GitHub

Developer ToolsPublisher: GitHub

Route GitHub MCP traffic through Formal to control and log what AI agents do in GitHub:

Block risky tools, such as create_or_update_file.
Mask sensitive data in tool results, such as emails in list_commits responses.
Keep credentials at the Connector, so users and agents never see GitHub tokens.
Log every tool call with the user, the MCP client and its parameters.

0. Prepare your Connector

The Connector needs an MCP listener and a hostname with wildcard DNS and TLS. Set them up once by following Deploy the Connector. Every MCP server reuses them.

1. Add GitHub MCP server to your Resources

UI
Terraform
Pulumi
API

Open the Admin Catalog and click Add MCP.
Select the GitHub template.
Enter a DNS-label Name, such as github.
Choose the Space containing your Connector, such as default.
Configure upstream authentication as described below, then save.

If no Connector is in the selected Space, the Configuration tab shows MCP clients can’t connect directly yet. The reason reads: No Connector is in this server's Space.

Set space_id to the ID of the Space containing your Connector.

resource "formal_resource" "github" {
  name                    = "github"
  technology              = "mcp"
  hostname                = "api.githubcopilot.com"
  space_id                = "<SPACE_ID>"
  native_users_v3_enabled = true
  port                    = 443
  tags = {
    "mcp-endpoint" = "/mcp/"
  }
}

resource "formal_resource_oauth_settings" "github" {
  resource_id = formal_resource.github.id
}

Set spaceId to the ID of the Space containing your Connector.

import * as formal from "@formalco/pulumi";

const resource = new formal.Resource("mcp", {
  name: "github",
  technology: "mcp",
  hostname: "api.githubcopilot.com",
  port: 443,
  spaceId: "<SPACE_ID>",
  tags: { "mcp-endpoint": "/mcp/" },
  nativeUsersV3Enabled: true,
});

new formal.ResourceOauthSettings("mcpOAuth", {
  resourceId: resource.id,
});

Create a Resource with the MCP endpoint and its Space ID.

export FORMAL_API_KEY="<YOUR_API_KEY>"
RESOURCE_RESPONSE=$(curl --fail --silent --show-error \
  --request POST \
  https://api.formal.ai/core.v1.ResourceService/CreateResource \
  --header "x-api-key: ${FORMAL_API_KEY}" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data-binary @- <<JSON
  {
    "name": "github",
    "hostname": "api.githubcopilot.com",
    "port": 443,
    "technology": "mcp",
    "spaceId": "<SPACE_ID>",
    "tags": [
      {
        "key": "mcp-endpoint",
        "value": "/mcp/"
      }
    ]
  }
JSON
)
RESOURCE_ID=$(printf '%s' "${RESOURCE_RESPONSE}" | jq -r '.resource.id')
curl --fail --silent --show-error \
  --request POST \
  https://api.formal.ai/core.v1.ResourceService/CreateResourceOAuthSettings \
  --header "x-api-key: ${FORMAL_API_KEY}" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data-binary @- <<JSON
  {
    "resourceId": "${RESOURCE_ID}"
  }
JSON

2. Setup Authentication

Linked Accounts (Recommended)
Shared Credentials
Pass Through

Each user links their own GitHub account once in the Employee Catalog, and the Connector sends that user’s token to GitHub.

Linked Accounts selected under How does Formal authenticate to this resource?

Under OAuth app, choose one of the two options.

1. Formal’s App (default)

Formal has a registered OAuth app with GitHub, so you register nothing. Users see Formal on GitHub’s consent screen.

2. Your OAuth App

Users see your app’s name on GitHub’s consent screen.

Set up your own GitHub OAuth app

See GitHub OAuth documentation and register an app.

Go to Settings > Developer settings > OAuth apps and click New OAuth App.

Describe the app

Enter an Application name and a Homepage URL. Use an organization’s Developer settings for an org-owned app.

Add the redirect URI

Paste Formal’s Redirect URI into Authorization callback URL, then click Register application.

Review scopes

OAuth apps have no scope settings. Scopes like repo and read:org are requested at sign-in.

Copy the credentials

Copy the Client ID. Click Generate a new client secret and copy the Client secret.

Enter the app in Formal

UI
Terraform
Pulumi
API

Back in the Admin Catalog, enter the Client ID and Client secret, then save. Users then link their accounts on the GitHub server’s page in the Employee Catalog.

