[mcp-tools-report] GitHub MCP Remote Server Tools Report — 2026-05-31 (56 tools, +search_commits)

[github-actions[bot]]

Generated: 2026-05-31 · MCP Mode: Remote · Toolsets: All · Previous Report: 2026-05-24

Executive Summary

The GitHub MCP remote server exposes 56 read tools across 20 toolset categories in this read-only session — one more than the previous report. The sole change since 2026-05-24 is the new search_commits tool, which was also missing from the gh-aw JSON mapping. A companion [mcp-tools] PR adds it to the search toolset; everything else matches.

• Total read tools: 56 · Toolset categories: 20
• New / Removed / Unchanged: 1 (search_commits) / 0 / 55
• Mapping: github_toolsets_permissions.json · Instructions: .github/aw/github-mcp-server.md

Read-only scope: this session sees only read tools. Write tools (issue_write, create_pull_request, label_write, projects_write, star_repository, ...) exist in the server and the JSON mapping but are not exposed here, so discrepancy detection covers the read surface only.

Inconsistency Detection

• Duplicates / Orphans / Naming issues: none. Every tool maps to exactly one toolset and follows verb_noun conventions.
• Convention note: github-mcp-server spreads search_* across repos/issues/users/orgs/pull_requests, while gh-aw groups most under a synthetic search toolset (search_issues→issues, search_pull_requests→pull_requests). Intentional and internally consistent.

✅ Aside from the now-fixed search_commits gap, all tools are properly categorized.

JSON Mapping Comparison

Metric	Count
Total discrepancies	1
Missing (JSON-only)	0
Extra (MCP read tool absent from JSON)	1 (search_commits)
Moved	0

Action: Created a [mcp-tools] PR adding search_commits to the search toolset. The tool is registered upstream under the Repository-tools group of pkg/github/tools.go (SearchCommits), defined in pkg/github/search.go.

Changes Since Last Report

✨ Added: search_commits (search) — search default-branch commit messages; supports repo:/org:/author:/committer:/date qualifiers.
🗑️ Removed: none. 🔄 Moved: none.

Tools by Toolset

All 56 read tools (20 toolsets) — click to expand

Toolset	#	Source (github-mcp-server)	Tools
repos	10	repositories.go	get_commit, get_file_contents, get_latest_release, get_release_by_tag, get_tag, list_branches, list_commits, list_releases, list_repository_collaborators, list_tags
git	1	repositories.go	get_repository_tree
issues	3	issues.go	issue_read, list_issue_types, list_issues
issues_search	1	search.go	search_issues
labels	2	labels.go	get_label, list_label
pull_requests	2	pullrequests.go	list_pull_requests, pull_request_read
search	8	search.go	search_code, search_commits ✨, search_orgs, search_pull_requests, search_repositories, search_users, semantic_issue_similarity_search, semantic_issues_search
actions	3	actions.go	actions_get, actions_list, get_job_logs
code_security	2	code_scanning.go	get_code_scanning_alert, list_code_scanning_alerts
secret_protection	3	secret_scanning.go	get_secret_scanning_alert, list_secret_scanning_alerts, run_secret_scanning
dependabot	2	dependabot.go	get_dependabot_alert, list_dependabot_alerts
security_advisories	4	security_advisories.go	check_dependency_vulnerabilities, get_global_security_advisory, list_global_security_advisories, list_repository_security_advisories
discussions	4	discussions.go	get_discussion, get_discussion_comments, list_discussion_categories, list_discussions
gists	2	gists.go	get_gist, list_gists
notifications	2	notifications.go	get_notification_details, list_notifications
projects	2	projects.go (PAT required)	projects_get, projects_list
orgs	1	security_advisories.go	list_org_repository_security_advisories
stargazers	1	repositories.go	list_starred_repositories
copilot_spaces	2	remote-only (tools.go)	get_copilot_space, list_copilot_spaces
github_support_docs_search	1	remote-only (tools.go)	github_support_docs_search

Source paths are under https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server/blob/main/pkg/github/.

context (get_me, get_teams, get_team_members) and users declared no tools in this read-only session (only search_users, grouped under search), so they are absent above but remain in the JSON mapping.

Recommended Default Toolsets

Defaults: context, repos, issues, pull_requests, users — the highest-frequency, lowest-risk operations, matching github-mcp-server's own Default: true toolsets and minimizing security exposure.

Enable explicitly when needed:

• actions — workflow run/log triage.
• code_security, secret_protection, dependabot, security_advisories — security audits.
• discussions, gists, notifications, labels, stargazers — community/maintenance.
• projects — requires a PAT (not GITHUB_TOKEN).
• search / issues_search — cross-repo discovery (search_commits lives here).
• copilot_spaces, github_support_docs_search — remote-only docs/support.

Configuration Reference

tools:
  github:
    mode: "remote"   # or "local"
    toolsets: [all]  # or e.g. [repos, issues, pull_requests]

Notes & Methodology

• The single delta (search_commits) shows a stable upstream surface; the gh-aw mapping drift was caught and corrected in the same run.
• gh-aw's synthetic search toolset means future upstream search_* additions will keep surfacing as search gaps — worth a periodic reconciliation.
• Write tools can't be validated read-only; full reconciliation needs a write-enabled session.
• Method: self-inspection of exposed remote tools; diff vs cached 2026-05-24 inventory (1 added, 0 removed, 55 unchanged); tool→toolset placement cross-checked against github-mcp-server tools.go.

References: §26713079451

Generated by 📊 GitHub MCP Remote Server Tools Report Generator · opus48 2.1M · ◷

• expires on Jun 3, 2026, 12:59 PM UTC