Agent skill

Syncing MCP Servers

by microsoft-foundry in microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp

Synchronize MCP server configuration between VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json) and Copilot CLI (~/.copilot/mcp-config.json).

Install Syncing MCP Servers

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp --skill syncing-mcp-servers -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp syncing-mcp-servers --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers .claude/skills/syncing-mcp-servers && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Paste into Claude Code

Install the "syncing-mcp-servers" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp/tree/main/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers into .claude/skills/syncing-mcp-servers/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "syncing-mcp-servers", then confirm the skill loads.

Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

$skill-installer

$skill-installer install https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp/tree/main/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers

Type this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp --skill syncing-mcp-servers -a codex

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp syncing-mcp-servers --agent codex

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers .agents/skills/syncing-mcp-servers && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.

Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/

Paste into Codex

Install the "syncing-mcp-servers" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp/tree/main/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers into .agents/skills/syncing-mcp-servers/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "syncing-mcp-servers", then confirm the skill loads.

Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp --skill syncing-mcp-servers -a cursor

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp syncing-mcp-servers --agent cursor

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers .cursor/skills/syncing-mcp-servers && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.

Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/

Paste into Cursor

Install the "syncing-mcp-servers" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp/tree/main/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers into .cursor/skills/syncing-mcp-servers/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "syncing-mcp-servers", then confirm the skill loads.

Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

gemini skills install

$ gemini skills install https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp.git --path .github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers

--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp --skill syncing-mcp-servers -a gemini-cli

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp syncing-mcp-servers --agent gemini-cli

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers .gemini/skills/syncing-mcp-servers && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.

Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into Gemini CLI

Install the "syncing-mcp-servers" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp/tree/main/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers into .gemini/skills/syncing-mcp-servers/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "syncing-mcp-servers", then confirm the skill loads.

Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp syncing-mcp-servers

Installs for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp --skill syncing-mcp-servers -a github-copilot

Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers .github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.

GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into GitHub Copilot

Install the "syncing-mcp-servers" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp/tree/main/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers into .github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "syncing-mcp-servers", then confirm the skill loads.

GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

skills CLI

$ npx skills add microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp --skill syncing-mcp-servers -a opencode

OpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.

GitHub CLI

$ gh skill install microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp syncing-mcp-servers --agent opencode

Project scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.

Manual copy

$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers .opencode/skills/syncing-mcp-servers && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.

OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/

Paste into OpenCode

Install the "syncing-mcp-servers" agent skill from https://github.com/microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp/tree/main/.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers into .opencode/skills/syncing-mcp-servers/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "syncing-mcp-servers", then confirm the skill loads.

OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.

Facts

Skill name: syncing-mcp-servers
GitHub stars: 127
Token cost: ~1.3k tokens
SKILL.md length: 593 words
Files: 1
Skills in repo: 19
Repo updated: Apr 21, 2026
First seen: Oct 7, 2026
Licence: MIT

At a glance

Synchronize MCP server configuration between VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json) and Copilot CLI (~/.copilot/mcp-config.json).

Works in 5 steps: Read the source of truth → Read the user's CLI config → Convert and merge → …
Setting up Copilot CLI for the first time
SKILL.md covers Why This Exists, Format Differences, Workflow and Important Rules, plus 3 more sections
Reaches learn.microsoft.com

What it does

Syncing MCP Servers is an agent skill from microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp. Synchronize MCP server configuration between VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json) and Copilot CLI (~/.copilot/mcp-config.json). Use when setting up Copilot CLI for the first time, when MCP servers are added or changed in the repo, or when a user reports missing MCP tools in CLI.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.3k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Agent Workflows, covering MCP servers. It works with Model Context Protocol and Visual Studio Code. The repository describes itself as: GitHub Copilot enabled repo for building and deploying a web application with Entra ID authentication and integrated with Azure AI Foundry Agents. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

Setting up Copilot CLI for the first time
MCP servers are added
Changed in the repo
A user reports missing MCP tools in CLI

Example prompts

“/syncing-mcp-servers”

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

Read the source of truth
Read the user's CLI config
Convert and merge
Write the updated CLI config
Verify

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit f6cb362. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are json).
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:
- learn.microsoft.com
Also links to:
- docs.github.com
- code.visualstudio.com
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Syncing MCP Servers loads about 1.3k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 72 tokens; SKILL.md has 593 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it: ~72
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches: ~1.3k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp at commit f6cb362, republished under its MIT licence (© microsoft-foundry). 593 words, ~1,339 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/syncing-mcp-servers/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).

name: syncing-mcp-servers
description: Synchronize MCP server configuration between VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json) and Copilot CLI (~/.copilot/mcp-config.json). Use when setting up Copilot CLI for the first time, when MCP servers are added or changed in the repo, or when a user reports missing MCP tools in CLI.

