Neotoma with VS Code
VS Code supports MCP servers in GitHub Copilot Chat's Agent Mode (VS Code 1.99+). MCP server configuration lives in .vscode/mcp.json at the workspace root, which Neotoma's project-level scanner detects and writes automatically.
Requirements
- VS Code 1.99 or later
- GitHub Copilot Chat extension with a Copilot subscription
- Copilot Chat in Agent Mode (the default for
@workspaceinteractions)
Install Neotoma
npm install -g neotoma
neotoma init
neotoma auth login
Auto-configure with neotoma setup
From your project directory:
neotoma setup --tool vscode --yes
This creates or updates .vscode/mcp.json with the Neotoma MCP server entry. VS Code picks up the change on file save without a restart.
Manual configuration
Create .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace root:
{
"servers": {
"neotoma": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "neotoma",
"args": ["mcp", "stdio"]
}
}
}
Use the absolute path to neotoma if the binary is not on PATH from VS Code's terminal environment (which neotoma to find it).
Remote access
To connect VS Code to a remote or tunneled Neotoma instance:
neotoma api start --env prod --tunnel
Add the SSE transport entry to .vscode/mcp.json:
{
"servers": {
"neotoma": {
"type": "sse",
"url": "https://<tunnel-host>/mcp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer ${input:neotomaToken}"
}
}
}
}
${input:neotomaToken} prompts VS Code for the token on first use and stores it in the VS Code secrets store.
See tunnel for the full tunnel setup guide.
Using Neotoma tools in Copilot Chat
MCP tools registered in .vscode/mcp.json are available in Copilot Chat Agent Mode only:
- Open Copilot Chat (
Ctrl+Shift+I/Cmd+Shift+I) - Switch to Agent Mode (sparkle icon or the model selector)
- Click the tools icon — Neotoma tools (
store,retrieve_entities, etc.) appear in the list - Type
#neotomato insert a tool call directly
Verify the connection
Ask Copilot Chat in Agent Mode to call retrieve_entities with entity type task. A response with an empty array (not an error) confirms the connection is working.
Related
- MCP reference — protocol details, transport modes, authentication
- Install — full Neotoma install guide
- Integrations — all supported hosts