Your OAuth App selected in the Admin Catalog, with the Redirect URI, Client ID and Client secret fields

Use these OAuth settings instead of the ones from step 1.

variable "github_oauth_client_secret" {
  type      = string
  sensitive = true
}

resource "formal_resource_oauth_settings" "github" {
  resource_id              = formal_resource.github.id
  upstream_oauth_mode      = "pre_registered"
  client_id                = "<YOUR_CLIENT_ID>"
  client_secret_wo         = var.github_oauth_client_secret
  client_secret_wo_version = 1
}

Use these OAuth settings instead of the ones from step 1. Store the secret with pulumi config set --secret githubOauthClientSecret.

import * as pulumi from "@pulumi/pulumi";

const config = new pulumi.Config();

new formal.ResourceOauthSettings("mcpOAuth", {
  resourceId: resource.id,
  upstreamOauthMode: "pre_registered",
  clientId: "<YOUR_CLIENT_ID>",
  clientSecret: config.requireSecret("githubOauthClientSecret"),
});

Use this call instead of the CreateResourceOAuthSettings call from step 1. The OAuth app is fixed at creation.

curl --fail --silent --show-error \
  --request POST \
  https://api.formal.ai/core.v1.ResourceService/CreateResourceOAuthSettings \
  --header "x-api-key: ${FORMAL_API_KEY}" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data-binary @- <<JSON
  {
    "resourceId": "${RESOURCE_ID}",
    "upstreamOauthMode": "pre_registered",
    "clientId": "<YOUR_CLIENT_ID>",
    "clientSecret": "<YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET>"
  }
JSON

Switching between Formal’s App and your OAuth app unlinks every account. Users must link again.

An administrator stores one GitHub token in Formal, and the Connector sends it on every user’s requests without showing it to them.

Shared Credentials selected under How does Formal authenticate to this resource?

GitHub’s MCP endpoint accepts a personal access token as a Bearer token. Create one at github.com/settings/personal-access-tokens/new. Grant only the repositories and permissions the agents need; use read-only permissions for read-only use.

Open this server from the Admin Catalog.
Select Configuration, then Authentication.
Choose Shared Credentials, then select Add credential.
Enter the credential, make it the default, and select Save authentication.

See Native Users.For HTTP Bearer authentication, enter the raw token. The Connector adds the Bearer prefix.In the Terraform tab, set native_users_v3_enabled = true on the Resource and upstream_oauth_mode = "none" on its OAuth settings.

variable "mcp_shared_credential" {
  type      = string
  sensitive = true
}

resource "formal_native_user_v3" "mcp_shared_credential" {
  resource_id = formal_resource.github.id
  label       = "shared-credential"

  http_bearer {
    header = "Authorization"
    token {
      literal_wo         = var.mcp_shared_credential
      literal_wo_version = 1
    }
  }
}

resource "formal_resource_native_user_selection" "mcp_shared_credential" {
  resource_id = formal_resource.github.id
  cel         = "\"${formal_native_user_v3.mcp_shared_credential.id}\""
}

3. Route Endpoint traffic

Auth is managed at the Connector level when you use Linked Accounts or Shared Credentials, so the Endpoint needs to forward the MCP traffic to it. Laptops and VMs with the Formal Endpoint keep using https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/, and a network rule sends that traffic to the Connector.

UI
Terraform
Pulumi
API

Go to Network Rules and create a rule named github-mcp.
Paste this expression, set the rule to Active, then save:

{
  "condition": {
    "pre_tcp": process.is_agent,
    // Every MCP server added to Formal: process.is_agent && resource.technology == "mcp"
    "pre_tls": process.is_agent && hostname == "api.githubcopilot.com",
    "post_tls": true
  },
  "outputs": {
    "forward_to_connector": true
  }
}

resource "formal_network_rule" "github_mcp" {
  name        = "github-mcp"
  description = "Forward GitHub MCP traffic from agents to the Connector"
  status      = "active"

  # Every MCP server added to Formal: set pre_tls to process.is_agent && resource.technology == "mcp"
  cel_expression = <<-EOT
    {
      "condition": {
        "pre_tcp": process.is_agent,
        "pre_tls": process.is_agent && hostname == "api.githubcopilot.com",
        "post_tls": true
      },
      "outputs": {
        "forward_to_connector": true
      }
    }
  EOT
}

import * as formal from "@formalco/pulumi";

new formal.NetworkRule("githubMcp", {
  name: "github-mcp",
  description: "Forward GitHub MCP traffic from agents to the Connector",
  status: "active",
  // Every MCP server added to Formal: set pre_tls to process.is_agent && resource.technology == "mcp"
  celExpression: `
    {
      "condition": {
        "pre_tcp": process.is_agent,
        "pre_tls": process.is_agent && hostname == "api.githubcopilot.com",
        "post_tls": true
      },
      "outputs": {
        "forward_to_connector": true
      }
    }
  `,
});

export FORMAL_API_KEY="<YOUR_API_KEY>"
# Every MCP server added to Formal: set pre_tls to process.is_agent && resource.technology == "mcp"
CEL_EXPRESSION=$(cat <<'CEL'
{
  "condition": {
    "pre_tcp": process.is_agent,
    "pre_tls": process.is_agent && hostname == "api.githubcopilot.com",
    "post_tls": true
  },
  "outputs": {
    "forward_to_connector": true
  }
}
CEL
)
jq -n --arg cel "${CEL_EXPRESSION}" '{
  name: "github-mcp",
  description: "Forward GitHub MCP traffic from agents to the Connector",
  status: "active",
  celExpression: $cel
}' | curl --fail --silent --show-error \
  --request POST \
  https://api.formal.ai/core.v1.DesktopService/CreateDesktopRoutingRule \
  --header "x-api-key: ${FORMAL_API_KEY}" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data-binary @-

The rule matches known agents only. See Identity headers.Cloud agents such as Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor Cloud Agents don’t run the Endpoint. Point them at this server’s Connector address, https://github.<connector-hostname>/mcp. Find it in the Admin Catalog: open GitHub, then copy Connector address on the Configuration tab.

