gittr-mcp

Let your AI agent (or app) use gittr.space like a developer would — create repos, push code, open and merge pull requests, manage issues, and work with Lightning bounties — using your Nostr identity, not a GitHub login.

Works with Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code / Copilot MCP, Windsurf, OpenClaw, or any host that speaks the Model Context Protocol over stdio.

Why use this?

End result: one MCP server connects your agent to decentralized git on Nostr — same account as on gittr.space (nsec / keys file), no separate vendor account for the agent.

What you can do (workflows)

These are the processes people actually run; each maps to MCP tools the agent can call.

Ship a new project

1. createRepo — push initial files to the bridge and publish Nostr kinds 30617 + 30618 in one step (best default for agents).
   Pass publicRead: false to create a private repo (code/clone/API/SSH readable only by you and listed maintainers). The announcement name/description still appear on relays — only file access is gated.
2. Or step-by-step: pushToBridge → publishRepoAnnouncement → publishRepoState.

Private repositories

• Set publicRead: false on createRepo, publishRepoAnnouncement, forkRepo, or mirrorRepo.
• Private repos are hidden from Explore/home/profile listings for strangers.
• Direct URL still shows the repo name with a Private badge; unauthorized viewers see a lock screen (no code).
• SSH / CLI / API reads use the same ACL as the web UI: your npub must be owner or maintainer (addCollaborator or Settings → Contributors on gittr.space).
• SSH key registration is unchanged — keys identify you; private repos only check whether your pubkey has read permission.

Day-to-day development

• pushToBridge — update files on a branch (NIP-98 auth to gittr bridge).
• getFile, bridgeListFiles, bridgeGetFileContent, getBranches, getCommitHistory — read repo state without cloning.
• resolveRepoByNostrId — find clone URLs and relays from npub + repo name.

Issues (bug reports, tasks)

• listIssues, createIssue, getIssueById
• closeIssue, reopenIssue — publish NIP-34 status events (1632 / 1630).

Pull requests (code review flow)

Honest limits on PRs: Creating and listing PRs via MCP is supported. Merging needs git installed and permission on the repo. Some relays are strict about clone URL + relay matching in repo announcements — if PR publish fails, fix metadata (see Limitations) or use createPRViaGittrCLI. Details: docs/DEVELOPER.md#limitations.

Fork, mirror, import

• forkRepo — fork an existing gittr repo under your key.
• mirrorRepo — copy from GitHub/GitLab URL to gittr.
• importRemoteToBridge — server-side import/refetch into bridge storage.

Discover & social

• listRepos, searchRepos, myRepos, exploreRepos, getTrendingRepos (trending = recent repos, not engagement rank)
• starRepo, unstarRepo, listStars — NIP-25 on the repo’s 30617 event (same as gittr Star button).
• watchRepo, unwatchRepo, listWatchedRepos — NIP-51 kind 10018 followed-repo list (same as gittr Watch).
• getRepoContributors

Parity details: docs/MCP-GITTR-PARITY.md — what matches gittr.space vs caveats.

Releases & tags

• listReleases — git tags from bridge (refs/tags/*), not the web UI “Releases” notes.
• createRelease — returns guidance only (gittr stores release notes in the UI until the next 30617 push).

Lightning bounties & pay-to-push

• Bounties: listBounties, createBountyInvoice, publishBountyToNostr, submitBounty, listBountiesForIssue, release/withdraw tools.
• Paywall: getPushPaywallStatus, createPushPaywallIntent, syncRepoPushPolicy.
• Optional LNbits: set GITTR_LNBITS_URL and GITTR_LNBITS_ADMIN_KEY in MCP env (see .env.example).

Session / keys

• describeAgentAuth — run once: confirms keys load (never returns nsec); if unconfigured it tells the agent to ask you about a test keypair.
• setupTestKeypair — after your explicit OK, writes a disposable test identity to .nostr-keys.json (replace with your real nsec anytime).
• loadCredentials, getPublicKey — debugging helpers.

Full tool list: 50+ tools in server.js (search for name:). Library API: docs/DEVELOPER.md.

