GitHub - NimbleBrain MCP Platform

Overview

What it does

GitHub MCP Server connects AI tools directly to GitHub’s platform, enabling natural language interactions with repositories, issues, pull requests, and workflows.Key Features:

Repository management and code browsing
Issue tracking and creation
Pull request management and code review
Branch and commit operations
GitHub Actions workflow monitoring
Code search across repositories
Security alerts and code scanning
Dependabot integration
Team collaboration and discussions
Project board management
Release and tag management
Gist creation and management
Notifications management

Use Cases

Development Workflows:

Automated issue triage and assignment
Pull request review and approval automation
Release management and changelog generation
Code quality monitoring and reporting

Team Collaboration:

Team productivity analytics
Documentation updates and maintenance
Bug tracking and resolution
Project status reporting

Security & Compliance:

Security alert monitoring
Dependabot vulnerability tracking
Code scanning results analysis
Secret scanning alerts

This MCP server integrates with your GitHub account to manage repositories, collaborate on code, and automate workflows - all through natural language in Studio.

Quick Start

Prepare Your GitHub Account

You need a GitHub account to use this server. Choose your account type:Personal Account (Free)

Public and private repositories
Issue tracking and pull requests
GitHub Actions (2,000 minutes/month free)
Basic collaboration features
Perfect for individual projects

Organization Account

Team collaboration features
Advanced security settings
Team permissions management
Organization-wide settings
Better for team projects

GitHub Enterprise

Self-hosted or cloud
Advanced compliance features
SSO and SAML integration
Priority support
Custom policies

The free GitHub account includes everything needed to get started. No credit card required.

Create Personal Access Token

For NimbleBrain Studio, you’ll need a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT):

Go to GitHub Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens → Tokens (classic)
Click Generate new token (classic)
Give it a descriptive name (e.g., “NimbleBrain Studio”)
Set expiration (recommended: 90 days for security)
Select scopes based on what you need:

Recommended Scopes:

repo - Full repository access (read/write)
read:org - Read organization data
workflow - Update GitHub Actions workflows
gist - Create and manage gists
notifications - Access notifications
project - Access project boards

Read-Only Scopes (for safer access):

repo:status - Repository commit status
repo_deployment - Deployment status
public_repo - Public repositories only
read:user - Read user profile data

Click Generate token
Copy the token immediately - you won’t see it again!

Store your PAT securely. Treat it like a password - never commit it to repositories or share it publicly.

Add to NimbleBrain Studio

In NimbleBrain Studio:

Navigate to MCP Servers in the sidebar
Click Add Server
Search for “GitHub” in the server registry
Click Configure
Enter your GitHub Personal Access Token
(Optional) Configure toolsets - leave default for most users:
- context - Current user and GitHub context
- repos - Repository operations
- issues - Issue management
- pull_requests - Pull request operations
- users - User information
Click Save & Enable

You can enable additional toolsets later by editing the server configuration.

Test the Connection

In your Studio chat, try this prompt:

"List my GitHub repositories"

You should see a list of your accessible repositories.Other test prompts:

“Show me open issues in [owner/repo]”
“What pull requests need my review?”
“Show my GitHub profile information”

Look for the 🔧 tool usage indicator to confirm the server is working.

Authentication: Studio uses Personal Access Tokens for secure GitHub authentication. You can revoke the token at any time from GitHub’s settings.

Available Tools

The GitHub MCP Server provides 100+ tools organized into toolsets. Below are the most commonly used tools grouped by functionality.

Repository Operations

Essential tools for managing repositories, branches, files, and commits.

search_repositories

Search for repositories using GitHub’s powerful query syntax.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
query	string	Yes	Repository search query (e.g., “machine learning stars:>1000 language:python”)
sort	string	No	Sort by stars, forks, updated, etc.
order	string	No	”asc” or “desc”
page	number	No	Page number for pagination
perPage	number	No	Results per page (max 100)

Example Usage:

"Find popular machine learning repositories in Python with over 1000 stars"

get_file_contents

Read files or directory contents from a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
path	string	No	Path to file/directory
ref	string	No	Git reference (branch, tag)

Example Usage:

"Show me the README.md from owner/repo"

create_or_update_file

Create a new file or update an existing one in a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
path	string	Yes	File path
content	string	Yes	File content
message	string	Yes	Commit message
branch	string	Yes	Branch to commit to
sha	string	No	Required for updates - file’s current SHA

Example Usage:

"Update the README.md in owner/repo to add installation instructions"

create_branch

Create a new branch from an existing branch.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
branch	string	Yes	New branch name
from_branch	string	No	Source branch (defaults to default branch)

Example Usage:

"Create a new branch called 'feature-auth' from main in owner/repo"

list_commits

List commits in a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
sha	string	No	Branch, tag, or commit SHA
author	string	No	Filter by author
page	number	No	Page number
perPage	number	No	Results per page

Example Usage:

"Show me recent commits on the main branch of owner/repo"

search_code

Search code across repositories using GitHub’s code search.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
query	string	Yes	Code search query
sort	string	No	Sort by indexed date
order	string	No	”asc” or “desc”
page	number	No	Page number
perPage	number	No	Results per page

Example Usage:

"Find all TODO comments in my repositories"

create_repository

Create a new repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
name	string	Yes	Repository name
description	string	No	Repository description
private	boolean	No	Private repository?
autoInit	boolean	No	Initialize with README
organization	string	No	Create in organization

Example Usage:

"Create a new private repository called 'my-project' with a README"

Issue Management

Tools for creating, updating, and managing GitHub issues.

list_issues

List issues in a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
state	string	No	”open”, “closed”, or “all”
labels	string[]	No	Filter by labels
orderBy	string	No	Order by field
direction	string	No	”asc” or “desc”
perPage	number	No	Results per page

Example Usage:

"Show me all open bugs in owner/repo"

issue_write

Create or update an issue.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
method	string	Yes	”create” or “update”
title	string	No	Issue title (required for create)
body	string	No	Issue description
issue_number	number	No	Issue number (required for update)
labels	string[]	No	Labels to apply
assignees	string[]	No	Users to assign
state	string	No	”open” or “closed”

Example Usage:

"Create a bug report in owner/repo about login issues with priority high label"

search_issues

Search issues and pull requests.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
query	string	Yes	Search query
owner	string	No	Limit to repository owner
repo	string	No	Limit to repository
sort	string	No	Sort field
order	string	No	”asc” or “desc”
page	number	No	Page number

Example Usage:

"Find all high-priority bugs assigned to me across all repositories"

add_issue_comment

Add a comment to an issue.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
issue_number	number	Yes	Issue number
body	string	Yes	Comment text

Example Usage:

"Add a comment to issue #123 in owner/repo with debugging steps"

Pull Request Operations

Manage pull requests, reviews, and code changes.

list_pull_requests

List pull requests in a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
state	string	No	”open”, “closed”, or “all”
head	string	No	Filter by head branch
base	string	No	Filter by base branch
sort	string	No	Sort by field
direction	string	No	”asc” or “desc”
page	number	No	Page number

Example Usage:

"Show me all open pull requests in owner/repo"

create_pull_request

Create a new pull request.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
title	string	Yes	PR title
head	string	Yes	Branch with changes
base	string	Yes	Branch to merge into
body	string	No	PR description
draft	boolean	No	Create as draft?

Example Usage:

"Create a pull request from feature-auth to main with title 'Add authentication'"

pull_request_read

Get detailed information about a pull request.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
pullNumber	number	Yes	PR number
method	string	Yes	”get”, “get_diff”, “get_status”, “get_files”, “get_reviews”, “get_comments”
page	number	No	Page number
perPage	number	No	Results per page

Example Usage:

"Show me the diff for pull request #45 in owner/repo"

merge_pull_request

Merge a pull request.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
pullNumber	number	Yes	PR number
merge_method	string	No	”merge”, “squash”, or “rebase”
commit_title	string	No	Merge commit title
commit_message	string	No	Merge commit message

Example Usage:

"Merge pull request #45 in owner/repo using squash method"

pull_request_review_write

Create or submit a pull request review.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
pullNumber	number	Yes	PR number
method	string	Yes	”create”, “submit”, “delete”
body	string	No	Review comment
event	string	No	”APPROVE”, “REQUEST_CHANGES”, “COMMENT”
commitID	string	No	Commit SHA to review

Example Usage:

"Approve pull request #45 in owner/repo with comment 'LGTM!'"

GitHub Actions

Monitor and manage GitHub Actions workflows.

list_workflows

List workflows in a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
page	number	No	Page number
perPage	number	No	Results per page

Example Usage:

"Show me all workflows in owner/repo"

list_workflow_runs

List workflow runs for a specific workflow.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
workflow_id	string	Yes	Workflow ID or filename
status	string	No	Filter by status
branch	string	No	Filter by branch
event	string	No	Filter by event type
page	number	No	Page number

Example Usage:

"Show me the latest CI workflow runs in owner/repo"

get_workflow_run

Get details of a specific workflow run.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
run_id	number	Yes	Workflow run ID

Example Usage:

"Show me the status of workflow run #12345 in owner/repo"

get_job_logs

Get logs from workflow jobs.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
job_id	number	No	Job ID (for single job)
run_id	number	No	Run ID (when using failed_only)
failed_only	boolean	No	Get logs only for failed jobs
return_content	boolean	No	Return actual logs vs URLs
tail_lines	number	No	Number of lines from end

Example Usage:

"Show me logs for failed jobs in workflow run #12345"

run_workflow

Manually trigger a workflow run.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
workflow_id	string	Yes	Workflow ID or filename
ref	string	Yes	Git ref (branch or tag)
inputs	object	No	Workflow inputs

Example Usage:

