A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that gives project managers full control over GitLab epics, issues, milestones, iterations, merge requests, labels, and boards from Claude Desktop, Claude Code, or any MCP-compatible client.

Existing tools like glab are developer-oriented: they focus on merge requests, pipelines, and code review. Project managers need a different lens -- one centered on planning and tracking.

@wanadev/mcp-gitlab fills that gap:

• Epics, milestones & iterations -- create, update, close, and link issues to epics. Track sprints with iterations. Set health status (on track / needs attention / at risk) and view progress via Work Items API.
• Cross-group visibility -- query multiple GitLab groups in the same conversation (no hardcoded group ID).
• Time tracking -- see estimated vs. spent time on issues at a glance.
• Labels & boards -- list labels and issue boards without leaving your chat.
• Comments (notes) -- read and add notes on both issues and epics.
• Merge request monitoring -- track MR status without switching to the developer workflow.
• Dry-run by default -- every write operation previews what it will do before touching GitLab.

• Node.js >= 20
• A GitLab Personal Access Token (PAT) with the api scope (or read_api for read-only access)
• GitLab Premium/Ultimate for epics and iterations (issues, milestones, MRs, labels, and boards work with all editions)

1. Go to GitLab > Settings > Access Tokens
2. Create a token with the api scope
3. Copy the token

/plugin marketplace add wanadev/gitlab-mcp
/plugin install wanadev-gitlab@wanadev-gitlab

Set GITLAB_TOKEN in your environment (.bashrc, .zshrc, or system variable). The plugin will guide you on first launch if it's missing.

Add the following to your claude_desktop_config.json:

Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gitlab": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@wanadev/mcp-gitlab"],
      "env": {
        "GITLAB_TOKEN": "glpat-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
        "GITLAB_BASE_URL": "https://gitlab.com",
        "GITLAB_READ_ONLY": "false"
      }
    }
  }
}

The MCP server will be available immediately. Test with: "List my GitLab groups"

Note: There is no GITLAB_GROUP_ID environment variable. Every group-scoped tool takes a group_id parameter. Use list_groups to discover accessible groups -- the LLM does this automatically.

All write tools (create_*, update_*, close_*, set_*, add_*) include a dry_run parameter that defaults to true.

This prevents accidental changes: the LLM always shows what it intends to do first and only proceeds after your approval.

• "List my GitLab groups"
• "Show open epics in group 42"
• "What's the health status and progress of epic #5?"
• "Set epic #12 health status to 'needs attention'"
• "Link epic #3 as blocking issue #45"
• "List issues labeled bug in the wanadev group"
• "Create an epic called 'Homepage Redesign' in group 42 with a deadline of April 30"
• "Which issues are linked to epic #5 in the wanadev group?"
• "Close issue #15 in project 789"
• "Who are the members of the wanadev group?"
• "Show me all open merge requests in group 42"
• "How much time has been spent on issue #23 in project 456?"
• "Add a comment on epic #3 in group 42: Specs validated, ready for dev"
• "What milestones are coming up in the wanadev group?"
• "List the boards for group 42"

"List the active milestones in the wanadev group. For each one, show me the open issues and how many are unassigned."

Claude calls list_milestones → list_issues per milestone → summarizes the gaps. You see at a glance what's on track and what needs attention.

"Show me all open MRs in the kp1 group that have been waiting for review for more than 3 days. Also list any issues that were closed yesterday."

Claude calls list_merge_requests (state: opened) → list_issues (state: closed, sort: updated_at) → gives you a ready-made standup brief.

"Give me a status report on epic #12 in group wanadev: how many issues are done vs. open, what's the total time spent, and list the latest comments."

Claude chains get_epic → list_epic_issues → reads time_stats from each issue → list_epic_notes → returns a structured progress report.

"Compare the open issue count across my three groups: wanadev, kp1, and infra. Which group has the most overdue issues?"

Claude calls list_groups → list_issues for each group with due date filtering → builds a comparison table.

"In the kp1 group, find all issues labeled 'urgent' with no assignee. Assign them to @jean and add a comment saying 'Triaged in weekly review'."

Claude calls list_issues (labels: urgent) → for each unassigned issue, dry-runs update_issue (assignee) + add_issue_note → shows you the plan → you confirm → done.

"Close milestone 'Sprint 14' in group wanadev. Before that, show me any issues still open in it."

Claude calls list_issues (milestone: Sprint 14, state: opened) → warns you about remaining items → dry-runs close_milestone → you confirm.

git clone https://github.com/wanadev/gitlab-mcp.git
cd gitlab-mcp
npm install
npm run build       # Build ESM (tsc)
npm run typecheck   # TypeScript type checking
npm run dev         # Build in watch mode

• issue_id vs issue_iid -- add_issue_to_epic requires the global issue ID (not the #iid displayed in the project). Both list_issues and list_epic_issues return both values.
• Read-only mode -- With GITLAB_READ_ONLY=true, any create/update/close attempt returns a clear error.
• 403 on epics -- Epic endpoints require a GitLab Premium or Ultimate license.
• Multi-group workflow -- You can work across several groups in a single conversation. The LLM will call list_groups to discover them, then pass the right group_id to each tool.