# Connect your coding agent to GitHub

> How do I connect Claude Code, Cursor, or another MCP client to GitHub?

Issues, pull requests, CI runs, repo browsing — an MCP server is the standard way to give a coding agent real GitHub access. One official server dominates this job; building your own is the fallback for unusual workflows.

A hand-picked shortlist from the Agent Search Engine index. Every pick is a real listing; the adoption, pricing, and activity figures are the index's live numbers. Browse on the web: https://agentsearchengine.app/use/connect-coding-agent-to-github

## Recommended picks

### Best overall: github-mcp-server
- Open source · MCP server · 32k★ · Go · MIT · active 5 days ago
- **Setup:** Config entry in your MCP client
- **Why:** GitHub's own official MCP server — maintained by the vendor, which matters for something holding your repo credentials. Works with any MCP client (Claude Code, Cursor, and others).
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/github-mcp-server) · [official](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server)

### Build your own: fastmcp
- Open source · SDK / library · 27k★ · Python · Apache-2.0 · active 5 days ago
- **Setup:** Self-build — Python
- **Why:** If your workflow needs endpoints the official server doesn't expose, FastMCP is the fastest way to write a custom MCP server in Python around exactly the GitHub API calls you want.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/fastmcp) · [official](https://gofastmcp.com)

## What to watch for
Scope the token you hand any MCP server: a fine-grained GitHub token limited to the repos it needs, read-only unless the agent genuinely must write. Review what tools the server exposes before connecting it — write access to your repos is the blast radius.

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Source: [Agent Search Engine](https://agentsearchengine.app) — more task-first guides: https://agentsearchengine.app/use