How do I find my Pixabay API Key?

Log in to your [**Pixabay account**](https://pixabay.com/api/docs/), and you will find your API Key in the 'Parameters' section of the API documentation page. Copy and paste it below.

Can I search for videos specifically?

Yes. Use the `search_pixabay_videos` tool to retrieve free video clips and their associated metadata from the Pixabay catalog.

Are illustrations and vectors included?

Yes. When using the `search_pixabay_images` tool, you can specify the `image_type` parameter as 'illustration' or 'vector' to filter your results.

Pixabay API MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 3 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: Pixabay API
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

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

Built by Vinkius GDPR 3 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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Classic Setup·json

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

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About Pixabay API MCP Server

Empower your AI agent to orchestrate your entire visual content and media auditing workflow with the Pixabay API, the authoritative source for high-quality, royalty-free stock media. By connecting Pixabay to your agent, you transform complex media searches into a natural conversation. Your agent can instantly search for thousands of images and videos, audit tag distributions, and retrieve direct download links without you ever touching a stock photo portal. Whether you are building marketing collateral or conducting visual research, your agent acts as a real-time creative consultant, ensuring your media is always stunning and properly licensed.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings Pixabay API data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 3 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Image Auditing — Search for thousands of high-resolution images by keyword and retrieve detailed metadata, including tags and user info.
Video Oversight — Audit free video clips to understand the temporal distribution of visual content for your projects instantly.
Media Discovery — Filter results by image type (e.g., photo, illustration, vector) or orientation to identify relevant assets for your layout.
Visual Intelligence — Retrieve high-quality web previews and direct links to assist in deep-dive media classification.
Operational Monitoring — Check API status to ensure your media research workflow is always operational.

The Pixabay API MCP Server exposes 3 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 Pixabay API to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the Pixabay API 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 Pixabay API

Ask Copilot: "Using Pixabay API, help me...". 3 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the Pixabay API MCP Server

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

Pixabay API + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the Pixabay API 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

Pixabay API MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (3)

These 3 tools become available when you connect Pixabay API to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

check_api_status

Check if the Pixabay service is operational

search_pixabay_images

Search for free high-quality images on Pixabay

search_pixabay_videos

Search for free high-quality videos on Pixabay

Example Prompts for Pixabay API in VS Code Copilot

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

"Search for high-quality images of 'sunset over mountains' using Pixabay."

"Find illustrations of 'robot working' in 'horizontal' orientation."

"Search for free videos about 'nature' on Pixabay."

Troubleshooting Pixabay API MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting Pixabay API 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.

Pixabay API + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating Pixabay API 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.