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MCP Server Setup Guides for VS Code and GitHub Copilot
VS Code reaches MCP servers through Copilot agent mode, and Continue.dev offers a second route into the same editor for people who would rather run an open-source assistant. The two use different config files, so the guides below cover each separately.
The multi-client server guides in this section spell out VS Code config alongside Claude and Cursor, which makes them the quickest way to get a specific integration working without translating a Cursor-only walkthrough.
20 guides in this collection.
Getting MCP into VS Code
VS Code MCP Server Setup Guide 2026: Add MCP Tools to GitHub Copilot Agent Mode
Step-by-step guide to connecting MCP servers in VS Code using GitHub Copilot's agent mode. Covers configuration, debugging, and the best MCP servers to add in 2026.
Continue.dev MCP Server Setup Guide (2026): Add MCP Tools to the Open-Source AI Coding Assistant
Complete guide to connecting MCP servers in Continue.dev — the open-source GitHub Copilot alternative. Works in VS Code and JetBrains. Covers config format, best servers, and troubleshooting.
GitHub Copilot vs Cursor + MCP: Which AI Coding Setup Wins in 2026?
GitHub Copilot and Cursor with MCP servers are fundamentally different tools. Here's the real comparison — context depth, tool use, pricing, and which one is right for your workflow.
Servers with VS Code config included
How to Set Up the Filesystem MCP Server (2026)
Give Claude, Cursor, and VS Code safe, scoped access to your local files with the Filesystem MCP server. Full setup with copy-paste config, allowed directories, and troubleshooting.
How to Set Up the GitHub MCP Server (2026)
Connect GitHub to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code with the official GitHub MCP server. Read issues and PRs, browse code, trigger Actions, and review security alerts from your AI assistant.
How to Set Up the Google Drive MCP Server (2026)
Connect Google Drive to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code with MCP. Search Docs, read Sheets, and pull files into your AI workflow, with OAuth config and troubleshooting.
How to Set Up a Google Sheets MCP Server (2026)
Connect Google Sheets to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code with MCP. Read, write, and analyze spreadsheet data from your AI assistant, with Google Cloud credentials and OAuth or service-account auth.
How to Set Up the Linear MCP Server (2026)
Connect Linear to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code with MCP. Query issues, update status, create tickets, and search projects, with Linear API key setup and troubleshooting.
How to Set Up the Notion MCP Server (2026)
Connect Notion to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code with MCP. Read pages, search your workspace, create and update content, with Notion API key setup and database permissions.
How to Set Up the Playwright MCP Server (2026)
Give Claude, Cursor, and VS Code a real browser with the official Playwright MCP server. Navigate pages, click, fill forms, and scrape using the accessibility tree.
How to Set Up the Redis MCP Server (2026)
Connect Redis to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code with MCP. Query keys, inspect data structures, run commands, and search vector indexes from your AI assistant.
How to Set Up the Sentry MCP Server (2026)
Connect Sentry to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code with MCP. Pull error details, stack traces, and issue context into your AI assistant so it can triage and help fix bugs.
How to Set Up the Stripe MCP Server (2026)
Connect Stripe to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code with MCP. Query customers, payments, and subscriptions, create payment links, and manage billing data from your AI assistant.
How to Set Up the Zapier MCP Server (2026)
Connect Zapier to Claude, Cursor, and VS Code with MCP. Trigger and run workflows from your AI assistant, with hosted server setup and tool selection.
Foundations that apply to any client
What the Model Context Protocol actually is
MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI applications like Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor connect to external tools and data through a single, reusable interface instead of a custom integration per tool.
Tools, resources and prompts compared
Deep dive into the three core MCP primitives — tools, resources, and prompts. Learn when to use each and how they work together.
Authentication patterns: API keys, OAuth and service accounts
A complete guide to MCP server authentication — API keys in env vars, OAuth flows, bearer tokens, and keeping secrets out of your config files.
Server-side security checklist
A practical, code-first MCP security checklist: input validation, rate limiting, least privilege, and output sanitization patterns you can paste into a server today.
Choosing between local and remote servers
Compare local and remote MCP server deployments. Learn the pros, cons, and use cases for each approach to make the right choice for your needs.
Debugging a server that will not connect
A practical troubleshooting guide for MCP server problems. Learn to diagnose connection failures, tool errors, and performance issues with step-by-step solutions.
MCP setup guides for other clients
Prefer to scan the whole library at once? The complete article index lists every guide by publication date, and both hub views sit side by side on the guides page.