How to connect GitLab to Claude Code

Checked against Claude Code's documentation on Oct 26, 2026. Commands and config blocks are generated from the same install data as each listing page.

1. 1. Check what you need

   Claude Code launches this server with npx, so Node.js comes first. Run node --version to see whether it is there.

   node --version

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   • It can take GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN and GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN (next step).

2. 2. Get GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN and GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN

   Both values are marked optional in the listing and suit different situations: a personal token for local use and a job token for GitLab CI. Decide which fits how you run the server.

   • GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN (optional): GitLab personal access token for local stdio use. A non-empty value overrides GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN_FILE. One of this token, GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN_FILE, GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN, GITLAB_AUTH_COOKIE_PATH, or GITLAB_USE_OAUTH=true must be set. Create a token with the GitLab scopes the tools need, such as api or read_api.
   • GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN (optional): Optional GitLab CI job token to use instead of a personal access token when running inside GitLab CI.

3. 3. Add GitLab MCP Server to Claude Code

   The command passes both variables to the server with --env flags, while the file version keeps them as references. Either way Claude Code starts the package through npx.

   claude mcp add --transport stdio --env GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=YOUR_GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN --env GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN=YOUR_GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN --scope user gitlab-mcp -- npx -y @zereight/mcp-gitlab@2.3.7

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   {
     "mcpServers": {
       "gitlab-mcp": {
         "command": "npx",
         "args": [
           "-y",
           "@zereight/mcp-gitlab@2.3.7"
         ],
         "env": {
           "GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "${GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN}",
           "GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN": "${GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN}"
         }
       }
     }
   }

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   export GITLAB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN="paste-your-value-here"
   export GITLAB_JOB_TOKEN="paste-your-value-here"

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   • The command keeps the value in ~/.claude.json; the .mcp.json version refers to an environment variable, so nothing secret is committed.

4. 4. Restart or reload if it does not appear

   Missing server? This step relates to reconnecting through Claude Code's menu and approving servers that come from a project file.

   • The docs do not say a restart is needed after claude mcp add. Servers connect at startup and can be reconnected from the /mcp menu.
   • In an interactive session Claude Code asks you to approve servers from a project .mcp.json before it uses them; claude mcp reset-project-choices resets those answers.

claude mcp list