"Trigger the deploy workflow on main branch in owner/repo"

rerun_workflow_run

Re-run a workflow run.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
run_id	number	Yes	Workflow run ID

Example Usage:

"Rerun workflow #12345 in owner/repo"

Security & Code Quality

Monitor security alerts, code scanning, and Dependabot.

list_code_scanning_alerts

List code scanning alerts for a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
state	string	No	”open”, “closed”, “dismissed”
severity	string	No	Filter by severity
tool_name	string	No	Filter by tool
ref	string	No	Filter by Git ref

Example Usage:

"Show me all open high-severity code scanning alerts in owner/repo"

list_dependabot_alerts

List Dependabot alerts for dependencies.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
state	string	No	”open”, “closed”, “dismissed”
severity	string	No	Filter by severity

Example Usage:

"Show me critical Dependabot alerts in owner/repo"

list_secret_scanning_alerts

List secret scanning alerts.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
state	string	No	”open”, “closed”, “resolved”
secret_type	string	No	Filter by secret type
resolution	string	No	Filter by resolution

Example Usage:

"Show me all open secret scanning alerts in owner/repo"

list_global_security_advisories

Search global security advisories database.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
ghsaId	string	No	GitHub Security Advisory ID
cveId	string	No	CVE ID
ecosystem	string	No	Package ecosystem
severity	string	No	Advisory severity
cwes	string[]	No	CWE IDs
affects	string	No	Affected package

Example Usage:

"Find security advisories for npm packages with high severity"

Discussions

Manage GitHub Discussions for community engagement.

list_discussions

List discussions in a repository or organization.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository/org owner
repo	string	No	Repository name
category	string	No	Filter by category ID
orderBy	string	No	Order by field
direction	string	No	”asc” or “desc”
perPage	number	No	Results per page

Example Usage:

"Show me all discussions in owner/repo"

get_discussion

Get details of a specific discussion.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
discussionNumber	number	Yes	Discussion number

Example Usage:

"Show me discussion #5 in owner/repo"

get_discussion_comments

Get comments on a discussion.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
discussionNumber	number	Yes	Discussion number
perPage	number	No	Results per page
after	string	No	Cursor for pagination

Example Usage:

"Show me comments on discussion #5 in owner/repo"

Projects

Manage GitHub Projects (project boards).

list_projects

List projects for a user or organization.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	User or org name
owner_type	string	Yes	”user” or “org”
per_page	number	No	Results per page
query	string	No	Search query

Example Usage:

"Show me all projects in my organization"

get_project

Get details of a specific project.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	User or org name
owner_type	string	Yes	”user” or “org”
project_number	number	Yes	Project number

Example Usage:

"Show me project #1 details"

list_project_items

List items in a project.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	User or org name
owner_type	string	Yes	”user” or “org”
project_number	number	Yes	Project number
fields	string[]	No	Field IDs to include
query	string	No	Search query
per_page	number	No	Results per page

Example Usage:

"Show me all items in project #1"

add_project_item

Add an issue or PR to a project.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	User or org name
owner_type	string	Yes	”user” or “org”
project_number	number	Yes	Project number
item_id	number	Yes	Issue or PR ID
item_type	string	Yes	”issue” or “pull_request”

Example Usage:

"Add issue #123 to project #1"

Notifications

Manage GitHub notifications and subscriptions.

list_notifications

List notifications for the authenticated user.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	No	Filter by repository owner
repo	string	No	Filter by repository
filter	string	No	”all”, “participating”, “unread”
since	string	No	Filter by date (ISO 8601)
before	string	No	Filter by date (ISO 8601)
page	number	No	Page number

Example Usage:

"Show me my unread GitHub notifications"

mark_all_notifications_read

Mark all notifications as read.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	No	Limit to repository owner
repo	string	No	Limit to repository
lastReadAt	string	No	Timestamp (ISO 8601)

Example Usage:

"Mark all my GitHub notifications as read"

dismiss_notification

Dismiss a specific notification.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
threadID	string	Yes	Notification thread ID
state	string	No	”read” or “done”

Example Usage:

"Dismiss notification thread #12345 as done"

Gists

Create and manage GitHub Gists for code snippets.

list_gists

List gists for a user.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
username	string	No	GitHub username (omit for authenticated user)
since	string	No	Filter by date (ISO 8601)
page	number	No	Page number
perPage	number	No	Results per page

Example Usage:

"Show me all my gists"

create_gist

Create a new gist.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
filename	string	Yes	Filename for the gist
content	string	Yes	File content
description	string	No	Gist description
public	boolean	No	Public or private

Example Usage:

"Create a public gist with my API configuration example"

update_gist

Update an existing gist.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
gist_id	string	Yes	Gist ID
filename	string	Yes	Filename to update
content	string	Yes	New content
description	string	No	Updated description

Example Usage:

"Update my gist abc123 with the latest code"

Labels & Organization

Manage repository labels and organization settings.

list_label

List all labels in a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name

Example Usage:

