Connect GitHub Copilot in VS Code to your BoxOwl vault
VS Code's MCP integration lives under the user-settings file mcp.json. The wire-shape differs from other MCP hosts: it uses servers (not mcpServers) and each entry carries an explicit type: "stdio" discriminator. @boxowl/skills handles that delta for you.
Step 1 — Create an agent token
BoxOwl Android app:
Settings → AI Agent Connections → New.
Name "Copilot on <machine>"; starter scopes
vault:read, profile:read, agent:query.
Copy the plaintext token.
Step 2 — Install the local daemon
brew install boxowl/tap/boxowl-daemonStep 3 — Run the skills installer
npx @boxowl/skills add --platform=github-copilot --token=bxusr_…Writes to:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/mcp.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Code\User\mcp.json - Linux:
~/.config/Code/User/mcp.json
VS Code is the only MCP host today that puts servers under the
servers key (not mcpServers) and requires
type: "stdio" per entry. If you ever inspect the file
by hand, don't "normalize" the key shape — that's VS Code's
contract, not a typo.
Step 4 — Restart VS Code
Fully quit VS Code (not just close the window) and reopen. VS Code
loads MCP servers at startup; the new boxowl server
appears under Copilot's tool list after the restart.
Step 5 — Test a query
Open Copilot Chat in VS Code, switch to agent mode, and ask:
What's the shipping address on my BoxOwl vault?
Copilot invokes boxowl_get_item address.primary through
the MCP transport, the local daemon decrypts the row, and the
answer surfaces in the chat panel. High-risk writes
(credential saves, payment edits) gate behind a confirmation prompt
per the daemon's BOX-403-002 envelope.
Remove the connection
npx @boxowl/skills remove --platform=github-copilot
Strips the boxowl entry from VS Code's
mcp.json. Other MCP servers under
servers stay intact.