Can a user set MCP registry url in VS Code

[preeti-vi]

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We know that we can set MCP registry URL in Copilot settings in GitHub Copilot Enterprise account (currently avaialble in VS code insider)
Instead of this, can the MCP registry be set by user in VS Code?

So instead of setting MCP registry as a global setting, can the users be allowed to set the URL in the IDE?

[ArpanCodeX]

This question was started to clarify how GitHub Copilot Enterprise handles MCP (Model Context Protocol) registry configuration in VS Code, and whether that configuration can be made per-user (in the IDE) instead of being a global organization-level setting.

🧩 Context Behind the Question

Currently, in GitHub Copilot Enterprise (particularly in VS Code Insiders builds), administrators can configure the MCP registry URL globally via organization settings. This registry defines which context providers and plugins Copilot can access — for example, private APIs, documentation, or data sources that enrich Copilot’s responses.

However, that configuration is centrally controlled — typically set at the enterprise or organization level in GitHub’s management interface. Developers using VS Code automatically inherit it through their Copilot Enterprise connection.

The person asking this question wants to know if it’s possible for individual users to override or define their own MCP registry URLs directly in VS Code settings, instead of relying solely on the organization-wide configuration.

[preeti-vi]

Thanks @ArpanCodeX for making the question clear!

[preeti-vi]

@Aqib121201,
Can you please share some links to official documents or so, which will support this? Because we we are looking for some offcicial documents or confirmation from GitHub Copilot team.
Thank you.

[preeti-vi]

This is interesting. As per the second link for JetBrain's IDEs, the MCP registry url is configurable by user in the IDE.
It seems the feature is not available in VS Code ( as per the third link for VS Code)

So it means, the feature is available in few IDEs like JeBrain's IDEs, but not in VS Code. But it would also mean, in future the feature would be made available for VS Code as well. Am I right? Any thoughts on this? Please share.

Thanks a lot for sharing all the links!

[Yirmeyahuu]

I suppose, no, individual users cannot currently set a custom MCP registry URL directly in VS Code settings.
The MCP registry URL configuration is only available at the enterprise/organization level through GitHub Copilot's admin policies. This is by design - it's meant for admins to control which MCP servers are available to their organization.
For individual users, VS Code uses the default GitHub MCP server registry, and there's no built-in user-level setting to change this.
Workarounds:

Some third-party extensions (like vscode-mcp-installer or MCP Explorer) offer their own registry URL settings
You can manually configure MCP servers in your local configuration files instead of relying on registry discovery

If you need this as a user-level feature, consider opening a feature request on the VS Code or GitHub Copilot repositories.

[preeti-vi]

Thanks for the information and the suggestion. I would look into the extensions - vscode-mcp-installer or MCP Explorer.

[lewiii254]

Hello the simple answer is No, individual users cannot set the MCP registry URL directly in VS Code settings.
Why It's Global, Not Local
The MCP registry URL is considered an Enterprise Policy Setting. This means:
Admin Control: It's set by your organization's administrators in the GitHub Copilot Enterprise policy settings.

Governance: It's designed this way so admins can enforce which trusted, internal knowledge bases and tools (the MCP servers) Copilot is allowed to use across the entire organization for security and compliance.
Client Inheritance: Your VS Code instance automatically receives and uses the registry URL set by the admin when you log in with your Copilot Enterprise account.
If individual developers could override the registry URL, it would defeat the purpose of the organization's security and data governance policies.

[preeti-vi]

Ya, right. It is the current need of our setup to have user level configuration, so we are looking for it. Thanks!