Bring Open Science
to VS Code Copilot
Learn how to connect Figshare to VS Code Copilot and start using 20 AI agent tools in minutes. Fully managed, enterprise secure, and ready to use without writing a single line of code.
GDPR Free for SubscribersCompatible with every major AI agent and IDE
Gemini
What is the Figshare MCP Server?
Connect your Figshare account to any AI agent to streamline your research data management and publication workflows through natural conversation.
What you can do
- Article Management — List public articles, fetch specific article details, and create, update, or delete private articles in your account.
- File Handling — List files associated with articles, initiate multi-part S3 uploads, and track file details for your research datasets.
- Collections & Projects — Create and list public collections and projects to organize your scholarly output effectively.
- Metadata Control — Update titles, descriptions, and other metadata for your articles to ensure they are discoverable and well-documented.
How it works
- Subscribe to this server
- Enter your Figshare Personal Access Token
- Start managing your research repository from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client
No more manual navigation through repository interfaces to check upload statuses or update metadata. Your AI acts as a research data manager.
Who is this for?
- Researchers & Academics — quickly upload datasets, update article descriptions, and check publication statuses without leaving your workspace.
- Data Managers — automate the organization of large collections and projects across institutional repositories.
- Librarians & Archivists — query public research outputs and manage metadata updates efficiently.
Built-in capabilities (20)
Complete a file upload
Create a new collection
Create a new private article
Create a new project
Delete an article
Get details of a specific article
Get total downloads for an article
Get total views for an article
Get custom metadata fields for the institution
Get file details
Get HR feed upload details
Initiate a file upload for an article
List files for an article
List public articles
List public collections
List public projects
Advanced search for articles
Advanced search for collections
Advanced search for projects
Update an existing article
Why VS Code Copilot?
GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings Figshare data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 20 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.
- —
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
Figshare in VS Code Copilot
Figshare and 4,000+ other MCP servers. One platform. One governance layer.
Teams that connect Figshare 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 | 4,000+ 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 Figshare in VS Code Copilot
The Figshare 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 20 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
Figshare for VS Code Copilot
Every tool call from VS Code Copilot to the Figshare MCP Server is protected by DLP redaction, cryptographic audit chains, V8 sandbox isolation, kill switch, and financial circuit breakers.
Frequently asked questions
Can I upload files to a Figshare article using this integration?
Yes. You can use initiate_file_upload to start the process and complete_file_upload once the data transfer is finished. You can also use list_article_files to verify the contents of any article.
How do I create a new private draft for my research?
Simply ask the agent to use the create_private_article tool. Provide a title and an optional description, and the agent will generate a new private entry in your Figshare account.
Is it possible to organize my articles into projects or collections?
Absolutely. You can use create_project or create_collection to set up organizational structures, and use list_public_projects or list_public_collections to browse existing ones.
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.
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