"Show me all labels in owner/repo"

label_write

Create, update, or delete a label.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
method	string	Yes	”create”, “update”, or “delete”
name	string	Yes	Label name
color	string	No	Hex color (without #)
description	string	No	Label description
new_name	string	No	New name (for update)

Example Usage:

"Create a label called 'priority:high' with red color in owner/repo"

search_orgs

Search for organizations.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
query	string	Yes	Organization search query
sort	string	No	Sort field
order	string	No	”asc” or “desc”
page	number	No	Page number

Example Usage:

"Find organizations related to machine learning"

User & Team Operations

Manage user information and team memberships.

get_me

Get information about the authenticated user.Parameters: None requiredExample Usage:

"Show me my GitHub profile information"

search_users

Search for GitHub users.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
query	string	Yes	User search query
sort	string	No	Sort by followers, repositories, joined
order	string	No	”asc” or “desc”
page	number	No	Page number

Example Usage:

"Find users with over 100 followers in San Francisco"

get_teams

Get teams for a user.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
user	string	No	Username (omit for authenticated user)

Example Usage:

"Show me all teams I'm a member of"

get_team_members

Get members of a team.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
org	string	Yes	Organization name
team_slug	string	Yes	Team slug

Example Usage:

"Show me members of the engineering team in my-org"

Releases & Tags

Manage releases, tags, and version history.

list_releases

List releases in a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
page	number	No	Page number
perPage	number	No	Results per page

Example Usage:

"Show me all releases for owner/repo"

get_latest_release

Get the latest release.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name

Example Usage:

"What's the latest release of owner/repo?"

get_release_by_tag

Get a specific release by tag name.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
tag	string	Yes	Tag name (e.g., “v1.0.0”)

Example Usage:

"Show me details of the v2.0.0 release"

List tags in a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name
page	number	No	Page number
perPage	number	No	Results per page

Example Usage:

"List all version tags in owner/repo"

Stargazers

Manage starred repositories.

list_starred_repositories

List repositories starred by a user.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
username	string	No	GitHub username (omit for authenticated user)
sort	string	No	”created” or “updated”
direction	string	No	”asc” or “desc”
page	number	No	Page number

Example Usage:

"Show me my starred repositories"

star_repository

Star a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name

Example Usage:

"Star the owner/repo repository"

unstar_repository

Remove a star from a repository.Parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
owner	string	Yes	Repository owner
repo	string	Yes	Repository name

Example Usage:

"Unstar owner/repo"

100+ Tools Available: The tools above represent the most commonly used features. Additional tools are available for advanced workflows, file operations, commits, and more. Explore all capabilities in your Studio chat!

Example Workflows

Issue Management
Pull Request Review
Code Search & Analysis
Release Management
Repository Setup
File Operations
GitHub Actions Monitoring
Security Monitoring
Team Collaboration
Project Management

Scenario: Automate issue triage and assignmentPrompt:

"Create a bug report in my-org/my-repo about users unable to login, label it as 'bug' and 'priority:high', and assign it to @devuser"

What happens:

Creates new issue with clear title
Sets bug and priority labels
Assigns to team member
Adds description with context
Can link related issues

Follow-up prompts:

“Show me all open high-priority bugs”
“Add a comment with reproduction steps”
“Update the issue to include error logs”
“Close this issue as resolved”

Time: <2 seconds API calls: 1-2

Studio can automatically label issues based on content analysis and suggest assignees based on code ownership.

All examples use natural language prompts in Studio - no Git commands or CLI required!

Authentication

Personal Access Token (PAT) Required: This server uses GitHub Personal Access Tokens for secure authentication.

Creating Your GitHub PAT

GitHub authentication in Studio uses Personal Access Tokens, which means:

✅ Fine-grained control over permissions
✅ Can be revoked anytime from GitHub settings
✅ Supports expiration dates for security
✅ No password exposure
✅ Works with 2FA enabled

Steps to Create PAT:

GitHub Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens
Choose “Tokens (classic)” for broad compatibility
Click “Generate new token (classic)”
Name it clearly (e.g., “NimbleBrain Studio”)
Set expiration (30-90 days recommended)
Select required scopes
Generate and copy immediately

Save your PAT in a password manager - you won’t be able to see it again after creation.

Permission Scopes

GitHub has granular permissions. Choose based on your needs: Full Access (Recommended for Personal Use):

repo - Full repository access
workflow - Update GitHub Actions
admin:org - Manage organizations (if needed)
project - Manage projects
gist - Create and manage gists
notifications - Access notifications

Read-Only Access (Safer for Shared Use):

repo:status - Read commit status
repo_deployment - Read deployment status
public_repo - Access public repositories only
read:user - Read user profile
read:org - Read organization data
read:project - Read project data

Security-Focused Scopes:

security_events - View security events
read:packages - Read packages
read:gpg_key - Read GPG keys

Only grant the permissions you need. You can always create a new PAT with more permissions later.

