GitHub Workflow Debugger MCP server

This MCP server helps diagnose and fix GitHub Actions workflow failures by analyzing runs, identifying common issues, and suggesting solutions through a structured decision tree interface. It leverages the GitHub API to fetch and update workflow information.

Installation

Installing via Smithery

The easiest way to install the GitHub Workflow Debugger MCP for Claude Desktop is via Smithery:

npx -y @smithery/cli install @Maxteabag/githubworkflowmcp --client claude

Manual Installation

Alternatively, you can install the tool manually:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/github-workflow-debugger-mcp.git
cd github-workflow-debugger-mcp

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the project
npm run build

# Link the binary for local use
npm link

Usage

Required Permissions

To use this tool, you'll need a GitHub Personal Access Token (PAT) with these permissions:

• repo - Full control of private repositories
• workflow - Update GitHub Action workflows

Set this token as an environment variable named GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN.

Configuration

Configure the tool with an MCP-compatible client as follows:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
      ],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<YOUR_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Replace <YOUR_TOKEN> with your GitHub Personal Access Token.

Available Tools

The MCP server provides these tools:

• get-failed-workflow-runs - Fetches recent failed workflow runs for a repository
• get-workflow-run-jobs - Gets jobs for a specific workflow run
• get-workflow-file - Retrieves the content of a workflow file
• update-workflow-file - Updates a workflow file with fixes
• analyze-workflow-failure - Analyzes a failed workflow run and suggests fixes

Example Usage

Here's how to use the GitHub Workflow Debugger MCP with an AI assistant:

1. Get recent failed workflow runs:

   I need to check recent failed workflow runs for my repository "username/repo".
   

2. Analyze a specific failed run:

   Can you analyze workflow run #123456 and suggest fixes?
   

3. View the workflow file:

   Show me the content of the workflow file at .github/workflows/main.yml
   

4. Update the workflow file with fixes:

   Update the workflow file with the suggested fixes.
   

How to install this MCP server

For Claude Code

To add this MCP server to Claude Code, run this command in your terminal:

claude mcp add-json "github" '{"command":"npx","args":["-y","@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],"env":{"GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN":"<YOUR_TOKEN>"}}'

See the official Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.

For Cursor

There are two ways to add an MCP server to Cursor. The most common way is to add the server globally in the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file so that it is available in all of your projects.

If you only need the server in a single project, you can add it to the project instead by creating or adding it to the .cursor/mcp.json file.

Adding an MCP server to Cursor globally

To add a global MCP server go to Cursor Settings > Tools & Integrations and click "New MCP Server".

When you click that button the ~/.cursor/mcp.json file will be opened and you can add your server like this:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
            ],
            "env": {
                "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<YOUR_TOKEN>"
            }
        }
    }
}

Adding an MCP server to a project

To add an MCP server to a project you can create a new .cursor/mcp.json file or add it to the existing one. This will look exactly the same as the global MCP server example above.

How to use the MCP server

Once the server is installed, you might need to head back to Settings > MCP and click the refresh button.

The Cursor agent will then be able to see the available tools the added MCP server has available and will call them when it needs to.

You can also explicitly ask the agent to use the tool by mentioning the tool name and describing what the function does.

For Claude Desktop

To add this MCP server to Claude Desktop:

1. Find your configuration file:

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
• Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
• Linux: ~/.config/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

2. Add this to your configuration file:

{
    "mcpServers": {
        "github": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"
            ],
            "env": {
                "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "<YOUR_TOKEN>"
            }
        }
    }
}

3. Restart Claude Desktop for the changes to take effect