Syncing MCP Servers

This skill ensures MCP server configurations stay in sync between VS Code (repo-level) and Copilot CLI (user-level).

Why This Exists

VS Code and Copilot CLI use different config files with different JSON formats for MCP servers. Neither reads the other's config. This skill bridges that gap.

Platform	Config File	Top-Level Key	Scope
VS Code	`.vscode/mcp.json`	`"servers"`	Per-workspace (repo, checked into git)
Copilot CLI	`~/.copilot/mcp-config.json`	`"mcpServers"`	Per-user (global, all repos)

Format Differences

VS Code format (`.vscode/mcp.json`)

json

{
  "servers": {
    "playwright": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest", "--viewport-size=1024,768"]
    },
    "microsoftdocs": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

CLI format (`~/.copilot/mcp-config.json`)

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "playwright": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": "npx",
      "tools": ["*"],
      "args": ["@playwright/mcp@latest", "--viewport-size=1024,768"]
    },
    "microsoftdocs": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Key differences:

Top-level key: "servers" (VS Code) vs "mcpServers" (CLI)
Local servers: CLI requires "type": "local" — VS Code infers it from "command"
Tool filtering: CLI supports "tools": ["*"] (or specific tool names) — VS Code uses "tools" differently in its config
Comments: VS Code's mcp.json supports JSON with comments (JSONC) — CLI does not

Workflow

Step 1 — Read the source of truth

Read .vscode/mcp.json from the repo. This is the canonical config, maintained by the team and checked into git.

Step 2 — Read the user's CLI config

Read ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json. This may contain servers from other projects — do not overwrite them.

On Windows: $env:USERPROFILE\.copilot\mcp-config.json On macOS/Linux: ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

The location can be overridden by the user via --config-dir flag or XDG_CONFIG_HOME env var. Check if either is set.

Step 3 — Convert and merge

For each server in .vscode/mcp.json:

Local servers (have "command"): Add "type": "local" and "tools": ["*"] for CLI format
HTTP servers (have "type": "http"): Copy as-is — format is identical
Skip any server that already exists in the CLI config with matching "command" and "args" (or matching "url" for HTTP types)
Warn if an existing CLI server has the same name but different config — ask the user whether to overwrite

Step 4 — Write the updated CLI config

Write the merged config back to ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json. Preserve JSON formatting (2-space indent).

Step 5 — Verify

Run copilot --prompt "list available MCP tools" --allow-all-tools -p "run /mcp show and exit" or instruct the user to run /mcp show in their next CLI session to confirm the servers are available.

Show full SKILL.md (254 more words)Show less

Important Rules

Never delete servers from the CLI config that aren't in the repo's VS Code config — the user may have servers from other projects
Always back up the CLI config before writing: copy to mcp-config.json.bak
Strip comments when reading VS Code's JSONC file — parse it as JSONC, not strict JSON
Preserve user's existing servers — merge, don't replace
Report what changed — list servers added, updated, or skipped

Reverse Sync (CLI → VS Code)

If the user added new MCP servers via CLI (/mcp add) that should also be available in VS Code:

Read ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json for any servers not in .vscode/mcp.json
Convert: remove "type": "local" and "tools" fields (VS Code infers these)
Add to .vscode/mcp.json under "servers" key
Preserve existing comments in the JSONC file — add new servers at the end of the "servers" block

Future-Proofing

The CLI and VS Code MCP config formats may converge in the future. Before syncing:

Check if CLI now reads .vscode/mcp.json — look for a .vscode/mcp.json or .github/copilot/mcp.json entry in CLI docs or copilot help output
Check if the top-level key has changed — CLI may adopt "servers" or VS Code may adopt "mcpServers"
Check for a unified config path — a .github/mcp.json or similar repo-level config that both platforms read

If any of these converge, update this skill and simplify the sync process.

