamable HTTP not working: Ensure you're using Cursor v0.48.0 or later
• Authentication failures: Verify PAT has correct scopes
• Connection errors: Check firewall/proxy settings

Local Server Issues

• Docker errors: Ensure Docker Desktop is running
• Image pull failures: Try docker logout ghcr.io then retry
• Docker not found: Install Docker Desktop and ensure it's running

General Issues

• MCP not loading: Restart Cursor completely after configuration
• Invalid JSON: Validate that json format is correct
• Tools not appearing: Check server shows green dot in MCP settings
• Check logs: Look for MCP-related errors in Cursor logs

Important Notes

• Docker image: ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server (official and supported)
• npm package: @modelcontextprotocol/server-github (deprecated as of April 2025 - no longer functional)
• Cursor specifics: Supports both project and global configurations, uses mcpServers key