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Connect VS Code (GitHub Copilot)

Add Budget Smugglers to VS Code's mcp.json so GitHub Copilot chat can use it. Sign in through the browser or use an API token.

VS Code reads MCP servers from an mcp.json file, and GitHub Copilot uses their tools in chat. Put Budget Smugglers in your user configuration so it’s there in every workspace. Run MCP: Open User Configuration from the Command Palette to open it.

You can use a workspace’s .vscode/mcp.json instead, but keep tokens out of anything you commit.

Add the server#

{
  "servers": {
    "budget-smugglers": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://my.budgetsmugglers.app/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

The first time it connects, VS Code opens Budget Smugglers in your browser. Sign in, choose whether Copilot may make changes, and choose Allow.

API token

Make a token under Settings › Connections in Budget Smugglers. This config asks for it once and keeps it out of the file:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "budget-smugglers-token",
      "description": "Budget Smugglers API token",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "budget-smugglers": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://my.budgetsmugglers.app/api/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:budget-smugglers-token}"
      }
    }
  }
}

VS Code prompts for the token when the server first starts. Paste it in.

Check it’s working#

Run MCP: List Servers from the Command Palette. You can start, stop and restart budget-smugglers there, or show its output if something’s wrong.

Then open Copilot Chat and ask:

Which accounts do I have in Budget Smugglers?

If your Copilot account belongs to an organisation, its admins can limit which MCP servers you may use.

Remove access#

Delete the entry from mcp.json. To cut off access from our side, disconnect VS Code or revoke the token under Settings › Connections. See API tokens and connected apps.