HotDocs MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 14 tools — connect in under 2 minutes
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.
ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER
Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.
Vinkius Desktop App
The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install HotDocs and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.
{
"mcpServers": {
"hotdocs": {
"url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
}
}
}
* 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 HotDocs MCP Server
Connect your HotDocs Advance tenancy to any AI agent and take full control of your document automation workflows through natural conversation.
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings HotDocs data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 14 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
What you can do
- Template Discovery — List all template packages and their versions available in your HotDocs tenancy
- Work Item Management — Create, inspect, and manage work items that hold interview data and assembled documents
- Interview Sessions — Initialize interview sessions programmatically for interactive data collection
- Automated Document Assembly — Inject answers via XML and trigger document generation without manual UI interaction
- Document Retrieval — List and download assembled documents (PDFs, Word docs) directly from the agent
- Validation & Auditing — Check unanswered variables, list work items by date range or user, and audit assembly history
The HotDocs MCP Server exposes 14 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 HotDocs to VS Code Copilot via MCP
Follow these steps to integrate the HotDocs 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 HotDocs
Ask Copilot: "Using HotDocs, help me...". 14 tools available
Why Use VS Code Copilot with the HotDocs MCP Server
GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with HotDocs 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
HotDocs + VS Code Copilot Use Cases
Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the HotDocs 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
HotDocs MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (14)
These 14 tools become available when you connect HotDocs to VS Code Copilot via MCP:
complete_assembly
This processes all collected answers and assembles the final documents based on the template configuration. After calling this, the assembled documents become available for download via list_documents and get_document_content. You must have already created a work item, created a version/session, and provided answers (via interview or update_answers). The workItemId and versionId must match an existing work item and its version. Complete document assembly for a work item version
create_interview_session
This endpoint prepares the system to collect answers for the template variables. The response contains interview data needed to render the HotDocs interview UI. Use this before displaying the interview to the user or before assembling documents. The versionId should be unique for each interview session (e.g., v1, v2, or a UUID). Create a new interview session for a work item
create_work_item
A work item is associated with a specific template package and holds answers provided during interviews. You must provide a unique workItemId (alphanumeric identifier you choose) and optionally a templatePackageId. The workItemId becomes the reference for all subsequent operations (interview, assembly, download). IMPORTANT: workItemId must be unique and URL-safe (letters, numbers, hyphens only). Create a new work item in HotDocs Advance
get_auth_token
This is primarily a utility function for debugging authentication issues. The token is used internally by all other tools automatically. If other tools fail with auth errors, verify your credentials are correct. Get a fresh HotDocs API access token
get_document_content
Use this to download the final generated document (PDF, Word, etc.) after assembly is complete. You need the workItemId and the documentId (obtained from list_documents). The response includes the document content and a download URL for direct access. Download/get content of an assembled document
get_template_package
Use the template package ID obtained from list_template_packages. This helps understand the template structure before creating work items. Get details of a specific template package
get_unanswered_variables
This shows which template variables were not provided answers during the interview process. Useful for validating interview completeness before or after document assembly. Requires the workItemId and documentId (from list_documents). The response includes the list of unanswered variables and assembly results. Get unanswered variables from an assembled document
get_work_item
Use this to inspect a work item before or after conducting interviews or assembling documents. The workItemId is the unique identifier you assigned when creating the work item. Get details of a specific work item
list_documents
After completing assembly, this shows all generated documents with their IDs, names, and metadata. Use the document IDs returned here to download individual documents via get_document_content. Each document entry includes filename, creation date, and assembly results information. List all assembled documents for a work item
list_template_packages
Template packages define the structure of documents that can be assembled. Each package contains interview questions and document output configurations. Use this to discover what templates are available for document assembly. The response includes package IDs which are required for creating work items. List all available template packages in HotDocs Advance
list_template_versions
Each template can have multiple versions over time. This shows version history and helps identify which version is currently live/active. Use the package_id from list_template_packages to query versions. List all versions of a template package
list_work_items
You can filter by user ID and/or date range to find specific work items. Leave all parameters empty to list all work items. This is useful for auditing, tracking progress, or finding existing work items to continue working on. Date format should be ISO 8601 (e.g., 2024-01-15 or 2024-01-15T10:30:00). List work items with optional filters
list_work_items_by_date
This is optimized for date-based filtering and auditing. Both fromDate and toDate are required for this tool. Use ISO 8601 date format (e.g., 2024-01-01 or 2024-01-01T00:00:00 for datetime). This is useful for generating reports on document assembly activity over time periods. List work items filtered by a specific date range
update_answers
The answer_xml parameter must contain valid HotDocs answer XML format that matches the template variables. This is useful for automated/batch document assembly where you already have the data. You can call this multiple times to incrementally add answers. Answer XML format example: <AnswerSet><A v="VariableName"><V>Answer Value</V></A></AnswerSet> Update answers for a work item using XML answer format
Example Prompts for HotDocs in VS Code Copilot
Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with HotDocs immediately.
"List all available template packages in my HotDocs tenancy."
"Create a new work item 'contract-2024-001' using the employment contract template and assemble a document with these details: employee name is John Smith, position is Software Engineer, start date is March 1st 2024, salary is $95,000."
"Show me all work items created in the last 30 days and check if there are any unanswered variables in the documents."
Troubleshooting HotDocs MCP Server with VS Code Copilot
Common issues when connecting HotDocs to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.
MCP tools not available
HotDocs + VS Code Copilot FAQ
Common questions about integrating HotDocs MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.
Which VS Code version supports MCP?
How do I switch to Agent mode?
Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?
Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?
.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.Connect HotDocs with your favorite client
Step-by-step setup guides for every MCP-compatible client and framework:
Anthropic's native desktop app for Claude with built-in MCP support.
AI-first code editor with integrated LLM-powered coding assistance.
GitHub Copilot in VS Code with Agent mode and MCP support.
Purpose-built IDE for agentic AI coding workflows.
Autonomous AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code.
Anthropic's agentic CLI for terminal-first development.
Python SDK for building production-grade OpenAI agent workflows.
Google's framework for building production AI agents.
Type-safe agent development for Python with first-class MCP support.
TypeScript toolkit for building AI-powered web applications.
TypeScript-native agent framework for modern web stacks.
Python framework for orchestrating collaborative AI agent crews.
Leading Python framework for composable LLM applications.
Data-aware AI agent framework for structured and unstructured sources.
Microsoft's framework for multi-agent collaborative conversations.
Connect HotDocs to VS Code Copilot
Get your token, paste the configuration, and start using 14 tools in under 2 minutes. No API key management needed.