GitHub Token Setup

August 13, 2025 · View on GitHub

Setting up a GitHub Personal Access Token will significantly improve your experience with the shadcn/ui MCP Server.

🎯 Why You Need a Token

Without TokenWith Token
60 requests/hour5,000 requests/hour
Rate limit errorsReliable performance
Slower responsesFaster responses
Limited reliabilityBetter caching

📝 Getting Your Token (2 minutes)

Step 1: Go to GitHub Settings

  1. Visit GitHub Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens → Tokens (classic)
  2. Or navigate: GitHub Profile → Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens

Step 2: Generate New Token

  1. Click "Generate new token (classic)"
  2. Add a note: "shadcn-ui MCP server"
  3. Expiration: Choose your preference (90 days recommended)
  4. Scopes: ✅ No scopes needed! (public repository access is sufficient)

Step 3: Copy Your Token

  1. Copy the generated token (starts with ghp_)
  2. ⚠️ Save it securely - you won't see it again!

🚀 Using Your Token

Method 1: Command Line (Quick testing)

npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --github-api-key ghp_your_token_here

# Add to your shell profile (~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, etc.)
export GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=ghp_your_token_here

# Then simply run:
npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

Method 3: Single Command

GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=ghp_your_token_here npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server

🔧 Framework-Specific Usage

React (Default)

npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --github-api-key ghp_your_token_here

Svelte

npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --framework svelte --github-api-key ghp_your_token_here

Vue

npx @jpisnice/shadcn-ui-mcp-server --framework vue --github-api-key ghp_your_token_here

🔒 Security Best Practices

  1. Never commit tokens to version control
  2. Use environment variables in production
  3. Set appropriate expiration dates
  4. Rotate tokens regularly
  5. Use minimal required scopes (none needed for this server)

🐛 Troubleshooting

Token Not Working

# Check if token is valid
curl -H "Authorization: token ghp_your_token_here" https://api.github.com/user

# Should return your GitHub user info

Rate Limit Still Exceeded

# Check your current rate limit
curl -H "Authorization: token ghp_your_token_here" https://api.github.com/rate_limit

# Look for "remaining" field in the response

Environment Variable Not Recognized

# Verify the variable is set
echo $GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN

# Should show your token (starts with ghp_)

🔗 Next Steps