How to integrate Gitlab MCP with ChatGPT

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How to integrate Gitlab MCP with ChatGPT

ChatGPT is one of the most popular AI tools today, with capabilities ranging from deep research and image generation to writing, coding, and everyday productivity.

In this guide, I will explain the easiest and most secure way to connect your Gitlab account to ChatGPT via Composio Connect, so it can summarize unread updates from this morning, create draft replies to urgent messages, fetch contact details for recent senders, and more without ever putting your account credentials at risk.

Also integrate Gitlab with

Why use Composio over default connectors?

  • Apps with read and write access. Default connectors mostly can read your data. Composio's Gitlab integration lets ChatGPT take actions like creating drafts, sending updates, labeling records, and more.
  • 1,000+ SaaS toolkits out of the box. Composio gives you instant access to a vast catalog of pre-built connectors, from Gmail and Slack to Notion, Linear, and Salesforce.
  • One MCP server for every app. Connect any of your applications on demand through a single endpoint, rather than juggling a separate server for each app.
  • Smart, context-aware tool loading. Unlike traditional MCP servers that dump every available tool into the LLM context window, Composio searches for and loads only the tools relevant to the task at hand.
  • Cross-app automation. Chain actions across multiple apps in a single run - fetch a thread, summarize it in Notion, and post highlights to Slack without leaving the conversation.

Prerequisites

  • A ChatGPT account with Plus subscription or higher (Business, Enterprise, Edu, or Pro). We will use ChatGPT Web.
  • Access to the Gitlab workspace you want to connect.
  • Composio MCP.

Note: Composio connects through OAuth. You will be asked to sign in and approve specific permissions. Review the permission screen carefully if you are using a work account.

Step-by-step: Connect Gitlab to ChatGPT

1. Enable Developer Mode

In ChatGPT, go to Settings > Apps > Advanced settings and turn on Developer Mode.

ChatGPT settings showing Developer Mode toggle

2. Add the MCP server

Click Create app, then paste the Composio MCP server URL:

bash
https://connect.composio.dev/mcp
ChatGPT create app flow with Composio MCP URL

3. Authorize in your browser

A browser window will open automatically. Sign in to authorize ChatGPT to access your Composio account.

Composio authorization screen for ChatGPT MCP setup

4. Start using Composio

Composio tools are now available in ChatGPT chats and Deep Research. In every new chat, click the + icon at the bottom, click More, and select Composio to enable tools for that conversation.

What you can do after connecting Gitlab

  • Create new GitLab group for QA team
  • Open bug issue in frontend project
  • Create branch from latest main commit
  • Archive completed API migration project

Security + privacy notes (important)

  • Use least-privilege access: Only grant permissions you actually need.
  • Review OAuth permissions before approving: Make sure requested scopes match what you expect Composio and ChatGPT to do.
  • Keep write actions human-reviewed: For actions like sending messages, creating labels, or editing drafts, keep manual confirmation enabled.
  • Be careful with sensitive data: Avoid using this setup with highly sensitive information unless allowed by your personal, company, or client policies.

Supported Tools & Triggers

Tools
Archive ProjectTool to archive a project.
Create GitLab GroupTool to create a new group in gitlab.
Create ProjectTool to create a new project in gitlab.
Create Project IssueTool to create a new issue in a gitlab project.
Create Repository BranchTool to create a new branch in a project.
Delete ProjectTool to delete a gitlab project by its id.
Download Project AvatarTool to download a project’s avatar image.
Erase JobTool to erase the content of a specified job within a project.
Get Commit ReferencesTool to get all references (branches or tags) a commit is pushed to.
Get Commit SequenceTool to get the sequence number of a commit in a project by following parent links from the given commit.
Get Group DetailsTool to retrieve information about a specific group by its id.
Get Group MemberTool to retrieve details for a specific group member.
Get GroupsGet groups
Get Job DetailsTool to retrieve details of a single job by its id within a specified project.
Get Merge Request NotesTool to fetch comments on a merge request.
Get ProjectTool to get a single project by id or url-encoded path.
Get Project LanguagesTool to list programming languages used in a project with percentages.
Get Project MemberTool to retrieve details for a specific project member.
Get Project Member AllTool to retrieve details for a specific project member (including inherited and invited members).
Get Merge Request CommitsTool to get commits of a merge request.
Get Project Merge RequestsTool to retrieve a list of merge requests for a specific project.
Get ProjectsTool to list all projects accessible to the authenticated user.
List Merge Request DiffsTool to list all diff versions of a merge request.
Get Repository BranchTool to retrieve information about a specific branch in a project.
Get Repository BranchesRetrieves a list of repository branches for a project.
Get Single CommitTool to get a specific commit identified by the commit hash or name of a branch or tag.
Get Single PipelineTool to retrieve details of a single pipeline by its id within a specified project.
Get UserTool to retrieve information about a specific user by their id.
Get User PreferencesTool to get the current user's preferences.
Get UsersTool to retrieve a list of users from gitlab.
Get User StatusTool to get a user's status by id.
Get User StatusTool to get the current user's status.
Get User Support PINTool to get details of the current user's support pin.
Import project membersTool to import members from one project to another.
List All Group MembersTool to list all members of a group including direct, inherited, and invited members.
List All Project MembersTool to list all members of a project (direct, inherited, invited).
List Billable Group MembersTool to list billable members of a top-level group (including its subgroups and projects).
List Group MembersTool to list direct members of a group.
List Pending Group MembersTool to list pending members of a group and its subgroups and projects.
List Pipeline JobsTool to retrieve a list of jobs for a specified pipeline within a project.
List Project GroupsTool to list ancestor groups of a project.
List Project Invited GroupsTool to list groups invited to a project.
List Project PipelinesTool to retrieve a list of pipelines for a specified project.
List Project Shareable GroupsTool to list groups that can be shared with a project.
List Project Repository TagsTool to retrieve a list of repository tags for a specified project.
List Project Transfer LocationsTool to list namespaces available for project transfer.
List project usersTool to list users of a project.
List Repository CommitsTool to get a list of repository commits in a project.
List User ProjectsTool to list projects owned by a specific user.
Create Support PINTool to create a support pin for your authenticated user.
Update User PreferencesTool to update the current user's preferences.
Set User StatusTool to set the current user's status.
Share Project With GroupTool to share a project with a group.
Start Housekeeping TaskTool to start the housekeeping task for a project.

How to build Gitlab MCP Agent with another framework

FAQ

What are the differences in Tool Router MCP and Gitlab MCP?

With a standalone Gitlab MCP server, the agents and LLMs can only access a fixed set of Gitlab tools tied to that server. However, with the Composio Tool Router, agents can dynamically load tools from Gitlab and many other apps based on the task at hand, all through a single MCP endpoint.

Can I use Tool Router MCP with ChatGPT?

Yes, you can. ChatGPT fully supports MCP integration. You get structured tool calling, message history handling, and model orchestration while Tool Router takes care of discovering and serving the right Gitlab tools.

Can I manage the permissions and scopes for Gitlab while using Tool Router?

Yes, absolutely. You can configure which Gitlab scopes and actions are allowed when connecting your account to Composio. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials or API configuration so you keep full control over what the agent can do.

How safe is my data with Composio Tool Router?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Gitlab data and credentials are handled as safely as possible.

Used by agents from

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Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai
Context
Letta
glean
HubSpot
Agent.ai
Altera
DataStax
Entelligence
Rolai

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