MCP List Tool Explorer

Browse MCP servers, discover their tools, inspect input schemas, and manage tool visibility from a VS Code sidebar.

MCP List Tool Explorer creates its own connection to each configured server to retrieve tool metadata. It does not call tools. Its enable/disable controls only mark tools as enabled or disabled in this extension; they do not change server permissions or tool availability in Copilot or other MCP clients.

Features

• Browse MCP servers and their connection status in the MCP SERVERS view.
• Connect, retry, refresh, and disconnect from servers.
• List each server's tools and descriptions, with search-friendly names in the VS Code Tree View.
• Open a tool to inspect its full definition and inputSchema as JSON.
• Copy a tool name from its context menu.
• Disable or re-enable individual tools in MCP List Tool Explorer. Disabled tools remain visible and can be re-enabled.
• Keep each tool's visibility preference per workspace, configuration file, server, and tool name. Preferences persist across refreshes and window reloads.
• Update the list when server tools change or when a workspace MCP configuration is saved.

Install from a VSIX

1. Open Extensions in VS Code.
2. Select … → Install from VSIX….
3. Choose the mcp-list-tool-explorer-<version>.vsix file.
4. Open MCP Explorer from the Activity Bar.

VS Code 1.99 or newer is required. Copilot is not required. For Remote SSH, WSL, or Dev Containers, install the extension in the workspace extension host where the MCP servers are available.

Configure MCP servers

The extension automatically checks common project and user MCP configuration locations. It reads servers and mcpServers JSON/JSONC files and opens its own connection to each listed server.

Automatically discovered workspace files:

Common user-level configurations are also checked for VS Code, Cursor, Kiro, Antigravity, Windsurf, Claude Desktop, and GitHub Copilot CLI. For other IDEs or custom locations, run MCP Explorer: Add Configuration File from the Command Palette. The file must use a supported JSON/JSONC configuration format.

The extension recognizes Antigravity's serverUrl field as a remote server URL, as well as the standard url field. Example using the broadly supported format:

{
  "servers": {
    "local-server": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["${workspaceFolder}/dist/server.js"],
      "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}",
      "envFile": "${workspaceFolder}/.env"
    },
    "remote-server": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://example.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:mcp-token}"
      }
    }
  },
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "mcp-token",
      "type": "promptString",
      "description": "MCP access token",
      "password": true
    }
  ]
}

The extension supports local stdio, Streamable HTTP (http), and legacy SSE (sse). Specify type: "sse" for an SSE server. If type is omitted, a configuration with url or serverUrl uses HTTP; otherwise it uses stdio. Set "disabled": true on a server to prevent the extension from connecting to it.

Supported variables are ${workspaceFolder}, ${workspaceFolder:name}, ${env:NAME}, and ${input:id}. Input prompts support promptString and pickString; values are requested again when connecting and are not stored by this extension. Command-based inputs and interactive OAuth login are not supported. Servers that require interactive OAuth without a configured token or header cannot connect.

The working directory defaults to the workspace folder containing the configuration, or to the configuration file's directory when it is outside the workspace. Relative cwd and envFile paths resolve from that base directory. The MCP process inherits the current environment; values in env override values from envFile.

The extension does not start servers when VS Code opens. Expand a server or select Connect / Retry to connect. Connections are available only in trusted workspaces. Each connection is owned by MCP List Tool Explorer; its status describes this extension's connection. Connect again after changing a server's configuration.

Enable or disable a tool

Use the inline action beside a tool to disable or re-enable it in MCP List Tool Explorer. The tool remains listed, and its full definition can still be opened. The server summary shows how many tools are enabled.

This preference only changes the tool's enabled/disabled label and state inside this extension. It does not filter tools presented to Copilot or other MCP clients, change the MCP server configuration, or change server-side permissions. The extension does not invoke tools.

Settings

Servers registered only through another extension's internal API or an IDE cloud account are not discovered automatically. Add a local configuration file with MCP Explorer: Add Configuration File.

Supported configuration references

• VS Code MCP configuration and discovery
• Cursor MCP integrations
• Kiro MCP configuration
• Google Antigravity MCP

Development

npm ci
npm run build
npm test
npm run package

Press F5 in this project to open an Extension Development Host. The VSIX bundles the extension dependencies. Node.js may still be needed to run local MCP servers.

References

• VS Code Tree View API
• MCP TypeScript SDK