SFTP+ MCP

Full read/write access to SFTP/FTPS servers in VS Code with AI/Copilot integration

SFTP+ solves the read-only limitation of existing SFTP extensions by mounting remote servers as native Windows drives using rclone and WinFsp. NEW in v0.2.2: The AI agent can now autonomously reconnect a dropped connection and resume its work without user intervention!

Features

• 🤖 Copilot Integration - Give GitHub Copilot read/write access to remote files
• 🔌 Connect/Disconnect - Mount FTPS/SFTP servers as Windows drives
• 📁 Full Read/Write - Edit files directly, changes sync automatically
• 🔐 Secure Credentials - Passwords stored in VS Code's secure storage
• 🚀 Auto-Connect - Optionally connect on VS Code startup
• 📊 Status Bar - See active connections at a glance
• 🌳 Tree View - Manage connections from the activity bar
• 📂 File Browser - Browse remote files directly in VS Code
• ⚙️ Hybrid Config - Store connections globally or per-workspace

🤖 Copilot Integration

SFTP+ provides Language Model Tools that allow GitHub Copilot to interact directly with your remote files. This uses VS Code's native Language Model API - no external MCP server configuration required!

Note: This feature is specific to GitHub Copilot in VS Code. It is not a standalone MCP server.

How to Enable

1. Connect to your SFTP/FTPS server
2. In the file browser, click the AI icon (robot) next to a file or folder
3. Choose the access mode:
   • 🟢 Local Mode - Copilot edits a local copy, you review changes with diff preview before uploading
   • 🔴 Host Mode - Copilot writes directly to the remote server (use with caution)

Available AI Tools

Once MCP is enabled, Copilot can use these tools:

Sync Status Indicators

Tracked files show their sync status with colors:

• 🔴 Red - Remote is newer (needs download)
• 🔵 Blue - Local is newer (needs upload)
• 🟢 Green - Synced

Upload Changes

After editing a local copy, right-click the file and select "Upload to Host" to sync your changes back to the server.

Original File Backup

SFTP+ automatically backs up the original server version of every file before it's first modified — by an AI agent or a manual download. Backups are stored in .sftp-plus/originals/ and are never overwritten, so you can always rollback to the pre-modification state.

.sftp-plus/
├── tracking.json              # Sync metadata
├── {connection}/              # Working copies (editable)
│   └── path/to/file.php
└── originals/                 # Immutable server snapshots
    └── {connection}/
        └── path/to/file.php

Prerequisites

SFTP+ requires two external tools (Windows only). The extension can install them automatically via winget - just click on rclone or WinFsp in the SFTP+ panel.

Manual installation (optional)

If you prefer to install manually:

rclone:

winget install Rclone.Rclone

WinFsp:

winget install WinFsp.WinFsp

Note: A system reboot may be required after installing WinFsp.

Quick Start

1. Install the extension
2. Open the SFTP+ panel in the Activity Bar
3. Click the prerequisites (rclone/WinFsp) to install if needed
4. Click + to add a new connection
5. Fill in server details and save
6. Click the connection to mount it as a Windows drive!

Configuration

Connection Options

Note: idleTimeout is set to 0 by default since v0.1.5, meaning connections stay open as long as VS Code is running. The extension monitors connection health and will notify you if a connection is lost.

Storage Options

Connections can be stored in two locations:

• Global (settings.json) - Available in all workspaces
• Workspace (.vscode/sftp_plus.json) - Specific to current workspace

Passwords are stored securely in VS Code's SecretStorage, or optionally in the workspace JSON file.

Workspace Configuration File

You can create or edit .vscode/sftp_plus.json manually to configure connections for your workspace:

{
  "connections": [
    {
      "name": "My Server",
      "host": "ftp.example.com",
      "port": 21,
      "protocol": "ftps",
      "username": "myuser",
      "password": "mypassword",
      "remotePath": "/",
      "driveLetter": "Z",
      "autoConnect": false,
      "explicitTls": true,
      "ignoreCertErrors": false
    }
  ]
}

Password Storage Options

To store the password in the workspace file, simply add the password field to your connection object. If omitted, SFTP+ will prompt for the password and store it securely in VS Code's SecretStorage.

⚠️ Security Warning: If you add passwords to sftp_plus.json, make sure to add .vscode/sftp_plus.json to your .gitignore to avoid committing credentials to version control.

Extension Settings

Commands

How It Works

1. SFTP+ uses rclone to connect to your FTPS/SFTP server
2. WinFsp creates a virtual Windows drive
3. The remote filesystem is mounted to a drive letter (e.g., Z:)
4. VS Code can read/write files as if they were local
5. rclone syncs changes back to the server automatically

Note: SFTP+ uses the --inplace option to write directly to files without temporary .partial files. This ensures maximum compatibility with FTP/FTPS servers.

Limitations

• Windows only - WinFsp is Windows-specific
• External dependencies - Requires rclone and WinFsp installation
• Network-dependent - Performance depends on server latency

Troubleshooting

"rclone not found"

Make sure rclone is installed and in your PATH:

rclone version

"WinFsp not installed"

Install WinFsp and reboot if necessary:

winget install WinFsp.WinFsp

Connection fails

1. Check server address and port
2. Verify username and password
3. For self-signed certificates, enable ignoreCertErrors
4. Check the Output panel (View → Output → SFTP+) for logs

Drive not appearing

The mount may take a few seconds. Check for available drive letters.

Contributing

Issues and pull requests welcome on GitHub.

License

MIT © 2026 Raphael Cornuz