Remote GitHub MCP Server ๐Ÿš€

February 23, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

Install in VS Code Install in VS Code Insiders

Easily connect to the GitHub MCP Server using the hosted version โ€“ no local setup or runtime required.

URL: https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/

About

The remote GitHub MCP server is built using this repository as a library, and binding it into GitHub server infrastructure with an internal repository. You can open issues and propose changes in this repository, and we regularly update the remote server to include the latest version of this code.

The remote server has additional tools that are not available in the local MCP server, such as the create_pull_request_with_copilot tool for invoking Copilot coding agent.

Remote MCP Toolsets

Below is a table of available toolsets for the remote GitHub MCP Server. Each toolset is provided as a distinct URL so you can mix and match to create the perfect combination of tools for your use-case. Add /readonly to the end of any URL to restrict the tools in the toolset to only those that enable read access. We also provide the option to use headers instead.

NameDescriptionAPI URL1-Click Install (VS Code)Read-only Link1-Click Read-only Install (VS Code)
apps
all
All available GitHub MCP toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/Installread-onlyInstall read-only
workflow
actions
GitHub Actions workflows and CI/CD operationshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/actionsInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
codescan
code_security
Code security related tools, such as GitHub Code Scanninghttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/code_securityInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
copilot
copilot
Copilot related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/copilotInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
dependabot
dependabot
Dependabot toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/dependabotInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
comment-discussion
discussions
GitHub Discussions related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/discussionsInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
logo-gist
gists
GitHub Gist related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/gistsInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
git-branch
git
GitHub Git API related tools for low-level Git operationshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/gitInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
issue-opened
issues
GitHub Issues related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/issuesInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
tag
labels
GitHub Labels related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/labelsInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
bell
notifications
GitHub Notifications related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/notificationsInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
organization
orgs
GitHub Organization related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/orgsInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
project
projects
GitHub Projects related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/projectsInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
git-pull-request
pull_requests
GitHub Pull Request related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/pull_requestsInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
repo
repos
GitHub Repository related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/reposInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
shield-lock
secret_protection
Secret protection related tools, such as GitHub Secret Scanninghttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/secret_protectionInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
shield
security_advisories
Security advisories related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/security_advisoriesInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
star
stargazers
GitHub Stargazers related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/stargazersInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
people
users
GitHub User related toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/usersInstallread-onlyInstall read-only

Additional Remote Server Toolsets

These toolsets are only available in the remote GitHub MCP Server and are not included in the local MCP server.

NameDescriptionAPI URL1-Click Install (VS Code)Read-only Link1-Click Read-only Install (VS Code)
copilot
copilot_spaces
Copilot Spaces toolshttps://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/copilot_spacesInstallread-onlyInstall read-only
book
github_support_docs_search
Retrieve documentation to answer GitHub product and support questions. Topics include: GitHub Actions Workflows, Authentication, ...https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/github_support_docs_searchInstallread-onlyInstall read-only

Optional Headers

The Remote GitHub MCP server has optional headers equivalent to the Local server env vars or flags:

  • X-MCP-Toolsets: Comma-separated list of toolsets to enable. E.g. "repos,issues".
    • Equivalent to GITHUB_TOOLSETS env var or --toolsets flag for Local server.
    • If the list is empty, default toolsets will be used. Invalid or unknown toolsets are silently ignored without error and will not prevent the server from starting. Whitespace is ignored.
  • X-MCP-Tools: Comma-separated list of tools to enable. E.g. "get_file_contents,issue_read,pull_request_read".
    • Equivalent to GITHUB_TOOLS env var or --tools flag for Local server.
    • Invalid tools will throw an error and prevent the server from starting. Whitespace is ignored.
  • X-MCP-Readonly: Enables only "read" tools.
    • Equivalent to GITHUB_READ_ONLY env var for Local server.
    • If this header is empty, "false", "f", "no", "n", "0", or "off" (ignoring whitespace and case), it will be interpreted as false. All other values are interpreted as true.
  • X-MCP-Lockdown: Enables lockdown mode, hiding public issue details created by users without push access.
    • Equivalent to GITHUB_LOCKDOWN_MODE env var for Local server.
    • If this header is empty, "false", "f", "no", "n", "0", or "off" (ignoring whitespace and case), it will be interpreted as false. All other values are interpreted as true.
  • X-MCP-Insiders: Enables insiders mode for early access to new features.
    • Equivalent to GITHUB_INSIDERS env var or --insiders flag for Local server.
    • If this header is empty, "false", "f", "no", "n", "0", or "off" (ignoring whitespace and case), it will be interpreted as false. All other values are interpreted as true.

Looking for examples? See the Server Configuration Guide for common recipes like minimal setups, read-only mode, and combining tools with toolsets.

Example:

{
    "type": "http",
    "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
    "headers": {
        "X-MCP-Toolsets": "repos,issues",
        "X-MCP-Readonly": "true",
        "X-MCP-Lockdown": "false"
    }
}

Insiders Mode

The remote GitHub MCP Server offers an insiders version with early access to new features and experimental tools. You can enable insiders mode in two ways:

  1. Via URL path - Append /insiders to the URL:

    {
        "type": "http",
        "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/insiders"
    }
    
  2. Via header - Set the X-MCP-Insiders header to true:

    {
        "type": "http",
        "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
        "headers": {
            "X-MCP-Insiders": "true"
        }
    }
    

Both methods can be combined with other path modifiers (like /readonly) and headers.

URL Path Parameters

The Remote GitHub MCP server supports the following URL path patterns:

  • / - Default toolset (see "default" toolset)
  • /readonly - Default toolset in read-only mode
  • /insiders - Default toolset with insiders mode enabled
  • /readonly/insiders - Default toolset in read-only mode with insiders mode enabled
  • /x/all - All available toolsets
  • /x/all/readonly - All available toolsets in read-only mode
  • /x/all/insiders - All available toolsets with insiders mode enabled
  • /x/all/readonly/insiders - All available toolsets in read-only mode with insiders mode enabled
  • /x/{toolset} - Single specific toolset
  • /x/{toolset}/readonly - Single specific toolset in read-only mode
  • /x/{toolset}/insiders - Single specific toolset with insiders mode enabled
  • /x/{toolset}/readonly/insiders - Single specific toolset in read-only mode with insiders mode enabled

Note: {toolset} can only be a single toolset, not a comma-separated list. To combine multiple toolsets, use the X-MCP-Toolsets header instead. Path modifiers like /readonly and /insiders can be combined with the X-MCP-Insiders or X-MCP-Readonly headers.

Example:

{
    "type": "http",
    "url": "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/x/issues/readonly"
}