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To integrate an MCP server with Roo Code, open the Roo Code pane in VS Code, choose Edit Global MCP or Edit Project MCP, add the server under mcpServers, save the JSON, turn on Enable MCP Servers, and approve or invoke a tool. Use mcp_settings.json for a global connection or .roo/mcp.json for a project connection. Project configuration wins when both files define the same server name.
How Roo Code, MCP and VS Code fit together
Roo Code is the MCP client, the MCP server supplies tools or resources, and VS Code hosts the extension. In Roo Code’s documentation, an MCP server is described as a bridge that gives Roo Code access to external services such as databases, APIs and custom scripts. The server can run on your computer through standard input/output (STDIO), or it can be reached remotely through Streamable HTTP.
This distinction matters when you choose a configuration file, handle secrets, diagnose a connection, or decide whether a process should run on a developer workstation or elsewhere.
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| Scope | Roo Code action | File | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global | Edit Global MCP | mcp_settings.json |
A server you want available across workspaces |
| Project | Edit Project MCP | .roo/mcp.json |
A repository-specific server or configuration |
Open the Roo Code pane in VS Code, open its MCP settings view, and select the appropriate edit command. Both files use a top-level mcpServers object. If a server has the same name in both scopes, the project definition takes precedence. That lets a repository override a shared definition, but it also means a project file can unexpectedly change how a familiar server starts.
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Add a local MCP server over STDIO
A local server is launched by Roo Code. The command is the executable and args are passed to it. Optional fields control environment variables, approvals and whether the entry is disabled.
{
"mcpServers": {
"my-server": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["/path/to/server.py"],
"env": {
"API_KEY": "your_api_key"
},
"alwaysAllow": ["tool1"],
"disabled": false
}
}
}- Replace
/path/to/server.pywith the absolute path to your server. - Use the executable name that is available to the VS Code extension process, not merely one that works in an unrelated terminal.
- Put credentials in
envor another supported secret/input mechanism. Do not commit a real key in.roo/mcp.json. - Save the file, return to the MCP settings view, and start or restart the server if Roo Code shows a control for it.
- Invoke one tool and complete the approval prompt.
On Windows, a command such as npx may need to be launched through cmd.exe, depending on the command form and the extension environment. Follow the command form documented for your server and platform.
Connect a remote server with Streamable HTTP
For a server hosted elsewhere, use a URL rather than a local process command. Authentication headers belong in the server entry.
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{
"mcpServers": {
"remote-server": {
"type": "streamable-http",
"url": "https://your-server.example/mcp",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"
},
"disabled": false
}
}
}Roo Code documents optional headers, alwaysAllow, disabledTools, and a per-server timeout from 1 to 3,600 seconds. The documented default timeout is 60 seconds. Use a longer value only when the server genuinely needs it; a large timeout can make a failed request appear frozen.
Remote-connection checklist
- Confirm the URL is the MCP endpoint, not a normal website or REST endpoint.
- Verify the token format and header name required by the provider.
- Keep tokens out of committed project files; use a supported secret or environment mechanism where available.
- Set
disabledtofalse, save, then restart the connection. - Test a low-risk read-only tool before enabling write-capable tools.
Enable MCP tools and set approvals
Adding valid JSON does not activate MCP by itself. In Roo Code’s MCP settings panel, turn on Enable MCP Servers. When this switch is off, Roo Code removes MCP logic and MCP tool interfaces from the active system.
Connectivity and permission are separate. A server can be running while a tool still asks for approval. Tool auto-approval is configured per tool. The global Use MCP servers approval option must be enabled before an Always allow selection can take effect. Start with prompts for unfamiliar or write-capable tools; use alwaysAllow only for operations you have reviewed.
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Working example: Context7
Roo Code’s recommended-server guide gives Context7 as its first-choice general-purpose MCP server. Add it globally or to .roo/mcp.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"context7": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@upstash/context7-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}- Paste the entry into the selected Roo Code configuration.
- Enable MCP servers.
- Confirm
context7appears in the server list. - Start it if necessary and approve its first tool invocation.
Because this uses npx, the machine running VS Code needs a working Node.js/npm installation, and the extension process must be able to find npx.
