Set up Wield in VS Code

#Does VS Code run local MCP servers?

Yes. VS Code runs a local server from a command over stdio, which is the form Wield uses. VS Code starts the process and lists its tools for the agent. Wield's wield-mcp process reaches your browser through a local bridge, so no port is opened.

#Config file and location

The guided flow asks where to save the server:

The VS Code docs also list a global Copilot file, ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json. Pick the location that fits how you work. A workspace file is the one to commit if a team should share the setup.

#The Wield snippet

{
  "servers": {
    "wield": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "wield-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Add "type": "stdio" to the wield block if the schema asks for it. Check the schema in the MCP configuration reference. The docs page we checked did not show a full mcp.json example, so verify the schema there.

#Check that it works

1. Confirm that wield appears in VS Code's MCP server list and that it is running.
2. In a terminal, run npx -y wield-mcp check. It runs one read-only sample and ends with "Wield is ready".
3. Ask the agent for a Wield task, for example "Find a Hautarzt in Berlin-Mitte who takes new public-insurance patients."

#Gotchas

• Top-level key. The key is servers. A mcpServers key will not work here. Do not copy the file between VS Code and other apps.
• init does not cover VS Code. Use the command palette or the file above.
• Absolute paths. If npx is not found, use the absolute path that init prints. GUI apps often start with a short PATH.
• Extension and bridge. The MCP entry alone is not enough. Install the extension and bridge from /install.

#FAQ

#Why does VS Code use a different key from other apps?

VS Code's own format uses a top-level servers key. The VS Code docs warn against copying between their format and the mcpServers format that other apps use.

#What is the easiest setup?

Run MCP: Add Server from the command palette. Choose Command (stdio), enter npx -y wield-mcp, and give the server the ID wield.

#Does VS Code need the Wield extension too?

Yes. The MCP entry starts wield-mcp, but recipes run in your Chromium browser through the Wield extension. Install Wield to set up both.

#What if the tools still do not show up?

Run npx -y wield-mcp doctor. It checks Node, the bridge, your browser registration, the extension connection and your AI apps, and it prints a fix for each problem. Check also that the top-level key in your file is servers, not mcpServers.

#Where are the Wield logs?

Wield logs every request on your computer only, in ~/.wield/logs. The logs keep the method, host, path, status and timing of each request. They never contain bodies, query values, parameters or results.