Editor Setup

Connect CodeWiki MCP to VS Code or Claude Desktop.

VS Code — Command Palette (recommended)

The fastest way to add CodeWiki MCP to VS Code:

1. Open the Command Palette — press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS)
2. Type MCP and select MCP: Add Server
3. Choose Command (stdio) as the server type
4. Enter the command: codewiki-mcp
5. Enter a server ID — e.g. codewikiMcp
   Naming convention VS Code recommends camelCase for server IDs — no spaces or special characters.
6. Select a configuration scope:
   • User (Global) — available across all VS Code workspaces. Saved in your global user mcp.json.
   • Workspace — available only in the current workspace. Saved in .vscode/mcp.json (great for sharing with your team via source control).
7. VS Code creates and opens the mcp.json file — click Start above the server name to launch it
8. When prompted, confirm that you trust the server

VS Code — Manual JSON Config

Alternatively, create or edit .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace root:

{
  "servers": {
    "codewikiMcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "codewiki-mcp"
    }
  }
}

After saving, VS Code should detect the server. Click Start in the code lens above the server entry, or use MCP: List Servers > Start Server.

Claude Desktop

Add to your claude_desktop_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "codewiki": {
      "command": "codewiki-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Using MCP Tools in Chat

Once the server is running, open GitHub Copilot Chat in Agent mode. The 4 CodeWiki tools will appear in the tool picker.

You can also reference tools directly in your prompt by typing # followed by the tool name.

Troubleshooting

Server not starting?

• Verify codewiki-mcp is on your PATH: run codewiki-mcp --help in a terminal
• Check the MCP output log: MCP: List Servers > select the server > Show Output
• If using Docker, don't use the -d (detach) flag — the server must run in the foreground

Reset trust

If you need to re-authorize the server, run MCP: Reset Trust from the Command Palette.

Next Steps

Learn about the available tools → Tools Reference