What Arlo devices are supported by this API?

The Arlo Smart API supports all Arlo devices including: Arlo Basestations (VMB4500, VMB5000), Arlo Cameras (Pro, Ultra, Essential, Go), Video Doorbells, Floodlight Cameras, and Arlo Lights. Use `list_arlo_devices` to see all devices in your account with their types and connection status.

How do I get an Arlo authentication token?

Authenticate with the Arlo API by sending your email and password to the Arlo auth endpoint (ocapi-app.arlo.com/api/auth). The API returns an authentication token that you can use for all subsequent requests. The token should be refreshed periodically as it expires after a set duration.

What's the difference between arming and disarming an Arlo device?

**Arming** (mode1) enables motion detection and automatic recording on the device. When armed, the camera will detect motion, record video clips, and send alerts to your phone. **Disarming** (mode0) disables motion detection and recording. The camera remains powered on but won't trigger recordings. Use arming when you're away and want security monitoring, and disarming when you're home to avoid false alerts.

How do I download recordings from Arlo?

Use `get_arlo_recordings` with a date range to retrieve recordings. The response includes `presignedContentUrl` for each recording — these are temporary download links that expire after a set time. You can directly download the MP4 video files using these URLs. For thumbnail images, use `presignedThumbnailUrl`. Use `get_recent_arlo_recordings` for a quick way to get today's recordings.

Arlo Smart MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 11 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Arlo Smart
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 11 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

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The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install Arlo Smart and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

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Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "arlo-smart": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

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Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About Arlo Smart MCP Server

Connect to Arlo Smart API and control your Arlo security cameras, review recordings, and manage security modes from any AI agent. Arm and disarm cameras, browse recorded videos, and monitor your home security through natural language commands.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings Arlo Smart data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 11 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Device Discovery — List all Arlo devices including basestations, cameras, doorbells, and floodlights
Recording Access — Browse and download recorded videos from any camera with presigned URLs
Recent Activity — Quickly check today's recordings across all cameras
Security Modes — View and change automation modes (armed, disarmed, custom modes)
Arm/Disarm — Enable or disable security monitoring on individual devices or basestations
Recording Management — Delete old recordings to free up cloud storage space
Metadata Access — Get detailed recording metadata including duration, timestamps, and download links

The Arlo Smart MCP Server exposes 11 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect Arlo Smart to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Arlo Smart MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using Arlo Smart

Ask Copilot: "Using Arlo Smart, help me...". 11 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the Arlo Smart MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with Arlo Smart through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

Arlo Smart + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the Arlo Smart MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

Arlo Smart MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (11)

These 11 tools become available when you connect Arlo Smart to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

arm_arlo_device

This enables motion detection and recording for the device. USE WHEN: - User wants to enable security monitoring - User asks to "arm the cameras" or "turn on security" - User wants to enable motion detection and recording - User is leaving home and wants security enabled PARAMETERS: - deviceId (REQUIRED): Arlo device ID to arm EXAMPLES: - "Arm the front door camera" → call with deviceId="FRONT_DOOR_ID" - "Enable security on the backyard camera" → call with deviceId="BACKYARD_ID" - "Arm the basestation" → call with deviceId="BASESTATION_ID" Arm an Arlo device (enable security monitoring)

delete_arlo_recordings

This action is permanent and cannot be undone. USE WHEN: - User wants to free up cloud storage space - User wants to remove old or unwanted recordings - User asks to "delete recordings from [date]" - User is managing their Arlo cloud storage PARAMETERS: - recordings (REQUIRED): JSON array of recording objects to delete (from get_arlo_recordings response) EXAMPLES: - "Delete these recordings" → call with recordings=[{...}] Delete Arlo recordings from the library

disarm_arlo_device

This disables motion detection and recording for the device. USE WHEN: - User wants to disable security monitoring - User asks to "disarm the cameras" or "turn off security" - User wants to disable motion detection temporarily - User is home and wants to disable security PARAMETERS: - deviceId (REQUIRED): Arlo device ID to disarm EXAMPLES: - "Disarm the front door camera" → call with deviceId="FRONT_DOOR_ID" - "Disable security on the backyard camera" → call with deviceId="BACKYARD_ID" - "Disarm the basestation" → call with deviceId="BASESTATION_ID" Disarm an Arlo device (disable security monitoring)

get_arlo_device_modes

Shows whether the device is armed, disarmed, or in a custom mode. Get the current automation modes for an Arlo device

get_arlo_recording_metadata

Get detailed metadata for an Arlo recording

get_arlo_recordings

Returns presigned URLs for downloading video files along with metadata like duration, device ID, and creation date. USE WHEN: - User wants to download or view Arlo recordings - User needs to check what was recorded on specific dates - User is reviewing security footage - User asks "show me recordings from [date range]" PARAMETERS: - dateFrom (REQUIRED): Start date in YYYYMMDD format (e.g. 20260407) - dateTo (REQUIRED): End date in YYYYMMDD format - deviceId (OPTIONAL): Filter by specific device ID EXAMPLES: - "Get recordings from April 7 2026" → call with dateFrom="20260407", dateTo="20260407" - "Show recordings from last week" → call with dateFrom="20260331", dateTo="20260406" - "Get recordings for camera XYZ on April 5" → call with dateFrom="20260405", dateTo="20260405", deviceId="XYZ" Get Arlo camera recordings for a date range

get_recent_arlo_recordings

Useful for quickly checking recent security activity. Get recent Arlo recordings from the last 24 hours

list_arlo_basestations

Basestations are the central hubs that connect wireless Arlo cameras to your network. List Arlo basestation/hub devices only

list_arlo_cameras

List Arlo camera devices only

list_arlo_devices

Each device includes deviceId, deviceName, deviceType, state, and connection status. USE WHEN: - User wants to see all their Arlo security devices - User needs to find device IDs for other commands - User is exploring their Arlo security setup - User asks "what Arlo devices do I have" EXAMPLES: - "List all my Arlo devices" → call with no params - "Show my Arlo security devices" → call with no params - "What Arlo cameras and basestations do I have?" → call with no params List all Arlo devices (basestations and cameras)

set_arlo_device_mode

Common modes: mode0 (disarmed), mode1 (armed), mode2 (armed with all motion). You can also use custom mode IDs created in the Arlo app. USE WHEN: - User wants to arm or disarm their Arlo security system - User wants to switch between different security modes - User asks to "arm the cameras" or "disarm the system" - User wants to enable/disable motion detection PARAMETERS: - deviceId (REQUIRED): Arlo device ID - mode (REQUIRED): Mode identifier (mode0=disarmed, mode1=armed, mode2=armed all motion, or custom mode ID) EXAMPLES: - "Arm the front door camera" → call with deviceId="FRONT_DOOR_ID", mode="mode1" - "Disarm all cameras" → call with deviceId="BASESTATION_ID", mode="mode0" - "Set to home mode" → call with deviceId, mode="mode_custom_home" Set the automation mode for an Arlo device

Example Prompts for Arlo Smart in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with Arlo Smart immediately.

"List all my Arlo devices and show me which cameras I have."

"Show me today's recordings from all my Arlo cameras."

"Arm all my Arlo cameras for when I leave the house."

Troubleshooting Arlo Smart MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting Arlo Smart to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

Arlo Smart + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating Arlo Smart MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.