Working example: GitHub MCP Server
GitHub’s installation guidance for Roo Code follows the same settings path. Open Roo Code’s MCP settings, choose Edit Global MCP or Edit Project MCP, paste GitHub’s supplied JSON, replace YOUR_GITHUB_PAT with a GitHub personal access token, and save. Treat that token as a secret: do not leave it in a repository file or paste it into logs, prompts or source control.
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Do not confuse Roo Code files with VS Code’s native MCP files
| System | Project file | Top-level key |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code native workspace format | .vscode/mcp.json |
servers |
| VS Code portable format | .mcp.json |
mcpServers |
| Roo Code documented project format | .roo/mcp.json |
mcpServers |
These are separate configuration systems unless the particular extension version explicitly documents interoperability. Putting a Roo Code entry in .vscode/mcp.json, or using servers in .roo/mcp.json, can make a server appear to be missing even though the JSON looks plausible.
Security before starting a local server
Microsoft warns that local MCP servers can run arbitrary code on your machine. Before enabling one, review its publisher and repository, the exact command and arguments, environment variables, and every requested tool. A server process has the permissions of the account that launches it. Prefer least-privilege tokens, keep secrets outside committed JSON, and avoid granting automatic approval to tools that modify files, repositories or external systems.
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Global versus project security trade-off
- Global: convenient, but every workspace that can use the entry may expose the same server and credentials.
- Project: easier to review alongside a repository, but never commit secrets and remember that collaborators may receive the configuration.
- Remote: avoids running provider code locally, but sends requests and credentials across a network to the configured endpoint.
Troubleshoot a server that is missing or not working
The server does not appear
- Confirm you edited Roo Code’s MCP view, not a native VS Code MCP file.
- Check the scope: a global entry belongs in
mcp_settings.json; a project entry belongs in.roo/mcp.json. - Validate the top-level key is exactly
mcpServersand that braces, commas and quotes form valid JSON. - Ensure Enable MCP Servers is on.
- Save the file and restart or reload the server from Roo Code’s status controls.
The server is listed but will not start
- Run the command manually with the same path and arguments.
- Use an absolute script path and verify the executable is visible to VS Code’s extension process.
- For
npxon Windows, try the documentedcmd.exeinvocation form. - Check that required environment variables are present and not misspelled.
A remote server times out
- Test network access to the configured MCP URL.
- Check the Authorization header and token expiration.
- Increase the per-server timeout only when slow, legitimate work requires it; the documented range is 1–3,600 seconds and the default is 60.
- Confirm the endpoint speaks Streamable HTTP MCP rather than a different API protocol.
The tool is visible but calls are blocked
Enable the global Use MCP servers approval option, then approve the individual tool or add it to the reviewed alwaysAllow list. Do not mistake an approval prompt for a transport failure.
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Operational choices: transport, secrets and control
| Decision | Local STDIO | Remote Streamable HTTP |
|---|---|---|
| Where code runs | On the VS Code machine | At the configured endpoint |
| Configuration | command and args |
type, url and optional headers |
| Main failure mode | Missing executable, path or environment | Network, authentication or endpoint timeout |
| Secret concern | Local environment and process permissions | Header storage and transmission to the remote service |
For repeatable team setups, document which scope is intended, which tools require approval, the expected timeout, and how credentials are supplied. If a project intentionally overrides a global server, give it a distinct name or document the override so troubleshooting starts with the effective configuration rather than the file someone happens to open first.
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Final verification checklist
- The server is in the intended global or project file.
- The file uses Roo Code’s
mcpServersschema. - Local entries have a valid command and arguments; remote entries have a Streamable HTTP URL.
- Secrets are not committed.
- Enable MCP Servers and, where needed, Use MCP servers are enabled.
- The server appears, starts successfully, and one deliberately chosen tool completes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use both a global and project MCP server with the same name?
Yes. Roo Code gives the project definition precedence over the global definition for that name.
What is the default Roo Code MCP timeout?
Roo Code documents a 60-second default, with a per-server range from 1 to 3,600 seconds.
Why does a valid .vscode/mcp.json not configure Roo Code?
Roo Code’s documented project file is .roo/mcp.json. VS Code’s native file is a separate configuration system and uses a different schema in its workspace format.
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