Connect services with Copilot connectors in VS Code
Bring context from services such as Slack, Notion, and Microsoft Learn into your agent sessions with Copilot connectors, also called GitHub-managed MCP servers. Connect a supported service without installing a local server, writing MCP configuration, or managing credentials.
Connect a service once and reuse the connection across supported Copilot clients signed in with the same account. GitHub manages the connection and keeps you signed in.
If the service you need isn't available as a connector, add an MCP server using the publisher's URL or launch command instead.
Before you start
- Sign in to VS Code with your GitHub.com account. Connectors are available on all GitHub Copilot plans.
- Select Copilot in the Session Target dropdown. Connectors provide tools to the Copilot harness, not Local harness sessions.
Marketplace discovery and connectors are enabled by default with chat.customizations.marketplace.enabled and chat.customizations.copilotConnectors.enabled .
For Business and Enterprise plans, an administrator must turn on the Editor preview features policy. When that policy is off, both settings are forced off. Some services also require approval from a service administrator, such as allowing Slack MCP access. Your organization's MCP access restrictions also apply. See administration guidance for connectors.
Connect a service
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Run Chat: Open Customizations from the Command Palette (⇧⌘P (Windows, Linux Ctrl+Shift+P)) and select Browse.
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Choose Copilot Connectors in the source menu, or search for a service by name.
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Open the connector's details and select Connect.
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Review the requested permissions and complete authorization in your browser, including service sign-in when required.
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Wait for the status to show Connected.
While authorization is pending, select Cancel to stop connecting. You can select Connect again to retry.
Use a connected service
Return to your Copilot session and ask a question that needs information from the service. Copilot uses connected services' tools when they're relevant to your request.
For example, after connecting Microsoft Learn Docs, enter:
Use the Microsoft Learn Docs connector to find the official documentation for the Kusto Query Language where operator. Summarize its syntax and link to the documentation.
Review tool approval requests before accepting them. Expand the tool call in the conversation to check that the agent used the connected service and received a result. A plausible answer alone doesn't confirm that the connector was used.
Disconnect a service
Connected services appear in MCP Servers with a Connector: <name> label. Their connections are managed by GitHub, not by a local MCP configuration file.
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With the Copilot harness selected, run Chat: Open Customizations and select MCP Servers.
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Find the connector's row and open its ellipsis (...) menu.
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Select Disconnect and wait for the operation to complete.
The connector's row disappears, and its tools are no longer available to the Copilot session. Use Disconnect, not Uninstall or a configuration-file edit, to remove a connector.
To use the service again, connect it from the Agent Customizations editor.
Troubleshoot a connection
| What you observe | Next step |
|---|---|
| Connectors don't appear in Browse | Check that the Copilot harness is selected, both discovery settings are on, and your account and administrator policies permit access. |
| The status stays at Connecting | Select Cancel, then select Connect and complete authorization in the browser. |
| Service sign-in fails or access is denied | Review the requested permissions and check whether a service administrator needs to approve MCP access before retrying. |
| The connector is connected, but no tool is called | Check that the session uses the Copilot harness, name the service explicitly in your prompt, and inspect the tool call. See tool availability and invocation. |