4. Create policies

Tools

The Admin Catalog lists these tools for GitHub:

Tool	Description
`search_code`	Search code across accessible repositories.
`search_repositories`	Search GitHub repositories.
`search_issues`	Search issues and pull requests.
`get_file_contents`	Read a file or directory from a repository.
`create_or_update_file`	Create or update a repository file.
`push_files`	Commit multiple files to a repository.
`create_repository`	Create a GitHub repository.
`fork_repository`	Fork a repository.
`create_branch`	Create a branch from a repository ref.
`list_commits`	List commits for a branch or repository.
`get_commit`	Retrieve a commit and its changed files.
`list_issues`	List repository issues.
`get_issue`	Retrieve an issue.
`create_issue`	Create an issue.
`update_issue`	Update an issue.
`add_issue_comment`	Add a comment to an issue or pull request.
`list_pull_requests`	List repository pull requests.
`get_pull_request`	Retrieve pull request details.
`create_pull_request`	Create a pull request.
`update_pull_request`	Update a pull request.
`merge_pull_request`	Merge a pull request.
`get_pull_request_files`	List files changed by a pull request.
`get_pull_request_status`	Retrieve combined status checks for a pull request.
`get_pull_request_comments`	List review comments on a pull request.
`create_pull_request_review`	Submit a pull request review.

Policies examples

Block a tool
Mask a tool's output

This policy blocks the tools that change data, so agents can only read GitHub.

package formal.v2

import future.keywords.if
import future.keywords.in

write_tools := {
  "create_or_update_file",
  "push_files",
  "create_repository",
  "fork_repository",
  "create_branch",
  "create_issue",
  "update_issue",
  "add_issue_comment",
  "create_pull_request",
  "update_pull_request",
  "merge_pull_request",
  "create_pull_request_review",
}

request := {
  "action": "block",
  "type": "block_with_custom_message",
  "message": "Writing to GitHub is not allowed.",
} if {
  input.resource.name == "github"
  input.mcp.method == "tools/call"
  input.mcp.tool_name in write_tools
}

This policy replaces email addresses in results returned by list_commits and get_commit.

package formal.v2

import future.keywords.if
import future.keywords.in

email_pattern := `[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\.[A-Za-z]{2,}`

response := {
  "action": "rewrite",
  "body": regex.replace(input.http.body, email_pattern, "[REDACTED-EMAIL]"),
  "reason": "Mask emails in GitHub results",
} if {
  input.resource.name == "github"
  input.mcp.tool_name in {"list_commits", "get_commit"}
  regex.match(email_pattern, input.http.body)
}

See MCP resources for the input.mcp fields and Rewrite Action for body rewrites.

5. Check the logs

Open Logs and search for resource.name:github. Each GitHub tool call is one request log with the user, the MCP client and the tool. Open a log to see its tool parameters and the policies it triggered. A blocked write shows the block policy and its message. A masked search shows the rewrite policy.See Logs for search syntax and filters.

Troubleshooting

The agent says GitHub rejected your credentials

The agent relays: github rejected your credentials. Link or re-link your github account in Formal…Cause: GitHub no longer accepts the linked token, for example after the user revoked access in GitHub.Fix: Link GitHub again from the Employee Catalog.With Shared Credentials, the message asks the user to contact an administrator. Replace the token in the server’s Shared Credentials.

Laptop traffic doesn't appear in Logs

Cause: The Endpoint isn’t running, or the network rule doesn’t match the client.Fix: Check the Endpoint is connected. The rule above only matches known agents. Other clients, such as a browser, reach GitHub directly unless the rule also matches them. See Network rules.

MCP clients can't connect directly yet

Cause: The Configuration tab lists the reason, most often No Connector is in this server's Space.Fix: Edit the server and choose the Space containing its Connector.

Getting Started

Example Use Cases

AI Governance

Configuring Formal

Integrations

Configuration

0. Prepare your Connector

1. Add GitHub MCP server to your Resources

2. Setup Authentication

1. Formal’s App (default)

2. Your OAuth App

3. Route Endpoint traffic

4. Create policies

Tools

Policies examples

5. Check the logs

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

MCP Gateway

All MCP servers

​0. Prepare your Connector

​1. Add GitHub MCP server to your Resources

​2. Setup Authentication

​1. Formal’s App (default)

​2. Your OAuth App

​3. Route Endpoint traffic

​4. Create policies

​Tools

​Policies examples

​5. Check the logs

​Troubleshooting

​Next Steps

MCP Gateway

All MCP servers

0. Prepare your Connector

1. Add GitHub MCP server to your Resources

2. Setup Authentication

1. Formal’s App (default)

2. Your OAuth App

3. Route Endpoint traffic

4. Create policies

Tools

Policies examples

5. Check the logs

Troubleshooting

Next Steps