Managing Your PAT

View and Revoke:

GitHub Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens
See all active tokens with creation dates and scopes
Click token name to view details or regenerate
Click “Revoke” to immediately invalidate

Studio Configuration:

Settings → MCP Servers → GitHub
Update token if regenerated
Test connection after updating

Security Best Practices:

Use Minimal Permissions

Grant only the scopes you need:

Start with read-only access
Add write permissions as needed
Avoid admin scopes unless necessary
Use separate tokens for different purposes

Set Expiration Dates

Tokens should expire regularly:

30-90 days for active use
7 days for testing/development
Shorter periods for higher security
Set calendar reminders to regenerate

Never Commit Tokens

Keep tokens out of version control:

Never commit .env files
Use .gitignore properly
Scan repositories for exposed tokens
Use GitHub secret scanning

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Protect your GitHub account:

Enable 2FA on your GitHub account
Use authenticator app (not SMS)
Save recovery codes securely
Many organizations require 2FA

Monitor Token Usage

Track token activity:

Review GitHub audit logs
Check for unexpected API calls
Rotate tokens if suspicious
Revoke unused tokens

Rate Limits

GitHub has rate limits to ensure API stability: Authenticated Requests (PAT):

Account Type	Rate Limit	Reset Period
Personal	5,000 req/hour	1 hour
Organization	5,000 req/hour	1 hour
GitHub Enterprise	Higher (custom)	1 hour

Rate Limit Best Practices:

Studio automatically tracks remaining quota
Warns when approaching limits
Pauses operations if limit exceeded
Resumes automatically after reset

Check Rate Limit:

"What's my current GitHub API rate limit status?"

5,000 requests per hour is generous - most Studio workflows use 10-50 requests per session. Heavy automation may need GitHub Enterprise.

Fine-Grained PATs (Alternative)

GitHub offers fine-grained PATs with repository-specific access: Advantages:

Limit access to specific repositories
More granular permissions
Better audit trails
Organization approval workflows

When to Use:

Organization-managed access
Production automation
Limited repository access needed
Enhanced security requirements

Creation:

GitHub Settings → Developer settings → Personal access tokens → Fine-grained tokens
Select specific repositories
Choose granular permissions
Set expiration and generate

Fine-grained PATs require organization approval in many enterprise setups.

Troubleshooting

Authentication Failed

Error Message:

401 Unauthorized - Bad credentials

Cause: Invalid or expired Personal Access TokenSolutions:

Verify token is copied correctly (no extra spaces)
Check if token has expired in GitHub settings
Confirm token hasn’t been revoked
Ensure required scopes are granted
Generate a new token if needed
Update token in Studio: Settings → MCP Servers → GitHub

Verification:

"Test my GitHub connection"

PATs are case-sensitive and have no spaces. Copy directly from GitHub’s token generation page.

Rate Limit Exceeded

Error Message:

403 API rate limit exceeded

Cause: Exceeded GitHub’s 5,000 requests/hour limitSolutions:

Wait for rate limit reset (shown in error message)
Check current quota: “Show my GitHub API rate limit”
Reduce number of requests in workflows
Use pagination instead of fetching all results
Cache repository data locally
Consider GitHub Enterprise for higher limits

Check Status:

"What's my GitHub API rate limit and when does it reset?"

Optimize Queries:

Use specific filters to reduce result sets
Fetch only needed fields
Combine related operations

Rate limits reset every hour. Studio shows remaining quota and reset time in server settings.

Insufficient Permissions

Error Message:

403 Forbidden - Resource not accessible

Cause: PAT doesn’t have required permission scopesSolutions:

Identify required scope from error message
Create new PAT with additional scopes
Update token in Studio configuration
For org repos, check organization permissions
Verify you’re a collaborator on private repos

Required Permissions for Common Operations:

Create issues: repo or public_repo
Create PRs: repo
Push code: repo
Manage Actions: workflow
Read security: security_events
Manage projects: project

Check Access:

"Do I have write access to owner/repo?"

Organization repositories may require additional approval from org admins for access.

Repository Not Found

Error Message:

404 Repository not found

Solutions:

Verify repository name format: “owner/repo” (not just “repo”)
Check repository spelling and capitalization
Confirm repository exists and you have access
For private repos, ensure PAT has repo scope
Check if repository was renamed or deleted
Verify organization name if applicable

List Accessible Repos:

"Show me all repositories I have access to"

Search Instead:

"Search for repositories matching 'project-name'"

Repository names are case-sensitive in API calls. Use exact capitalization.

Branch Protection Violations

Error Message:

422 Branch protection rule violation

Cause: Attempting to bypass branch protection rulesSolutions:

Create pull request instead of direct push
Ensure all required status checks pass
Get required approvals from reviewers
Resolve merge conflicts
Check branch protection rules: Settings → Branches
Request admin override if urgent (not recommended)

Common Requirements:

Minimum number of reviews (usually 1-2)
All status checks passing
No merge conflicts
Linear history
Signed commits

Check Protection:

"What are the branch protection rules for main in owner/repo?"

