Using MCP servers with the Copilot SDK

Примечание.

Второй пилот SDK is currently in Technical Preview. Functionality and availability are subject to change.

The Второй пилот SDK can integrate with MCP servers (Model Context Protocol) to extend the assistant's capabilities with external tools. MCP servers run as separate processes and expose tools (functions) that Copilot can invoke during conversations.

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting AI assistants to external tools and data sources. MCP servers can execute code or scripts, query databases, access file systems, call external APIs, and more.

Server types

The SDK supports two types of MCP servers:

Type	Description	Use case
Local/Stdio	Runs as a subprocess, communicates via stdin/stdout	Local tools, file access, custom scripts
HTTP/SSE	Remote server accessed via HTTP	Shared services, cloud-hosted tools

Configuration

import { CopilotClient } from "@github/copilot-sdk";

const client = new CopilotClient();
const session = await client.createSession({
    model: "gpt-5",
    mcpServers: {
        // Local MCP server (stdio)
        "my-local-server": {
            type: "local",
            command: "node",
            args: ["./mcp-server.js"],
            env: { DEBUG: "true" },
            cwd: "./servers",
            tools: ["*"],  // "*" = all tools, [] = none, or list specific tools
            timeout: 30000,
        },
        // Remote MCP server (HTTP)
        "github": {
            type: "http",
            url: "https://api.githubcopilot.com/mcp/",
            headers: { "Authorization": "Bearer ${TOKEN}" },
            tools: ["*"],
        },
    },
});

For examples in Python, Go, and .NET, see the github/copilot-sdk repository.

Quick start: filesystem MCP server

Here's a complete working example using the official @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem MCP server:

import { CopilotClient } from "@github/copilot-sdk";

async function main() {
    const client = new CopilotClient();

    // Create session with filesystem MCP server
    const session = await client.createSession({
        mcpServers: {
            filesystem: {
                type: "local",
                command: "npx",
                args: ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/tmp"],
                tools: ["*"],
            },
        },
    });

    console.log("Session created:", session.sessionId);

    // The model can now use filesystem tools
    const result = await session.sendAndWait({
        prompt: "List the files in the allowed directory",
    });

    console.log("Response:", result?.data?.content);

    await session.disconnect();
    await client.stop();
}

main();

Совет

You can use any MCP server from the MCP Servers Directory. Popular options include @modelcontextprotocol/server-github, @modelcontextprotocol/server-sqlite, and @modelcontextprotocol/server-puppeteer.

Configuration options

Local/Stdio server

Property	Type	Required	Description
`type`	`"local"` or `"stdio"`	No	Server type (defaults to local)
`command`	`string`	Yes	Command to execute
`args`	`string[]`	Yes	Command arguments
`env`	`object`	No	Environment variables
`cwd`	`string`	No	Working directory
`tools`	`string[]`	No	Tools to enable (`["*"]` for all, `[]` for none)
`timeout`	`number`	No	Timeout in milliseconds

Remote server (HTTP/SSE)

Property	Type	Required	Description
`type`	`"http"` or `"sse"`	Yes	Server type
`url`	`string`	Yes	Server URL
`headers`	`object`	No	HTTP headers (for example, for auth)
`tools`	`string[]`	No	Tools to enable
`timeout`	`number`	No	Timeout in milliseconds

Troubleshooting

Tools not showing up or not being invoked

Verify the MCP server starts correctly—Check that the command and arguments are correct, and ensure the server process doesn't crash on startup. Look for error output in stderr.
Check tool configuration—Make sure tools is set to ["*"] or lists the specific tools you need. An empty array [] means no tools are enabled.
Verify connectivity for remote servers—Ensure the URL is accessible and check that authentication headers are correct.

Common issues

Issue	Solution
"MCP server not found"	Verify the command path is correct and executable
"Connection refused" (HTTP)	Check the URL and ensure the server is running
"Timeout" errors	Increase the `timeout` value or check server performance
Tools work but aren't called	Ensure your prompt clearly requires the tool's functionality

Кто может использовать эту функцию?

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