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How to add a remote MCP server to VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json)

Updated

Run MCP: Add Server in VS Code, choose HTTP and paste the server's address, or add it to .vscode/mcp.json under servers with type http. VS Code signs in with your Kaiva Bridge account when it first connects, and Copilot's agent mode can then use the server's tools.

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Step by step

  1. Add the serverOpen the Command Palette, run MCP: Add Server, choose HTTP and paste the address from the server's Connect tab. Or paste the configuration below into .vscode/mcp.json.
  2. Sign inVS Code opens a browser to sign in with your Kaiva Bridge account and asks you to allow it. No key is stored in the file.
  3. Use itIn Copilot Chat, switch to agent mode and ask it to use one of the server's tools.

VS Code mcp.json for a remote MCP server

Signed in with your Kaiva Bridge account:

.vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "your-server": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.kaiv.ai/api/bridge/mcp/your-server"
    }
  }
}

With a key instead of signing in

A gateway key (kv_live_...) calls one server. Create it on the server's Connect tab or under Keys & access. It is shown once; Bridge keeps only its hash.

.vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "your-server": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.kaiv.ai/api/bridge/mcp/your-server",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer kv_live_..." }
    }
  }
}

Add the Kaiva Bridge connector to VS Code

The connector lets Copilot list your servers and create new ones from a spec or a database after you sign in. On kaiv.ai/bridge, VS Code in the menu next to Add to Claude opens VS Code's install prompt with this entry.

.vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "kaiva-bridge": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.kaiv.ai/api/bridge/manage/mcp"
    }
  }
}

"Dynamic Client Registration not supported"

VS Code shows this when it cannot find sign-in details for the exact address it was given. It requires the server's sign-in metadata to name that same address, and Kaiva Bridge's addresses have done so since 14 October 2026. If you see it, check the address is the one on the server's Connect tab with nothing added or removed, and that VS Code is up to date. Then run the CLI's check:

Terminal
npx @kaiva/bridge doctor your-server

Other ways to do it

  • A local MCP server over stdioVS Code can also start a server on your machine with type stdio and a command. It runs only where it is installed and keeps its credentials there.

Questions

Does GitHub Copilot use MCP servers added to VS Code?
Yes, in agent mode. Servers in .vscode/mcp.json or added with MCP: Add Server are offered to Copilot Chat's agent.
Do I need a key for VS Code?
No. VS Code signs in with your Kaiva Bridge account. A gateway key in a headers entry also works.
Where does VS Code keep MCP servers for a workspace?
In .vscode/mcp.json, under servers.

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