Bring Time Tracking
to VS Code Copilot
Learn how to connect DeskTime to VS Code Copilot and start using 12 AI agent tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code.
What is the DeskTime MCP Server?
Connect your DeskTime account to any AI agent and take full control of your workforce management and productivity tracking workflows through natural conversation.
What you can do
- Project & Task Orchestration — List and manage time-tracking projects and individual tasks programmatically to maintain a high-fidelity record of work distribution
- Team Visibility — Monitor real-time staff activity, including who is currently online and tracking time, to coordinate team availability and throughput
- Productivity Intelligence — Access comprehensive productivity reports and performance metrics for individual employees or the entire company directly through your agent
- Workflow Automation — Programmatically create new projects, assign tasks, and mark work as completed to streamline your project management cycle
- Administrative Oversight — Retrieve detailed company metadata and employee directories to maintain a perfectly coordinated workforce ecosystem
How it works
1. Subscribe to this server
2. Retrieve your API Key from your DeskTime settings (Settings > Integrations)
3. Start managing your team's productivity from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client
No more manual logging or digging through productivity charts in the dashboard. Your AI acts as your dedicated workforce operations and time-tracking coordinator.
Who is this for?
- Project Managers — instantly retrieve task completion reports and update project statuses using natural language commands
- Team Leads — monitor real-time availability and productivity scores without leaving your communication tools
- HR & Ops Leads — automate employee data retrieval and monitor company-wide time utilization through simple AI queries
Built-in capabilities (12)
Add task to project
Add new project
Get company details
Check employee stats
Check company performance
Get project info
List company employees
Check who is working
List tasks in project
List DeskTime projects
Complete a task
Delete a project
Why VS Code Copilot?
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings DeskTime data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 12 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
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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
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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
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GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services
DeskTime in VS Code Copilot
DeskTime and 3,400+ other MCP servers. One platform. One governance layer.
Teams that connect DeskTime to VS Code Copilot through Vinkius don't need to source, host, or maintain individual MCP servers. Every tool call runs inside a hardened runtime with credential isolation, DLP, and a signed audit chain.
Raw MCP | Vinkius | |
|---|---|---|
| Server catalog | Find and host yourself | 3,400+ managed |
| Infrastructure | Self-hosted | Sandboxed V8 isolates |
| Credential handling | Plaintext in config | Vault + runtime injection |
| Data loss prevention | None | Configurable DLP policies |
| Kill switch | None | Global instant shutdown |
| Financial circuit breakers | None | Per-server limits + alerts |
| Audit trail | None | Ed25519 signed logs |
| SIEM log streaming | None | Splunk, Datadog, Webhook |
| Honeytokens | None | Canary alerts on leak |
| Custom domains | Not applicable | DNS challenge verified |
| GDPR compliance | Manual effort | Automated purge + export |
Why teams choose Vinkius for DeskTime in VS Code Copilot
The DeskTime 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. All 12 tools execute in hardened sandboxes optimized for native MCP execution.
Your AI agents in VS Code Copilot only access the data you authorize, with DLP that blocks sensitive information from ever reaching the model, kill switch for instant shutdown, and up to 60% token savings. Enterprise-grade infrastructure, zero maintenance.
* 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
How Vinkius secures
DeskTime for VS Code Copilot
Every tool call from VS Code Copilot to the DeskTime MCP Server is protected by DLP redaction, cryptographic audit chains, V8 sandbox isolation, kill switch, and financial circuit breakers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find my DeskTime API Key?
Log in to your account, navigate to Settings > Integrations, and you will find your API Key at the bottom of the page.
Can I see who is currently online?
Yes! Use the list_online_staff tool to retrieve a real-time list of employees who are actively tracking their time.
Does it support detailed performance metrics?
The get_employee_performance tool provides granular productivity scores and time breakdown for specific dates.
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.
MCP tools not available
Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.