# Connect VS Code (Copilot / MCP)

**Auth:** bearer token. **Prereq:** familiar deployed over HTTPS (see [deployment](../deployment.md)).

VS Code's MCP support reads an **`http`** server entry with custom headers. Put it in **`.vscode/mcp.json`** (per-workspace) or your user `mcp.json`.

> ⚠️ Use **`.vscode/mcp.json`**, not a workspace-root **`.mcp.json`**. The workspace `.mcp.json` format ignores `headers`, so the bearer token never gets sent and you'll get a silent 401. This is a known VS Code quirk.

`.vscode/mcp.json`:

```json
{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "familiar_token",
      "type": "promptString",
      "description": "familiar bearer token",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "familiar": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://familiar.yourdomain.tld/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:familiar_token}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

On first use VS Code prompts for the token (masked, thanks to `password: true`) and reuses it. Start the server from the MCP view or the `MCP: List Servers` command, then use it from Copilot Chat's agent mode.

## Troubleshooting

- **Silent 401 / "no tools"** — you're almost certainly in a root `.mcp.json`; move the config to `.vscode/mcp.json` so `headers` is honored.
- **401 after entering a token** — wrong token; clear it via `MCP: Reset Cached Tokens` (or restart) and re-enter.