VS MCP Server
VS MCP Server exposes Visual Studio features through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI assistants like Claude to interact with your IDE programmatically. Open files, read code, build projects, and more - all through natural conversation!
What is VS MCP Server?
VS MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that allows AI assistants like Claude, Cursor, and VS Code to vs mcp server exposes visual studio features through the model context protocol (mcp), enabling ai assistants like claude to interact with your ide programmatically. open files, read code, build proje...
VS MCP Server exposes Visual Studio features through the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI assistants like Claude to interact with your IDE programmatically. Open files, read code, build projects, and more - all through natural conversation!
This server falls under the Developer Tools category on MCPgee, the world's largest MCP server directory with 33,000+ servers.
Features
- VS MCP Server exposes Visual Studio features through the Mod
Use Cases
Maintainer
Works with
Installation
Manual Installation
npx vs-mcpserverConfiguration
Configuration Details
claude_desktop_config.json
Performance
Response Metrics
Resource Usage
How to Set Up and Use VS MCP Server
VS MCP Server is a Visual Studio 2022/2026 extension that exposes IDE features through the Model Context Protocol, allowing AI assistants like Claude to interact with your C# projects programmatically through natural conversation. It provides tools for opening and editing files, running builds, navigating code (find references, go to definition), setting debugger breakpoints, evaluating expressions, and inspecting the error list — all served over a local HTTP endpoint. C# developers can use this server to let Claude help them navigate large solutions, automate refactoring tasks, and debug issues without switching context away from their AI client.
Prerequisites
- Visual Studio 2022 or 2026 installed on Windows
- The VS MCP Server extension installed from the Visual Studio Marketplace or as a .vsix file
- An MCP-compatible client such as Claude Desktop or Claude Code configured to connect to a local HTTP MCP server
Install the Visual Studio extension
Open Visual Studio 2022 or 2026, go to Extensions > Manage Extensions, search for 'MCP Server', and click Download. Alternatively, download the .vsix file from the GitHub Releases page and double-click it to install.
Configure server settings in Visual Studio
In Visual Studio, navigate to Tools > Options > MCP Server. You can change the binding address, HTTP port (default: 5050), server name, and log level. Enable 'Auto-start server' if you want it to start with Visual Studio.
Start the MCP server
Start the server from Tools > MCP Server > Start Server, or enable auto-start in the options. The server will listen on http://localhost:5050 by default.
Add the server to your MCP client configuration
Configure your MCP client to connect to the Visual Studio MCP server over HTTP. This is a remote HTTP server, not a local process spawned by the client.
{
"mcpServers": {
"visualstudio": {
"type": "http",
"url": "http://localhost:5050"
}
}
}Add via Claude Code CLI (alternative)
If using Claude Code, you can add the server directly via the CLI.
claude mcp add --transport http visualstudio http://localhost:5050Verify the connection
Restart your MCP client and confirm the 'visualstudio' server appears as connected. You should see tools for document, build, editor, navigation, debugger, and diagnostic operations.
VS MCP Server Examples
Client configuration
claude_desktop_config.json entry for connecting to VS MCP Server over its local HTTP endpoint.
{
"mcpServers": {
"visualstudio": {
"type": "http",
"url": "http://localhost:5050"
}
}
}Prompts to try
Example prompts for controlling Visual Studio through the MCP server.
- "Open the file Controllers/HomeController.cs in my current Visual Studio solution"
- "Build the solution and show me any errors"
- "Find all references to the method ProcessOrder in the codebase"
- "Set a breakpoint on line 42 of OrderService.cs and start debugging"
- "Show me the current error list and summarize the most critical issues"Troubleshooting VS MCP Server
MCP client cannot connect to http://localhost:5050
Ensure the MCP Server is started in Visual Studio via Tools > MCP Server > Start Server. Check that no firewall or security software is blocking localhost connections on port 5050. You can change the port in Tools > Options > MCP Server if 5050 is already in use.
Extension does not appear in Tools menu after installation
Visual Studio extensions require a restart after installation. Close and reopen Visual Studio. If the menu still does not appear, check Extensions > Manage Extensions to confirm the extension is listed as Enabled, not just Installed.
Build tool returns stale results
The build tools operate on the currently loaded solution in Visual Studio. Ensure a solution is open and that you have saved all files before asking Claude to build. Use the 'clean solution' tool first if you suspect cached build artifacts.
Frequently Asked Questions about VS MCP Server
What is VS MCP Server?
VS MCP Server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that vs mcp server exposes visual studio features through the model context protocol (mcp), enabling ai assistants like claude to interact with your ide programmatically. open files, read code, build projects, and more - all through natural conversation! It connects AI assistants to external tools and data sources through a standardized interface.
How do I install VS MCP Server?
Follow the installation instructions on the VS MCP Server GitHub repository. Clone the repo, install dependencies, and add the server config to your AI client.
Which AI clients work with VS MCP Server?
VS MCP Server works with all major MCP-compatible AI clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (GitHub Copilot), Windsurf, and Cline.
Is VS MCP Server free to use?
Yes, VS MCP Server is open source and available under the MIT license. You can use it freely in both personal and commercial projects.
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Set Up VS MCP Server in Your Editor
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Quick Config Preview
Add this to your claude_desktop_config.json or .cursor/mcp.json
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