Branch protection is essential for team collaboration - it prevents accidental mistakes and ensures code quality.

Merge Conflicts

Error Message:

Merge conflict - manual resolution required

Cause: Conflicting changes in same files/linesSolutions:

View conflicting files: “Show merge conflicts for PR #123”
Pull latest changes to your branch
Resolve conflicts in your local editor or GitHub UI
Push resolved changes
Ask Studio to suggest conflict resolution strategy

Prevention:

Keep feature branches up to date with main
Merge main into feature branches regularly
Communicate with team about overlapping work
Use smaller, focused PRs
Pull before pushing changes

Get Help:

"Show me the conflicting files in PR #123 and suggest resolution"

Studio can suggest conflict resolutions based on code context, but complex conflicts need manual review.

File Too Large

Error Message:

413 Request Entity Too Large

Cause: File exceeds GitHub size limitsSolutions:

Use Git LFS for files >100MB
Break large files into smaller chunks
Use external storage (S3, Azure Blob) for binaries
Check repository size limits
Use GitHub Releases for distributing large files

GitHub Limits:

File size: 100MB (recommended max), 50MB (warning)
Repository size: 1GB (recommended max), 5GB (soft limit)
API response: 10MB max
Release assets: 2GB max each

Setup Git LFS:

# In local repository
git lfs install
git lfs track "*.psd"
git add .gitattributes

For large files, use GitHub Releases to upload artifacts up to 2GB each, or use Git LFS for version-controlled large files.

Workflow Trigger Failed

Error Message:

422 Workflow does not support manual triggering

Cause: Workflow doesn’t have workflow_dispatch event configuredSolutions:

Check workflow file for workflow_dispatch trigger
Add workflow_dispatch to workflow YAML
Commit updated workflow file
Try triggering again after update

Enable Manual Trigger:

# In .github/workflows/your-workflow.yml
on:
  workflow_dispatch:
    inputs:
      environment:
        description: 'Environment to deploy'
        required: true
        default: 'staging'

Check Workflows:

"Which workflows in owner/repo support manual triggering?"

Not all workflows need manual triggers. Only add workflow_dispatch to workflows you need to run on-demand.

Secondary Rate Limit

Error Message:

403 You have exceeded a secondary rate limit

Cause: Too many rapid requests to GitHub APISolutions:

Slow down request frequency
Add delays between operations
Batch operations where possible
Avoid rapid polling (use webhooks instead)
Wait for the specified retry-after period

Secondary Limits:

Max 100 concurrent requests
Max 900 points/minute (varies by endpoint)
Content creation limits (issues, PRs, comments)

Prevention:

Use pagination efficiently
Cache responses when appropriate
Implement exponential backoff
Use conditional requests (ETags)

Secondary rate limits are designed to prevent abuse. Respect retry-after headers and implement proper rate limiting.

Push Rejected

Error Message:

422 Push rejected - force push not allowed

Cause: Branch protection prevents force pushesSolutions:

Create new commits instead of rewriting history
Use pull requests for changes
Contact repository admin if force push truly needed
Create new branch if history is broken

Safe Alternatives:

Use revert commits instead of amending
Create fix commits on top of problematic commits
Use git merge instead of git rebase for shared branches

Best Practice:

"Create a revert commit for the problematic change instead of force pushing"

Force pushes can break other developers’ work. Only use when absolutely necessary and coordinate with your team.

Links & Resources

NimbleBrain Wrapper

HTTP wrapper repository for deployment

GitHub MCP Server

Official GitHub MCP server source code

GitHub API Documentation

Complete GitHub REST API reference

GitHub Status

Check GitHub service status and incidents

Learning Resources

GitHub Basics

What is GitHub?GitHub is the world’s leading platform for version control and collaboration:

Version Control: Track every change to your code
Collaboration: Work with teams around the world
Code Review: Review and discuss code before merging
Project Management: Issues, projects, milestones
CI/CD: Automate testing and deployment with GitHub Actions
Open Source: Host and contribute to open source projects

Key Concepts:

Repository (Repo): Project container with code and history
Commit: Snapshot of changes at a point in time
Branch: Parallel version of your code
Pull Request (PR): Proposed changes for review
Issue: Bug reports and feature requests
Fork: Personal copy of someone else’s repository
Star: Bookmark repositories you like

GitHub Workflows:

Create repository or fork existing
Clone to local machine
Create branch for feature
Make changes and commit
Push branch to GitHub
Open pull request
Review and discuss changes
Merge when approved

With Studio, you skip the local Git commands and work directly with GitHub through natural language!

