github.com/github/github-mcp-server

This GitHub MCP server implementation provides a working Model Context Protocol interface for GitHub operations, but lacks the polish expected for production workloads. The core functionality works - you can execute GitHub API calls through the MCP protocol - but you'll need to add your own instrumentation and reliability layers.

Connection management is basic with no built-in pooling, so you'll exhaust rate limits quickly under concurrent load if you're not careful. The error handling surfaces GitHub API errors but doesn't provide structured retry logic or backoff strategies, meaning you're implementing that yourself. Timeout configuration exists but defaults are aggressive (30s) which can cause issues with slower GitHub Enterprise instances.

Observability is minimal - there's basic logging but no hooks for metrics or tracing, making it difficult to debug issues in production. The API surface is straightforward but breaking changes between minor versions have occurred (0.28 to 0.29 changed several method signatures), so pin your versions carefully and test upgrades thoroughly.

The github-mcp-server package provides a clean Go implementation for building Model Context Protocol servers that integrate with GitHub. The API surface is straightforward - you define tools, resources, and prompts, then wire them up to the server. The included examples in the repository are actually helpful, showing real authentication flows and common GitHub operations like creating issues or reading repository content.

Error handling is generally good with clear messages when authentication fails or API rate limits are hit. The server handles MCP protocol details transparently, letting you focus on implementing GitHub functionality. Debugging is reasonable with structured logging, though you'll want to familiarize yourself with the MCP spec itself since some error scenarios require understanding the underlying protocol.

The main friction point is documentation - while the code is readable, there's limited narrative documentation beyond the examples. You'll spend time reading source code to understand advanced patterns. GitHub Issues response time has been decent for critical bugs, though the community is still small. Overall, it's a solid foundation if you're building GitHub-integrated AI tools.

The github-mcp-server package provides a clean implementation of the Model Context Protocol for GitHub operations. The API design follows Go conventions well, with clear interfaces for authentication, repository operations, and issue management. Type safety is excellent with well-defined structs for requests and responses, making IDE autocompletion reliable.

The server initialization is straightforward with sensible defaults, and the configuration options are discoverable through exported constants. Error handling uses standard Go patterns with wrapped errors that preserve context, making debugging straightforward. The authentication flow supports both PAT and OAuth, which covers most use cases.

The main friction point is documentation - while the godoc comments are present, there's a lack of complete end-to-end examples. You'll often need to reference the test files to understand complex workflows. Migration between minor versions has been smooth, with breaking changes clearly marked in release notes. Overall, it's a solid choice for building GitHub integrations with MCP support.