Give VS Code and Copilot live web data

Create .vscode/mcp.json with a servers entry of type http pointing at Apify's MCP URL, and an inputs prompt for the token. Start the server from the file; VS Code asks for the token once and Copilot Chat can call the Actors in agent mode.

One click, signs in with Apify on first use:

Add to VS Code

Any other client, one command (writes the config for 25+ agents, including Windsurf, Zed, Cline and Goose):

npx add-mcp "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,vexaloom-labs/google-maps-business-lead-finder-with-email" --name google-maps-business-lead-finder-with-email

Method

  1. Save as .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace.

    VS Code config for Google Maps Business Lead Finder with Email & Social Links.vscode/mcp.json

    Actor on Apify 
    {
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "apify-token",
      "description": "Apify API token",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "google-maps-business-lead-finder-with-email": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,vexaloom-labs/google-maps-business-lead-finder-with-email",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:apify-token}"
      }
    }
  }
}

  2. Start the server from the file or the MCP servers view. VS Code asks for the token once and stores it securely.

  3. Use the tools from Copilot Chat in agent mode.

The example uses Google Maps Business Lead Finder with Email & Social Links. Every Actor page and every website page below has the same config, pre-filled.

Apify plugin or a scoped URL?

Apify recommends its own plugin for VS Code: one install adds the whole Apify MCP server and five Agent Skills, with a sign-in in your browser. The config above is the other route: a URL scoped to the Actors you pick, so VS Code sees only their tools, which keeps the tool list short and the context small. Use the plugin to explore Apify; use a scoped URL when the agent should do one job with known Actors.

  1. Open the Extensions view and search for @agentPlugins apify.
  2. Select Install on the apify entry from the Awesome Copilot marketplace, confirm the trust prompt, then Allow the MCP sign-in.
@agentPlugins apify

From Apify's plugin documentation and Apify's VS Code guide, checked 2026-11-12. With the Apify CLI, apify mcp install cursor (or another client name) writes the MCP config for you.

Good to know

  • VS Code's workspace file uses the servers key, not mcpServers.
  • The ${input:apify-token} variable keeps the token out of the file and in VS Code's secret storage.
  • The same entry can be added from the command line with code --add-mcp.

VS Code configs by website

Each page opens on the VS Code tab.

When VS Code does not connect

Why does the client say Unauthorized or invalid token?

Every Apify Actor tool needs a signed-in Apify account. Reconnect the server so the OAuth sign-in runs again, or switch to the token variant: an Authorization: Bearer header with an API token from Apify Console, Settings, API and integrations. For a local server the token must be in the server's own env block, not only in your shell.

Source: Apify MCP server README

Why did my agent's tool list change after an update?

Without a tools parameter Apify's server loads its default tool set, which changes between releases. The URLs on this site pin the tools with ?tools=, so the agent always gets the same Actor tool plus fetch-actor-details. Apify's README gives the same advice for production.

Source: Apify MCP server README

What happens when the agent sends input the Actor rejects?

The server answers with the Actor's input schema, so the agent can fix the arguments and call again. The fetch-actor-details tool in every scoped URL lets it read that schema before the first call.

Source: Apify MCP server README

VS Code says the OAuth app is not registered. What now?

Run the command Authentication: Remove Dynamic Authentication Providers, pick Apify, then start the server again and sign in.

Source: Apify MCP server README

My old config uses mcp.apify.com/sse and stopped working. Why?

Apify retired the SSE transport on 1 April 2026. Use https://mcp.apify.com with the streamable HTTP transport, as every config on this site does.

Source: Apify changelog: MCP improvements

Why does VS Code block my Apify MCP server in Restricted Mode?

Workspace MCP configurations inherit Workspace Trust, and Restricted Mode prevents those servers from starting. Review the repository and its MCP configuration, then trust the workspace if appropriate; MCP: Reset Trust does not reset Workspace Trust.

Source: VS Code MCP troubleshooting

Every fix in one place

Questions

Why servers and not mcpServers?

That is VS Code's documented format for .vscode/mcp.json. The newer root .mcp.json format uses mcpServers instead.