How do I get an OpenAQ API Key?

Visit [**OpenAQ Platform**](https://platform.openaq.org/), create a free account, and generate your API key from the dashboard. Free tier includes 1,000 requests/hour.

What air quality parameters can I monitor?

PM2.5, PM10, O3 (ozone), NO2, SO2, CO, BC (black carbon), and more. Use `get_parameters` to see the full list with units and classifications.

Can I get historical air quality data?

Yes! Use `get_measurements` with date_from and date_to parameters in ISO 8601 format to retrieve time-series data for any location and parameter.

OpenAQ MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 9 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: OpenAQ
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

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

Built by Vinkius GDPR 9 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 OpenAQ and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

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Classic Setup·json

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

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* 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 OpenAQ MCP Server

Connect OpenAQ, the world's largest open air quality database, to any AI agent and monitor real-time pollution levels, track air quality trends, and access data from thousands of monitoring stations globally through natural language.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings OpenAQ data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 9 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Live Monitoring — Get the latest PM2.5, O3, NO2, SO2, and CO readings from any location worldwide
Historical Analysis — Query time-series measurement data with date range filters for trend analysis
Location Discovery — Browse monitoring stations by country, city, or geographic area
Sensor Tracking — View active sensor devices and their measurement parameters
Parameter Reference — Look up all measurable air quality parameters with units and classifications
Global Coverage — Access data from 100+ countries with thousands of active monitoring locations

The OpenAQ MCP Server exposes 9 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 OpenAQ to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the OpenAQ 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 OpenAQ

Ask Copilot: "Using OpenAQ, help me...". 9 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the OpenAQ MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with OpenAQ 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

OpenAQ + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the OpenAQ 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

OpenAQ MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (9)

These 9 tools become available when you connect OpenAQ to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

get_countries

Includes location counts and city counts per country. List countries with monitoring stations

get_latest_measurements

Useful for getting current air quality status without querying full history. Get latest measurements per location

get_location_by_id

Get details for a specific location

get_locations

Filter by country, city, parameter, or geographic bounding box. Returns location details including coordinates, sensor counts, and whether the station is an official monitor. List air quality monitoring locations

get_measurements

Filter by location, parameter, date range, and value range. Returns readings with timestamps. Get historical air quality measurements

get_parameter_by_id

Get details for a specific parameter

get_parameters

5, PM10, O3 (ozone), NO2, SO2, CO, etc. Includes units and whether each is a core parameter. List measurable air quality parameters

get_sensor_by_id

Get details for a specific sensor

get_sensors

Filter by location, parameter type, or active status. List air quality sensors

Example Prompts for OpenAQ in VS Code Copilot

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

"What's the current PM2.5 level in São Paulo, Brazil?"

"Which countries have the most air quality monitoring stations?"

"Show me ozone (O3) measurements from the last 24 hours in Paris."

Troubleshooting OpenAQ MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting OpenAQ 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.

OpenAQ + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating OpenAQ 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.