Configure Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers to extend Copilot CLI's capabilities with external tools like web search, token optimization, and DevOps integration.

Overview

MCP servers provide additional tools that Copilot CLI agents can use. This skill helps you configure popular MCP servers using the copilot mcp add command-line interface.

Step 1: Choose a Setup Path

Use AskUserQuestion with one question at a time and no more than 3 options per question. Recent Copilot CLI builds reject larger option payloads as invalid tool parameters, so keep the MCP selection flow staged.

Step 1.1: First menu

Question: "What kind of MCP setup would you like?"

Options:

Recommended starter setup - Fast path for the most common OMCP MCP additions
Individual popular server - Pick one built-in server from a short follow-up menu
Custom server - Add your own stdio or HTTP MCP server

Step 1.2: If the user chooses "Recommended starter setup"

Ask a follow-up AskUserQuestion:

Question: "Which recommended MCP bundle should I configure?"

Options:

Context7 only (Recommended) - Zero-config docs/context server
Context7 + lean-ctx - Docs/context plus token-saving compression layer
Full recommended bundle - Context7, lean-ctx, Exa, and GitHub

Map that choice to the server list you will configure.

Step 1.3: If the user chooses "Individual popular server"

Ask a follow-up AskUserQuestion:

Question: "Which server should I configure first?"

Options:

Context7 (Recommended) - Documentation and code context from popular libraries
lean-ctx - Token-saving compression layer for Read/Grep/Bash tools
More server choices - Exa, GitHub, Azure DevOps, or the full recommended bundle

If the user chooses More server choices, ask one more AskUserQuestion:

Question: "Which additional MCP option do you want?"

Options:

Exa Web Search - Enhanced web search (replaces built-in websearch)
GitHub / Azure DevOps - Repository and project management integration
Full recommended bundle - Configure Context7, lean-ctx, Exa, and GitHub together

Step 1.4: If the user chooses "Custom server"

Skip directly to the Custom MCP Server section below.

Step 2: Gather Required Information

For Context7:

No API key required. Ready to use immediately.

For Exa Web Search:

Ask for API key:

Do you have an Exa API key?
- Get one at: https://exa.ai
- Enter your API key, or type 'skip' to configure later

For lean-ctx:

No API key required. Installs automatically. Saves 60-80% input tokens via caching and compression. More info: https://github.com/yvgude/lean-ctx

For GitHub:

Ask for token:

Do you have a GitHub Personal Access Token?
- Create one at: https://github.com/settings/tokens
- Recommended scopes: repo, read:org
- Enter your token, or type 'skip' to configure later

For Azure DevOps:

Ask for organization:

What is your Azure DevOps organization URL?
- Example: https://dev.azure.com/my-org
- Enter your organization URL, or type 'skip' to configure later

More info: https://github.com/microsoft/azure-devops-mcp

Step 3: Add MCP Servers Using CLI

Use the copilot mcp add command to configure each MCP server. The CLI automatically handles settings.json updates and merging.

Context7 Configuration:

copilot mcp add context7 -- npx -y @upstash/context7-mcp

Exa Web Search Configuration:

copilot mcp add -e EXA_API_KEY=<user-provided-key> exa -- npx -y exa-mcp-server

lean-ctx Configuration:

npm install -g lean-ctx-bin && lean-ctx setup

Note: lean-ctx uses its own installer (lean-ctx setup) which auto-configures shell and all detected editors. It hooks into existing tools (Read, Grep, Bash) to compress and cache results automatically.

GitHub Configuration:

Option 1: Docker (local)

copilot mcp add -e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN=<user-provided-token> github -- docker run -i --rm -e GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN ghcr.io/github/github-mcp-server

Option 2: HTTP (remote)

copilot mcp add --transport http github https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/

Note: Docker option requires Docker installed. HTTP option is simpler but may have different capabilities.

Azure DevOps Configuration:

copilot mcp add azure-devops -- npx -y @microsoft/azure-devops-mcp

Note: Requires Azure DevOps authentication. Run az login first or configure a PAT. See https://github.com/microsoft/azure-devops-mcp for setup details.

Step 4: Verify Installation

After configuration, verify the MCP servers are properly set up:

# List configured MCP servers
copilot mcp list

This will display all configured MCP servers and their status.

Step 5: Show Completion Message

MCP Server Configuration Complete!

CONFIGURED SERVERS:
[List the servers that were configured]

NEXT STEPS:
1. Restart Copilot CLI for changes to take effect
2. The configured MCP tools will be available to all agents
3. Run `copilot mcp list` to verify configuration

USAGE TIPS:
- Context7: Ask about library documentation (e.g., "How do I use React hooks?")
- Exa: Use for web searches (e.g., "Search the web for latest TypeScript features")
- lean-ctx: Automatic — compresses Read/Grep/Bash results to save tokens
- GitHub: Interact with GitHub repos, issues, and PRs
- Azure DevOps: Manage work items, pipelines, repos, and wikis

TROUBLESHOOTING:
- If MCP servers don't appear, run `copilot mcp list` to check status
- Ensure you have Node.js 18+ installed for npx-based servers
- For GitHub Docker option, ensure Docker is installed and running
- Run /oh-my-copilot:omc-doctor to diagnose issues

MANAGING MCP SERVERS:
- Add more servers: /oh-my-copilot:mcp-setup or `copilot mcp add ...`
- List servers: `copilot mcp list`
- Remove a server: `copilot mcp remove <server-name>`

Custom MCP Server

If user selects "Custom":

Ask for:

Server name (identifier)
Transport type: stdio (default) or http
For stdio: Command and arguments (e.g., npx my-mcp-server)
For http: URL (e.g., https://example.com/mcp)
Environment variables (optional, key=value pairs)
HTTP headers (optional, for http transport only)

Then construct and run the appropriate copilot mcp add command:

For stdio servers:

# Without environment variables
copilot mcp add <server-name> -- <command> [args...]

# With environment variables
copilot mcp add -e KEY1=value1 -e KEY2=value2 <server-name> -- <command> [args...]

For HTTP servers:

# Basic HTTP server
copilot mcp add --transport http <server-name> <url>

# HTTP server with headers
copilot mcp add --transport http --header "Authorization: Bearer <token>" <server-name> <url>

Company-context convention

If the custom server is meant to provide organization-specific reference material to OMC workflows, prefer a single tool named get_company_context that returns markdown via { context: string }.

Example local registration:

copilot mcp add company-context -- node examples/vendor-mcp-server/server.mjs

Then point OMC at the full tool name in .copilot/omg.jsonc or ~/.config/copilot-omg/config.jsonc:

{
  "companyContext": {
    "tool": "mcp__company-context__get_company_context",
    "onError": "warn"
  }
}

This remains advisory prompt context, not runtime enforcement.

Common Issues

MCP Server Not Loading

Ensure Node.js 18+ is installed
Check that npx is available in PATH
Run copilot mcp list to verify server status
Check server logs for errors

API Key Issues

Exa: Verify key at https://dashboard.exa.ai
GitHub: Ensure token has required scopes (repo, read:org)
Azure DevOps: Run az login or check PAT permissions
Re-run copilot mcp add with correct credentials if needed

Agents Still Using Built-in Tools

Restart Copilot CLI after configuration
The built-in websearch will be deprioritized when exa is configured
Run copilot mcp list to confirm servers are active

Removing or Updating a Server

Remove: copilot mcp remove <server-name>
Update: Remove the old server, then add it again with new configuration