Reference

VS Code MCP docs
CLI MCP docs
Custom agents config (tools + MCP)
CLI flag: --additional-mcp-config @<file-path> — loads extra MCP config for one session without modifying ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

Files

Just SKILL.md in .github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers of microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit f6cb362

Compare with similar skills

Syncing MCP Servers next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Syncing MCP Servers compared with similar skills
Skill	Stars	Used in	Tokens	Auto-check	Licence	Repo updated
Syncing MCP Servers this skillmicrosoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp	127	—	~1.3k	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	5 mo ago
Cao MCP Appsawslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator	1.4k	—	~1.9k	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	today
CC Workflow Studio AI Editorbreaking-brake/cc-wf-studio	5.4k	—	~561	Automated safety check: Pass	Custom licence	yesterday
Agnixagent-sh/agnix	444	—	~874	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	yesterday
Claude Docs Consultantcentminmod/my-claude-code-setup	2.7k	—	~959	Automated safety check: Pass	MIT	10 days ago
Agnixagent-sh/agnix	444	—	~563	Automated safety check: Pass	Apache-2.0	yesterday

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Questions about Syncing MCP Servers

What does Syncing MCP Servers do?

Synchronize MCP server configuration between VS Code (.vscode/mcp.json) and Copilot CLI (~/.copilot/mcp-config.json). Syncing MCP Servers is an agent skill from microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp.json).

When should I use Syncing MCP Servers?

Syncing MCP Servers fits situations like: setting up Copilot CLI for the first time; MCP servers are added; changed in the repo; A user reports missing MCP tools in CLI.

How do I install Syncing MCP Servers in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp --skill syncing-mcp-servers -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers in microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp) into .claude/skills/syncing-mcp-servers in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Syncing MCP Servers in Codex?

Run `npx skills add microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp --skill syncing-mcp-servers -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers in microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp) into .agents/skills/syncing-mcp-servers in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Syncing MCP Servers in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp --skill syncing-mcp-servers -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/syncing-mcp-servers, .gemini/skills/syncing-mcp-servers, .github/skills/syncing-mcp-servers and .opencode/skills/syncing-mcp-servers in your project.

What does Syncing MCP Servers need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Syncing MCP Servers is instructions for the agent only.

Does Syncing MCP Servers access the network?

SKILL.md names 3 domains. In commands or code: learn.microsoft.com; the agent is likely to contact it when it follows the instructions. As links in the text: docs.github.com and code.visualstudio.com. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Syncing MCP Servers safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Syncing MCP Servers use?

Syncing MCP Servers is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Syncing MCP Servers use?

About 1.3k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.4k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Syncing MCP Servers?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Syncing MCP Servers: Cao MCP Apps (awslabs/cli-agent-orchestrator, 1.4k stars), CC Workflow Studio AI Editor (breaking-brake/cc-wf-studio, 5.4k stars), Agnix (agent-sh/agnix, 444 stars) and Claude Docs Consultant (centminmod/my-claude-code-setup, 2.7k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Syncing MCP Servers?

microsoft-foundry (a GitHub organization) maintains it in microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp, which has 127 GitHub stars. The repository holds 19 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on April 21, 2026.

Source: microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.

Install Syncing MCP Servers

Facts

At a glance

What it does

When your agent uses it

Example prompts

Workflow steps

What it can do on your machine

Tool permissions

Runs code

Network

Credentials

Context cost

Safety

SKILL.md

Syncing MCP Servers

Why This Exists

Format Differences

VS Code format (.vscode/mcp.json)

CLI format (~/.copilot/mcp-config.json)

Key differences:

Workflow

Step 1 — Read the source of truth

Step 2 — Read the user's CLI config

Step 3 — Convert and merge

Step 4 — Write the updated CLI config

Step 5 — Verify

Important Rules

Reverse Sync (CLI → VS Code)

Future-Proofing

Reference

Files

Compare with similar skills

Similar skills

More from microsoft-foundry/foundry-agent-webapp

Related

Questions about Syncing MCP Servers

VS Code format (`.vscode/mcp.json`)

CLI format (`~/.copilot/mcp-config.json`)