Action Required: Migrate Your Copilot CLI MCP Config Away from .vscode/mcp.json

If you use the GitHub Copilot CLI with Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, you may have hit this message on launch:

Copilot CLI's incomplete support for .vscode/mcp.json has been removed. See https://gh.io/copilotcli-mcpmigrate to migrate to .mcp.json or .github/mcp.json.

This is a quick, one-time fix. Here's what changed, why, and exactly what you need to do.

What Changed

The Copilot CLI previously made a best-effort attempt to read .vscode/mcp.json, the file VS Code uses to define MCP servers. That support was incomplete, so it has been removed. The CLI now loads MCP servers only from its own dedicated files:

• .mcp.json in your project root (or working directory)
• .github/mcp.json in your repository

Your .vscode/mcp.json file is not deleted and still works for VS Code. The CLI simply no longer reads it.

Why It Matters

The VS Code and Copilot CLI configuration formats look similar but are not identical. Two differences trip people up:

• The top-level key is servers in VS Code, but mcpServers in the CLI.
• The CLI requires a type field on each server (for example, "local" for a stdio command-based server, or "http" for a remote server).

Because of these differences, you can't just rename the file — you also need to adjust its contents.

What You Need to Do

Step 1: Find your existing config

Locate the VS Code MCP file you've been using, for example:

// .vscode/mcp.json (VS Code format)
{
  "servers": {
    "workiq": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@microsoft/workiq", "mcp"],
      "tools": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

Step 2: Create .mcp.json in the same directory

Convert it to the Copilot CLI format by renaming the top-level key and adding "type":

// .mcp.json (Copilot CLI format)
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "workiq": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@microsoft/workiq", "mcp"],
      "tools": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

Prefer the change to live with your repository so teammates pick it up automatically? Put the same content in .github/mcp.json instead.

Step 3: Verify

From the directory containing the new file, list the servers the CLI can see:

copilot mcp list

You should see your server reported, for example workiq (local), and the startup warning will stop.

Quick Reference

Don't Forget Your Other Repositories

This setting is per-directory. If you run copilot inside multiple projects that each have a .vscode/mcp.json, repeat the migration in each one. The change is always the same: rename servers to mcpServers and add a type to every server.

Key Takeaways

• The Copilot CLI no longer reads .vscode/mcp.json.
• Move your MCP servers into .mcp.json (project) or .github/mcp.json (repo).
• Change the key from servers to mcpServers and add "type" to each server.
• Leave .vscode/mcp.json in place so VS Code keeps working.
• Confirm with copilot mcp list.

Learn More

• Copilot CLI MCP migration guidance
• GitHub Copilot CLI command reference
• Model Context Protocol