Install (5 minutes)

Requirements

• Node.js 18+
• A Nostr private key (nsec or hex) — same identity you use on gittr.space

1. Get the server

Clone (developers / Cursor):

git clone https://github.com/arbadacarbaYK/gittr-mcp.git
cd gittr-mcp
npm install

Claude Desktop one-click (.mcpb): download the latest bundle from GitHub Releases (gittr-mcp-x.y.z.mcpb). New releases are built automatically when we push a v* tag — see docs/RELEASE.md.

2. Add your key (local only, never commit)

cp .nostr-keys.json.example .nostr-keys.json

Edit .nostr-keys.json and set your nsec (or hex secretKey). The file is gitignored.

Lookup order: ./.nostr-keys.json → ~/.nostr-identity.json → ~/.config/gittr/keys.json.

No key yet? Test keypair flow. If no credentials are found, describeAgentAuth and all key-missing errors tell the agent to ask you whether a disposable test keypair should be created. If you agree, the agent calls setupTestKeypair({ confirm: true }) — it writes a fresh identity into .nostr-keys.json (flagged "generated": true, file mode 600, never committed) and everything auto-loads it from then on. Replace the nsec in that file with your real key whenever you're ready; describeAgentAuth keeps reminding the agent that a test key is active. It never runs without confirm: true and never overwrites existing credentials unless you explicitly ask for force: true — anything published under a keypair stays under that identity forever, so this is always your call, not the agent's.

3. Wire up your MCP host

Important: Add a new server entry — do not replace your entire MCP config.

Cursor

Edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json (or project MCP settings). Use an absolute path:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gittr": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/ABSOLUTE/PATH/TO/gittr-mcp/server.js"],
      "env": {
        "BRIDGE_URL": "https://gittr.space"
      }
    }
  }
}

Reload MCP or restart Cursor.

Claude Desktop

Quit Claude, edit claude_desktop_config.json (path depends on OS — see Anthropic docs), same mcpServers block as above, restart.

VS Code / Copilot, Windsurf, OpenClaw, custom apps

Same stdio contract: command: node, args: ["/path/to/server.js"], optional env.
OpenClaw / mcporter: docs/MCP-HOSTS.md.

Embed as a library (no MCP)

const gittr = require('gittr-mcp');
await gittr.pushToBridge({ /* ... */ });

Entry point: index.js. MCP process: server.js (npm bin gittr-mcp).

4. Verify

In chat, ask the agent to call describeAgentAuth, or from the repo:

npm test

What to ask your agent

Examples that map to the workflows above:

• “Create a repo my-demo with a README and publish it on gittr.”
• “Push these file changes to my-demo on main.”
• “Open an issue: login button broken.”
• “List open PRs on npub…/my-demo and merge PR <id> if I’m the owner.”
• “Mirror https://github.com/user/repo to gittr as repo-name.”

Agents should read tool results as JSON; many responses include agentSummary and nextSteps.

Limitations (PRs & clone URLs)

Short version — full detail in docs/DEVELOPER.md:

1. Bridge push and Nostr publish are separate steps unless you use createRepo. Pushing alone does not make the repo visible everywhere.
2. git clone only “works” for others if your published clone URL serves git HTTP. This MCP defaults toward https://git.gittr.space/<hex-pubkey>/<repo>.git. A failed clone means fix the URL in 30617, not “ignore and continue.”
3. mergePullRequest needs git on the machine running MCP and maintainer/owner rights.
4. Relays can rate-limit or lag; failed verification is a failed publish, not “maybe OK.”

For developers

npm ci
npm test
# Live tests (real relays; optional LNbits) — see .env.example
GITTR_TEST_NSEC=nsec1... npm run test:live:matrix

Security

• Do not commit .nostr-keys.json, .env, or real nsec values.
• Bridge auth uses NIP-98; treat agent transcripts as sensitive.
• Only .nostr-keys.json.example belongs in git.

Links

• This repo: https://github.com/arbadacarbaYK/gittr-mcp
• gittr.space: https://gittr.space
• NIP-34 (git on Nostr): https://github.com/nostr-protocol/nips/blob/master/34.md

MIT License.