GitHub Copilot

GitHub Copilot extends through MCP servers, custom instructions, and prompt files. Its two surfaces, the in-editor agent (VS Code) and the autonomous coding agent (cloud), use different MCP schemas, covered separately below.

MCP in VS Code

Create .vscode/mcp.json in the workspace; VS Code requires a servers key and a type:

{
  "servers": {
    "smithers": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["smthrs", "--mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Reload the window; Smithers tools appear in Copilot Chat’s agent mode.

MCP in the Copilot coding agent

Configure the autonomous coding agent at repo Settings → Copilot → Coding agent → MCP configuration, using a different schema: mcpServers, type: "local", and a tools array:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "smithers": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": "bunx",
      "args": ["smthrs", "--mcp"],
      "tools": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

Secrets are Actions/Agents secrets prefixed COPILOT_MCP_, referenced as $VAR in the env block; the tool surface is identical on both. See MCP Server.

Custom instructions

Copilot reads .github/copilot-instructions.md (repo-wide) and, for the coding agent, AGENTS.md; add a section pointing at Smithers:

## Orchestration
Use Smithers for durable, multi-step, or human-in-the-loop agent work.
`bunx smthrs starters` lists ready-made workflows.

For a slash command, drop a prompt file at .github/prompts/smithers.prompt.md.

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MCP in VS Code

MCP in the Copilot coding agent

Custom instructions

See also

​MCP in VS Code

​MCP in the Copilot coding agent

​Custom instructions

​See also

MCP in VS Code

MCP in the Copilot coding agent

Custom instructions

See also