Git vs GitHub

Git (the version control system):

Command-line tool (git)
Tracks changes in code
Works locally on your computer
Creates commit history
Manages branches
Created by Linus Torvalds in 2005

GitHub (the hosting platform):

Web-based Git repository hosting
Collaboration features (PRs, reviews)
Issue tracking and project management
CI/CD with GitHub Actions
Security features (Dependabot, code scanning)
Social features (stars, follows, profiles)
Owned by Microsoft

Analogy:

Git = Your local word processor
GitHub = Google Docs (cloud-based, collaborative)

Why Both Matter:

Git provides version control locally
GitHub provides collaboration remotely
Together they enable modern software development

Studio integrates with GitHub’s platform - no Git commands needed! Just describe what you want in natural language.

Personal Access Tokens vs OAuth

Personal Access Tokens (Used by Studio):✅ Advantages:

Direct API authentication
Fine-grained scope control
Supports all GitHub features
Works with any client
No redirect flows needed
Can set expiration dates

⚠️ Considerations:

Must be stored securely
Manual creation and management
No automatic refresh
User needs GitHub account access

OAuth (Alternative Method):✅ Advantages:

No password exposure
Automatic token management
Easy revocation
Built-in consent screens

⚠️ Considerations:

Requires OAuth app setup
More complex flow
May need redirect URLs
Less control over scopes

For NimbleBrain Studio:

PATs are recommended for simplicity
Full API feature support
Better control over permissions
Easier configuration

GitHub’s remote MCP server (hosted by GitHub) uses OAuth. NimbleBrain’s self-hosted version uses PATs for easier setup and full feature access.

Repository Visibility

Public Repositories:

✅ Visible to everyone on the internet
✅ Anyone can clone and fork
✅ Great for open source projects
✅ Unlimited free public repos
✅ Builds your profile and portfolio
⚠️ All code and history is public

Private Repositories:

✅ Only you and collaborators can access
✅ Better for proprietary code
✅ Unlimited free private repos (all plans)
✅ Unlimited collaborators (all plans)
⚠️ Doesn’t contribute to public profile

Internal Repositories (Enterprise only):

✅ Visible to all organization members
✅ Not visible to outside world
✅ Good for company-wide tools
⚠️ Requires GitHub Enterprise

Choosing Visibility:

Public: Open source, learning projects, portfolios
Private: Client work, proprietary code, experiments
Internal: Company libraries, internal tools

Changing Visibility:

Settings → Danger Zone → Change visibility
Public → Private: Anytime, free
Private → Public: Consider implications first

Making a private repository public exposes all history. Review commits for secrets before making public.

Branch Protection Best Practices

Why Branch Protection?

Prevents accidental changes to important branches
Ensures code quality through reviews
Maintains clean commit history
Enforces CI/CD checks
Reduces production incidents

Essential Rules for Main/Production:

Require Pull Requests: No direct pushes
Require Reviews: At least 1-2 approvals
Require Status Checks: All CI tests must pass
Require Up-to-Date Branches: Must be current with base
Restrict Force Pushes: Prevent history rewriting
Restrict Deletions: Prevent accidental deletion
Require Signed Commits: Verify author identity (optional)

Additional Protections:

Require linear history (no merge commits)
Dismiss stale reviews on new commits
Require review from code owners
Restrict who can push (admins only)
Include administrators in rules

When to Use:

Always: main, master, production, release branches
Usually: development, staging branches
Rarely: feature, personal branches
Never: experimental, temporary branches

Setup:

Repository Settings → Branches
Click “Add branch protection rule”
Enter branch name pattern (e.g., main)
Select protection options
Save changes

Start with basic protections (PRs + 1 review) and add more as team grows. Too many rules can slow development.

GitHub Actions Basics

What are GitHub Actions?Automated workflows triggered by GitHub events:

Run tests on pull requests
Deploy on merge to main
Publish releases
Scheduled jobs (nightly builds, cleanup)
Custom automation (notifications, labeling)

Key Concepts:

Workflow: Automated process (defined in YAML)
Job: Set of steps that run on same runner
Step: Individual task (run command, use action)
Runner: Server that runs workflows (GitHub-hosted or self-hosted)
Action: Reusable unit of code

Common Use Cases:

CI (Continuous Integration): Test every commit
CD (Continuous Deployment): Deploy to production
Code Quality: Linting, formatting, security scans
Automated Testing: Unit, integration, e2e tests
Release Management: Build, tag, publish releases
Notifications: Slack messages, emails

Example Workflow Triggers:

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 * * *'  # Daily at midnight
  workflow_dispatch:  # Manual trigger

Free Tier (Public Repos):

Unlimited minutes
Linux, Windows, macOS runners
Matrix builds
Concurrent workflows

Free Tier (Private Repos):

2,000 minutes/month
Resets monthly
Additional minutes can be purchased

Studio can monitor and trigger workflows - no YAML editing or workflow files needed for basic operations!

Code Review Best Practices

Why Code Review?

