Visual Studio Code
Microsoft's editor. MCP servers are configured for Copilot agent mode in a workspace file.
IDE verified 2026-07-15
How to add a server to Visual Studio Code
- Run MCP: Add Server from the command palette
- Choose the transport and paste the details
- Open Copilot chat in agent mode and check the tools picker
Where the configuration lives
| Project | .vscode/mcp.json |
|---|---|
| Global | user settings.json under mcp |
Local server configuration
{
"servers": {
"{{name}}": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "{{command}}",
"args": {{args}}{{envBlock}}
}
}
}Hosted server configuration
{
"servers": {
"{{name}}": {
"type": "http",
"url": "{{url}}"
}
}
}Placeholders such as {{name}}, {{command}}, {{args}} and {{url}} are filled from each server's package or endpoint data.
Protocol support
Support is uneven across clients. A server that only exposes prompts is of no use in a client that does not implement them.
| Transport | Supported |
|---|---|
| stdio | Yes |
| Streamable HTTP | Yes |
| SSE | Yes |
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Tools | Yes |
| Resources | Yes |
| Prompts | Yes |
| Sampling | Yes |
| Roots | Yes |
| Elicitation | Yes |
| OAuth | Yes |
Frequently asked questions
- How do I add an MCP server to Visual Studio Code?
- 1. Run MCP: Add Server from the command palette 2. Choose the transport and paste the details 3. Open Copilot chat in agent mode and check the tools picker
- Where is the Visual Studio Code MCP configuration file?
- project: .vscode/mcp.json; global: user settings.json under mcp.
- Can Visual Studio Code run a local MCP server?
- Yes. It can start a local process and talk to it over stdio, so packaged servers work without any hosting.
- Does Visual Studio Code need restarting after adding a server?
- No, it picks up the change without a restart.
- When was this setup information last checked?
- These details were verified on 2026-07-15. Clients change their configuration format from time to time, so check the official documentation if something does not work.