Where do I obtain my ReadMe API Key?

Log into your ReadMe dashboard. Navigate to your specific project, then open 'Configuration' and click on 'API Key'. You will use this key as the authentication parameter (our integration handles it natively as a Basic Auth username).

Does the server allow me to write or edit documentation?

Currently, the MCP server is focused on read-only operations. It can query, retrieve, and search changelogs, custom pages, and standard documentation categories, bringing context to the AI securely without risking accidental overwrites.

In what format is the document content returned?

All text and page content uses native Markdown format directly fetched from ReadMe's engine. This makes it perfect for the AI to interpret, syntax-highlight, and display naturally within chat or code comments.

ReadMe MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 10 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: ReadMe
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

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

Built by Vinkius GDPR 10 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.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

RecommendedModern Approach — Zero Configuration

Vinkius Desktop App

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

Download Free Open SourceNo signup required

Classic Setup·json

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

Fully ManagedVinkius Servers

60%Token savings

High SecurityEnterprise-grade

IAMAccess control

EU AI ActCompliant

DLPData protection

V8 IsolateSandboxed

Ed25519Audit chain

<40msKill switch

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 ReadMe MCP Server

Connect your ReadMe documentation hub directly to your AI agent. Enabling this integration turns your AI into an expert technical writer and reader, capable of instantly scanning your entire developer documentation, changelogs, and custom pages without context switching.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings ReadMe data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 10 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Documentation Search — Perform full-text searches across all your published guides and API references.
Content Retrieval — Fetch the exact Markdown content of any specific documentation page, changelog, or category.
Project Analysis — Understand how your documentation is categorized and structure new content accordingly.
Changelog Tracking — Pull recent product updates and announcements formally published to your users.

The ReadMe MCP Server exposes 10 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 ReadMe to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the ReadMe 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 ReadMe

Ask Copilot: "Using ReadMe, help me...". 10 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the ReadMe MCP Server

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

ReadMe + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the ReadMe 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

ReadMe MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (10)

These 10 tools become available when you connect ReadMe to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

get_category

Retrieves details for a specific documentation category

get_category_docs

Lists all documentation pages under a specific category

get_changelog

Retrieves the full content of a specific changelog post

get_custom_page

Retrieves the full content of a custom page

get_doc

Retrieves the full content of a documentation page

get_project

Retrieves details about the ReadMe project

list_categories

Lists all documentation categories on ReadMe

list_changelogs

Lists all changelog posts

list_custom_pages

Lists all custom standalone pages

search_docs

Performs a full-text search across all documentation pages

Example Prompts for ReadMe in VS Code Copilot

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

"Search the documentation for instructions on configuring webhooks."

"Get the contents of the changelog titled 'v2-api-release'."

"List all main documentation categories."

Troubleshooting ReadMe MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting ReadMe 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.

ReadMe + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating ReadMe 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.