Catch bugs before production
Share knowledge across team
Maintain code quality standards
Mentor junior developers
Enforce best practices

Creating Good Pull Requests:

Small & Focused: One feature or fix per PR
Clear Title: Describe what changes
Good Description: Explain why changes made
Add Tests: Prove changes work
Update Docs: Keep documentation current
Link Issues: Reference related issues
Add Screenshots: For UI changes

Reviewing Pull Requests:

Read Description: Understand the goal
Check Tests: Ensure proper coverage
Look for Bugs: Edge cases, error handling
Check Style: Follows team conventions
Consider Design: Is it the right approach?
Be Constructive: Suggest improvements nicely
Approve Fast: Don’t block unnecessarily

Review Types:

Approve: Changes look good, ready to merge
Request Changes: Issues that must be fixed
Comment: Suggestions, questions, discussion

Studio Capabilities:

"Review PR #123 and suggest improvements to error handling"
"Summarize the changes in PR #123 for me"
"Check if PR #123 has adequate test coverage"
"Approve PR #123 with comment about good documentation"

Good code reviews are timely, kind, and focus on improving the code, not criticizing the author.

Issue Labels & Organization

Why Use Labels?

Categorize issues and PRs
Track priority and status
Filter and search effectively
Automate workflows
Generate metrics and reports

Common Label Schemes:By Type:

bug - Something isn’t working
feature - New functionality request
enhancement - Improvement to existing feature
documentation - Documentation updates
question - Need clarification

By Priority:

priority:critical - Needs immediate attention
priority:high - Important, address soon
priority:medium - Normal priority
priority:low - Nice to have

By Status:

in-progress - Currently being worked on
blocked - Waiting on something
needs-review - Ready for review
needs-triage - Needs initial review

By Effort:

effort:small - <1 day
effort:medium - 1-3 days
effort:large - >3 days

By Team/Area:

frontend - UI/UX changes
backend - Server-side changes
devops - Infrastructure
security - Security-related

Creating Effective Labels:

Use consistent naming (lowercase, hyphens)
Use colors meaningfully (red=critical, green=feature)
Don’t create too many (20-30 is plenty)
Document label meanings
Use emoji for visual distinction

Studio Can Help:

"Label issue #123 as high priority bug"
"Show me all high-priority frontend bugs"
"Create labels for our sprint workflow"
"Find issues without labels"

Good labeling makes issues searchable and helps team members quickly understand what needs attention.

Need help? Join the NimbleBrain Discord or email [email protected]

Get Started

Core Features

Developer Tools

​Overview

What it does

Use Cases

​Quick Start

​Available Tools

​search_repositories

​get_file_contents

​create_or_update_file

​create_branch

​list_commits

​search_code

​create_repository

​list_issues

​issue_write

​search_issues

​add_issue_comment

​list_pull_requests

​create_pull_request

​pull_request_read

​merge_pull_request

​pull_request_review_write

​list_workflows

​list_workflow_runs

​get_workflow_run

​get_job_logs

​run_workflow

​rerun_workflow_run

​list_code_scanning_alerts

​list_dependabot_alerts

​list_secret_scanning_alerts

​list_global_security_advisories

​list_discussions

​get_discussion

​get_discussion_comments

​list_projects

​get_project

​list_project_items

​add_project_item

​list_notifications

​mark_all_notifications_read

​dismiss_notification

​list_gists

​create_gist

​update_gist

​list_label

​label_write

​search_orgs

​get_me

​search_users

​get_teams

​get_team_members

​list_releases

​get_latest_release

​get_release_by_tag

​list_tags

​list_starred_repositories

​star_repository

​unstar_repository

​Example Workflows

​Authentication

​Creating Your GitHub PAT

​Permission Scopes

​Managing Your PAT

​Rate Limits

​Fine-Grained PATs (Alternative)

​Troubleshooting

​Links & Resources

NimbleBrain Wrapper

GitHub MCP Server

GitHub API Documentation

GitHub Status

​Learning Resources

Overview

Quick Start

Available Tools

search_repositories

get_file_contents

create_or_update_file

create_branch

list_commits

search_code

create_repository

list_issues

issue_write

search_issues

add_issue_comment

list_pull_requests

create_pull_request

pull_request_read

merge_pull_request

pull_request_review_write

list_workflows

list_workflow_runs

get_workflow_run

get_job_logs

run_workflow

rerun_workflow_run

list_code_scanning_alerts

list_dependabot_alerts

list_secret_scanning_alerts

list_global_security_advisories

list_discussions

get_discussion

get_discussion_comments

list_projects

get_project

list_project_items

add_project_item

list_notifications

mark_all_notifications_read

dismiss_notification

list_gists

create_gist

update_gist

list_label

label_write

search_orgs

get_me

search_users

get_teams

get_team_members

list_releases

get_latest_release

get_release_by_tag

list_tags

list_starred_repositories

star_repository

unstar_repository

Example Workflows

Authentication

Creating Your GitHub PAT

Permission Scopes

Managing Your PAT

Rate Limits

Fine-Grained PATs (Alternative)

Troubleshooting

Links & Resources

Learning Resources