Getting Started

VS Code Memory

Long-term memory for GitHub Copilot in VS Code: the MemorySync MCP server connects in one click, one command, or one config block — with API-key or OAuth sign-in — and gives agent mode a memory that persists across sessions, workspaces, Dev Containers, and the Copilot coding agent on github.com.

What you get

Surface	What works
Copilot agent mode	The full MemorySync tool set (search, add, list, update, delete, entities, events). Read-only tools carry `readOnlyHint`, so VS Code runs them without a confirmation dialog; writes ask once.
User profile or workspace	One `mcp.json` at either scope — your memory follows you across every project, or one repo shares its config with the whole team.
Dev Containers & Codespaces	A `devcontainer.json` block auto-provisions the server inside the container.
Copilot coding agent (github.com)	The cloud agent that opens PRs for you can carry the same memory — repo settings, documented below (nobody else documents this).

	Mem0	Supermemory	Zep	MemorySync
Dedicated VS Code docs	✗ 404	✗ none	✗ none	✓ this page
Copy-paste config is correct for VS Code	△ generic CLI only	✗ uses `mcpServers` — VS Code reads `servers`	—	✓ exact shapes, both scopes
One-click install link	✗	✗	✗	✓ with and without API-key prompt
Auth for individuals	✓ OAuth/key	△ OAuth only	✗ enterprise OIDC	✓ API key (input-var) or OAuth (DCR)
Copilot coding agent documented	✗	✗	✗	✓ secrets, schema, limits

Install

# A. One command (any shell; the JSON is one argument):
code --add-mcp '{"name":"memorysync","type":"http","url":"https://mcp.memorysync.io/mcp"}'
# Windows PowerShell 5.1 mangles inner quotes — use the stop-parsing operator:
#   code --% --add-mcp "{\"name\":\"memorysync\",\"type\":\"http\",\"url\":\"https://mcp.memorysync.io/mcp\"}"

# B. One command, both servers, via the installer:
npx memorysync-mcp-install --client vscode-user     # user profile
npx memorysync-mcp-install --client vscode          # this workspace (.vscode/mcp.json)

# C. One click — "Install in VS Code" link (OAuth sign-in):
# vscode:mcp/install?%7B%22name%22%3A%22memorysync%22%2C%22type%22%3A%22http%22%2C%22url%22%3A%22https%3A%2F%2Fmcp.memorysync.io%2Fmcp%22%7D

# D. By hand — see the config blocks below, then:
#    Command Palette → "MCP: List Servers" to confirm it loaded

With a bare URL, VS Code runs the OAuth flow on first connection (dynamic client registration, then a browser sign-in — MemorySync supports both). Prefer an API key? Use the input-variable pattern below: VS Code prompts once, masks the value, and never writes the key into the file.

The exact config shapes

{
  "servers": {
    "memorysync": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.memorysync.io/mcp",
      "headers": { "X-API-Key": "${input:memorysync-api-key}" }
    },
    "memorysync-docs": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://docs.memorysync.io/mcp"
    }
  },
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "memorysync-api-key",
      "description": "MemorySync API Key",
      "password": true
    }
  ]
}

The user-profile file has the same shape — open it with MCP: Open User Configuration. VS Code’s top-level key is servers (not mcpServers — configs copied from Cursor or Claude Desktop docs silently fail). Drop the headers/inputs pair to use OAuth instead. Note the Agent Host caveat: servers using ${input:} variables are not forwarded to Codespaces’ native agent — use OAuth or repo-root .mcp.json there.

Copilot coding agent (github.com)

The cloud Copilot agent that works on issues and opens PRs configures MCP separately: Repo Settings → Copilot → Coding agent → MCP configuration. The schema differs from VS Code’s on purpose — top-level mcpServers, a required tools array, and secrets that must be named with the COPILOT_MCP_ prefix (added under Environments → copilot → Secrets):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "memorysync": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.memorysync.io/mcp",
      "headers": { "X-API-Key": "$COPILOT_MCP_MEMORYSYNC_API_KEY" },
      "tools": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

Cloud-agent limits (all vendors): tools only — no resources or prompts; no OAuth — header auth is the only option, which is why MemorySync’s API-key path matters here; and the agent calls tools autonomously without per-call confirmation.

Using it

You say (agent mode)	What happens
“What do you remember about me?”	Copilot calls `search_memory` and answers from your stored context — no confirmation dialog, the tool is read-only.
“Remember that this repo deploys from the release branch.”	Copilot calls `add_memory`; VS Code shows one write-confirmation you can approve.
“What did we decide about auth last week?”	Semantic search over your history — decisions follow you across workspaces.

Pick which tools are exposed per chat with the tools button (Configure Tools). Trust prompts appear once when a server is first added from the gallery or CLI; MCP: Reset Trust clears them.

Supported versions

Surface	Requires	Verified on
VS Code MCP (user + workspace)	VS Code with GA MCP support, Copilot	VS Code 1.134.0 on Windows: installer-written config, `code --add-mcp`, server list
OAuth sign-in	Nothing extra	RFC 7591 dynamic client registration + loopback/https redirect URIs verified against production
Copilot coding agent	Repo admin + Copilot	Config schema per docs.github.com (header auth, `tools` required)

Where to go next

MemorySync MCP

The memory tools behind this page.

Memory Tools

Every MCP tool, argument by argument.

Cursor Memory

The same memory in the Cursor IDE.

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Devin (Windsurf)

OpenClaw