Azure DevOps MCP

Prerequisites

1. Install VS Code or VS Code Insiders
2. Install Node.js 20+
3. Open VS Code in an empty folder

🔌 Local MCP Server Installation (Optional)

[!IMPORTANT] Start with the Remote MCP Server first. Use the local MCP Server only if your scenario specifically requires a local stdio setup.

Use this section if you specifically need the local stdio server experience. For most users, start with the Remote MCP Server section above.

For the best experience, use Visual Studio Code and GitHub Copilot. See the getting started documentation to use our MCP Server with other tools such as Visual Studio 2022, Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, Opencode, and Kilocode.

Installation

🧨 Install from Public Feed

This installation method is the easiest for all users of Visual Studio Code.

🎥 Watch this quick start video to get up and running in under two minutes!

Steps

In your project, add a .vscode\mcp.json file with the following content:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "ado_org",
      "type": "promptString",
      "description": "Azure DevOps organization name  (e.g. 'contoso')"
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "ado": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@azure-devops/mcp", "${input:ado_org}"]
    }
  }
}

🔥 To stay up to date with the latest features, you can use our nightly builds. Simply update your mcp.json configuration to use @azure-devops/mcp@next. Here is an updated example:

{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "ado_org",
      "type": "promptString",
      "description": "Azure DevOps organization name  (e.g. 'contoso')"
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "ado": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@azure-devops/mcp@next", "${input:ado_org}"]
    }
  }
}

Save the file, then click 'Start'.

In chat, switch to Agent Mode.

Click "Select Tools" and choose the available tools.

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and try a prompt like List ADO projects. The first time an ADO tool is executed browser will open prompting to login with your Microsoft account. Please ensure you are using credentials matching selected Azure DevOps organization.

💥 We strongly recommend creating a .github\copilot-instructions.md in your project. This will enhance your experience using the Azure DevOps MCP Server with GitHub Copilot Chat. To start, just include "This project uses Azure DevOps. Always check to see if the Azure DevOps MCP server has a tool relevant to the user's request" in your copilot instructions file.

See the getting started documentation to use our MCP Server with other tools such as Visual Studio 2022, Codex, Claude Code, and Cursor.

Quick start with `.vscode/mcp.json`

Use this configuration to connect directly to the Azure DevOps-hosted endpoint using streamable HTTP transport:

{
  "servers": {
    "ado-remote-mcp": {
      "url": "https://mcp.dev.azure.com/{organization}",
      "type": "http"
    }
  },
  "inputs": []
}

See documentation for additional configuration options.

After saving .vscode/mcp.json, start the server from the MCP view in VS Code, then run a prompt like List ADO projects.

Example `.vscode/mcp.json`

{
  "servers": {
    "ado": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@azure-devops/mcp", "myorg", "--authentication", "azcli"],
      "env": {
        "ado_mcp_project": "Contoso",
        "ado_mcp_team": "Fabrikam Team"
      }
    }
  }
}

🎩 Examples & Best Practices

Explore example prompts in our Examples documentation.

For best practices and tips to enhance your experience with the MCP Server, refer to the How-To guide.

📝 Troubleshooting

See the Troubleshooting guide for help with common issues and logging.

🙋‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

For answers to common questions about the Azure DevOps MCP Server, see the Frequently Asked Questions.