Nota:
Copilot coding agent is in public preview and subject to change. During the preview, use of the feature is subject to GitHub Pre-release License Terms.
Overview
The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that defines how applications share context with large language models (LLMs). MCP provides a standardized way to connect AI models to different data sources and tools, enabling them to work together more effectively.
You can use MCP to extend the capabilities of Copilot coding agent by connecting it to other tools and services.
The agent can use tools provided by local and remote MCP servers. Some MCP servers are configured by default to provide the best experience for getting started.
For more information on MCP, see the official MCP documentation. For information on some of the currently available MCP servers, see the MCP servers repository.
Nota:
- Copilot coding agent only supports tools provided by MCP servers. It does not support resources or prompts.
- Copilot coding agent does not currently support remote MCP servers that leverage OAuth for authentication and authorization.
Default MCP servers
The following MCP servers are configured automatically for Copilot coding agent:
-
GitHub: The GitHub MCP server gives Copilot access to GitHub data like issues and pull requests. To learn more, see Using the GitHub MCP Server.
- By default, the GitHub MCP server connects to GitHub using a specially scoped token that only has read-only access to the current repository. You can customize it to use a different token with broader access. For more details, see Extending Copilot coding agent with the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
-
Playwright: The Playwright MCP server gives Copilot access to web pages, including the ability to read, interact and take screenshots.
- By default, the Playwright MCP server is only able to access web resources hosted within Copilot's own environment, accessible on
localhost
or127.0.0.1
.
- By default, the Playwright MCP server is only able to access web resources hosted within Copilot's own environment, accessible on
Setting up MCP servers in a repository
Repository administrators can configure MCP servers for use within that repository. This is done via a JSON-formatted configuration that specifies the details of the MCP servers that Copilot coding agent can use.
Once MCP servers are configured for use within a repository, the tools specified in the configuration will be available to Copilot coding agent during each assigned task.
Copilot will use available tools autonomously, and will not ask for approval before use.
For details of how to set up MCP servers for Copilot coding agent in a repository, see Extending Copilot coding agent with the Model Context Protocol (MCP).
Best practices
-
Enabling third-party MCP servers for use may impact the performance of the agent and the quality of the outputs. Review the third-party MCP server thoroughly and ensure that it meets your organization’s requirements.
-
By default, Copilot coding agent does not have access to write MCP server tools. However, some MCP servers do contain such tools. Be sure to review the tools available in the MCP server you want to use. Update the
tools
field in the MCP configuration with only the necessary tooling. -
Carefully review the configured MCP servers prior to saving the configuration to ensure the correct servers are configured for use.