GitHub Automation via Rube MCP
Automate GitHub repository management, issue tracking, pull request workflows, branch operations, and CI/CD through Composio's GitHub toolkit.
Prerequisites
- Rube MCP must be connected (RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS available)
- Active GitHub connection via
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit github
- Always call
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS first to get current tool schemas
Setup
Get Rube MCP: Add https://rube.app/mcp as an MCP server in your client configuration. No API keys needed — just add the endpoint and it works.
- Verify Rube MCP is available by confirming
RUBE_SEARCH_TOOLS responds
- Call
RUBE_MANAGE_CONNECTIONS with toolkit github
- If connection is not ACTIVE, follow the returned auth link to complete GitHub OAuth
- Confirm connection status shows ACTIVE before running any workflows
Core Workflows
1. Create and Manage Issues
When to use: User wants to create, list, or manage GitHub issues
Tool sequence:
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORIES_FOR_THE_AUTHENTICATED_USER - Find target repo if unknown [Prerequisite]GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_ISSUES - List existing issues (includes PRs) [Required]GITHUB_CREATE_AN_ISSUE - Create a new issue [Required]GITHUB_CREATE_AN_ISSUE_COMMENT - Add comments to an issue [Optional]GITHUB_SEARCH_ISSUES_AND_PULL_REQUESTS - Search across repos by keyword [Optional]
Key parameters:
owner: Repository owner (username or org), case-insensitiverepo: Repository name without .git extensiontitle: Issue title (required for creation)body: Issue description (supports Markdown)labels: Array of label namesassignees: Array of GitHub usernamesstate: 'open', 'closed', or 'all' for filtering
Pitfalls:
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_ISSUES returns both issues AND pull requests; check pull_request field to distinguish- Only users with push access can set assignees, labels, and milestones; they are silently dropped otherwise
- Pagination:
per_page max 100; iterate pages until empty
2. Manage Pull Requests
When to use: User wants to create, review, or merge pull requests
Tool sequence:
GITHUB_FIND_PULL_REQUESTS - Search and filter PRs [Required]GITHUB_GET_A_PULL_REQUEST - Get detailed PR info including mergeable status [Required]GITHUB_LIST_PULL_REQUESTS_FILES - Review changed files [Optional]GITHUB_CREATE_A_PULL_REQUEST - Create a new PR [Required]GITHUB_CREATE_AN_ISSUE_COMMENT - Post review comments [Optional]GITHUB_LIST_CHECK_RUNS_FOR_A_REF - Verify CI status before merge [Optional]GITHUB_MERGE_A_PULL_REQUEST - Merge after explicit user approval [Required]
Key parameters:
head: Source branch with changes (must exist; for cross-repo: 'username:branch')base: Target branch to merge into (e.g., 'main')title: PR title (required unless issue number provided)merge_method: 'merge', 'squash', or 'rebase'state: 'open', 'closed', or 'all'
Pitfalls:
GITHUB_CREATE_A_PULL_REQUEST fails with 422 if base/head are invalid, identical, or already mergedGITHUB_MERGE_A_PULL_REQUEST can be rejected if PR is draft, closed, or branch protection applies- Always verify mergeable status with
GITHUB_GET_A_PULL_REQUEST immediately before merging
- Require explicit user confirmation before calling MERGE
3. Manage Repositories and Branches
When to use: User wants to create repos, manage branches, or update repo settings
Tool sequence:
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORIES_FOR_THE_AUTHENTICATED_USER - List user's repos [Required]GITHUB_GET_A_REPOSITORY - Get detailed repo info [Optional]GITHUB_CREATE_A_REPOSITORY_FOR_THE_AUTHENTICATED_USER - Create personal repo [Required]GITHUB_CREATE_AN_ORGANIZATION_REPOSITORY - Create org repo [Alternative]GITHUB_LIST_BRANCHES - List branches [Required]GITHUB_CREATE_A_REFERENCE - Create new branch from SHA [Required]GITHUB_UPDATE_A_REPOSITORY - Update repo settings [Optional]
Key parameters:
name: Repository nameprivate: Boolean for visibilityref: Full reference path (e.g., 'refs/heads/new-branch')sha: Commit SHA to point the new reference todefault_branch: Default branch name
Pitfalls:
GITHUB_CREATE_A_REFERENCE only creates NEW references; use GITHUB_UPDATE_A_REFERENCE for existing onesref must start with 'refs/' and contain at least two slashesGITHUB_LIST_BRANCHES paginates via page/per_page; iterate until empty pageGITHUB_DELETE_A_REPOSITORY is permanent and irreversible; requires admin privileges
4. Search Code and Commits
When to use: User wants to find code, files, or commits across repositories
Tool sequence:
GITHUB_SEARCH_CODE - Search file contents and paths [Required]GITHUB_SEARCH_CODE_ALL_PAGES - Multi-page code search [Alternative]GITHUB_SEARCH_COMMITS_BY_AUTHOR - Search commits by author/date/org [Required]GITHUB_LIST_COMMITS - List commits for a specific repo [Alternative]GITHUB_GET_A_COMMIT - Get detailed commit info [Optional]GITHUB_GET_REPOSITORY_CONTENT - Get file content [Optional]
Key parameters:
q: Search query with qualifiers (language:python, repo:owner/repo, extension:js)owner/repo: For repo-specific commit listingauthor: Filter by commit authorsince/until: ISO 8601 date range for commits
Pitfalls:
- Code search only indexes files under 384KB on default branch
- Maximum 1000 results returned from code search
GITHUB_SEARCH_COMMITS_BY_AUTHOR requires keywords in addition to qualifiers; qualifier-only queries are not allowedGITHUB_LIST_COMMITS returns 409 on empty repos
5. Manage CI/CD and Deployments
When to use: User wants to view workflows, check CI status, or manage deployments
Tool sequence:
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_WORKFLOWS - List GitHub Actions workflows [Required]GITHUB_GET_A_WORKFLOW - Get workflow details by ID or filename [Optional]GITHUB_CREATE_A_WORKFLOW_DISPATCH_EVENT - Manually trigger a workflow [Required]GITHUB_LIST_CHECK_RUNS_FOR_A_REF - Check CI status for a commit/branch [Required]GITHUB_LIST_DEPLOYMENTS - List deployments [Optional]GITHUB_GET_A_DEPLOYMENT_STATUS - Get deployment status [Optional]
Key parameters:
workflow_id: Numeric ID or filename (e.g., 'ci.yml')ref: Git reference (branch/tag) for workflow dispatchinputs: JSON string of workflow inputs matching on.workflow_dispatch.inputsenvironment: Filter deployments by environment name
Pitfalls:
GITHUB_CREATE_A_WORKFLOW_DISPATCH_EVENT requires the workflow to have workflow_dispatch trigger configured- Full path
.github/workflows/main.yml is auto-stripped to just main.yml
- Inputs max 10 key-value pairs; must match workflow's
on.workflow_dispatch.inputs definitions
6. Manage Users and Permissions
When to use: User wants to check collaborators, permissions, or branch protection
Tool sequence:
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_COLLABORATORS - List repo collaborators [Required]GITHUB_GET_REPOSITORY_PERMISSIONS_FOR_A_USER - Check specific user's access [Optional]GITHUB_GET_BRANCH_PROTECTION - Inspect branch protection rules [Required]GITHUB_UPDATE_BRANCH_PROTECTION - Update protection settings [Optional]GITHUB_ADD_A_REPOSITORY_COLLABORATOR - Add/update collaborator [Optional]
Key parameters:
affiliation: 'outside', 'direct', or 'all' for collaborator filteringpermission: Filter by 'pull', 'triage', 'push', 'maintain', 'admin'branch: Branch name for protection rulesenforce_admins: Whether protection applies to admins
Pitfalls:
GITHUB_GET_BRANCH_PROTECTION returns 404 for unprotected branches; treat as no protection rules- Determine push ability from
permissions.push or role_name, not display labels
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_COLLABORATORS paginates; iterate all pagesGITHUB_GET_REPOSITORY_PERMISSIONS_FOR_A_USER may be inconclusive for non-collaborators
Common Patterns
ID Resolution
- Repo name -> owner/repo:
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORIES_FOR_THE_AUTHENTICATED_USER
- PR number -> PR details:
GITHUB_FIND_PULL_REQUESTS then GITHUB_GET_A_PULL_REQUEST
- Branch name -> SHA:
GITHUB_GET_A_BRANCH
- Workflow name -> ID:
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_WORKFLOWS
Pagination
All list endpoints use page-based pagination:
page: Page number (starts at 1)per_page: Results per page (max 100)- Iterate until response returns fewer results than
per_page
Safety
- Always verify PR mergeable status before merge
- Require explicit user confirmation for destructive operations (merge, delete)
- Check CI status with
GITHUB_LIST_CHECK_RUNS_FOR_A_REF before merging
Known Pitfalls
- Issues vs PRs:
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_ISSUES returns both; check pull_request field
- Pagination limits:
per_page max 100; always iterate pages until empty
- Branch creation:
GITHUB_CREATE_A_REFERENCE fails with 422 if reference already exists
- Merge guards: Merge can fail due to branch protection, failing checks, or draft status
- Code search limits: Only files <384KB on default branch; max 1000 results
- Commit search: Requires search text keywords alongside qualifiers
- Destructive actions: Repo deletion is irreversible; merge cannot be undone
- Silent permission drops: Labels, assignees, milestones silently dropped without push access
Quick Reference
| Task |
Tool Slug |
Key Params |
| List repos |
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORIES_FOR_THE_AUTHENTICATED_USER |
type, sort, per_page |
| Get repo |
GITHUB_GET_A_REPOSITORY |
owner, repo |
| Create issue |
GITHUB_CREATE_AN_ISSUE |
owner, repo, title, body |
| List issues |
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_ISSUES |
owner, repo, state |
| Find PRs |
GITHUB_FIND_PULL_REQUESTS |
repo, state, author |
| Create PR |
GITHUB_CREATE_A_PULL_REQUEST |
owner, repo, head, base, title |
| Merge PR |
GITHUB_MERGE_A_PULL_REQUEST |
owner, repo, pull_number, merge_method |
| List branches |
GITHUB_LIST_BRANCHES |
owner, repo |
| Create branch |
GITHUB_CREATE_A_REFERENCE |
owner, repo, ref, sha |
| Search code |
GITHUB_SEARCH_CODE |
q |
| List commits |
GITHUB_LIST_COMMITS |
owner, repo, author, since |
| Search commits |
GITHUB_SEARCH_COMMITS_BY_AUTHOR |
q |
| List workflows |
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_WORKFLOWS |
owner, repo |
| Trigger workflow |
GITHUB_CREATE_A_WORKFLOW_DISPATCH_EVENT |
owner, repo, workflow_id, ref |
| Check CI |
GITHUB_LIST_CHECK_RUNS_FOR_A_REF |
owner, repo, ref |
| List collaborators |
GITHUB_LIST_REPOSITORY_COLLABORATORS |
owner, repo |
| Branch protection |
GITHUB_GET_BRANCH_PROTECTION |
owner, repo, branch |
When to Use
This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.
