Hooklistener

MCP setup · VS Code

Hooklistener MCP server for GitHub Copilot in VS Code

Add Hooklistener to .vscode/mcp.json under servers with "type": "http" and the server URL, then start it and trust it when VS Code asks. Copilot's agent gets Hooklistener's tools in the Chat view, so it can create a webhook URL, wait for the event and replay it while it works on your code. VS Code supports MCP authentication, so you sign in with your Hooklistener account in the browser.

Setup checked against VS Code docs, September 2026

.vscode/mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    "hooklistener": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://app.hooklistener.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Config file
.vscode/mcp.json or user mcp.json
Top-level key
servers (not mcpServers)
Transport
"type": "http", falls back to SSE
Requires
VS Code 1.102+ and Copilot access
Tool limit
128 tools per chat request

Setup

Connect VS Code step by step

  1. 01

    Add the server

    Create .vscode/mcp.json to share it with the workspace, or run MCP: Open User Configuration to add it for every workspace. The command palette's MCP: Add Server walks you through the same fields.

    .vscode/mcp.json
    {
  "servers": {
    "hooklistener": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://app.hooklistener.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}
  2. 02

    Or add it from the command line

    code --add-mcp takes the same server config as JSON, plus a name, and writes it to your user profile.

    Terminal
    code --add-mcp '{"name":"hooklistener","type":"http","url":"https://app.hooklistener.com/api/mcp"}'
  3. 03

    Start, trust and sign in

    Start the server from the code lens in mcp.json or from MCP: List Servers. The first time, VS Code asks you to confirm that you trust it. Then sign in to Hooklistener in the browser and click Authorize.

  4. 04

    Check the tools

    Open the Chat view, open the tool picker and look for the hooklistener group. You can also reference a tool directly by typing # and its name, for example #wait_for_request.

Read-only access

VS Code's oauth setting only takes a pre-registered clientId; it has no scope field. Hooklistener registers VS Code on the fly, so the grant is full access and the consent page says so. You can still narrow what Copilot uses: untick the write tools in the tool picker for a session, or connect through Codex or Claude Code when you need a read_only token.

Try it

What to ask VS Code

Plain-language requests work; VS Code picks from Hooklistener's 67 tools. These are the ones each prompt usually calls.

#create_endpoint for our Twilio status callbacks, then #wait_for_request while I send a test SMS.

Referencing tools with # keeps Copilot on the exact tool you want.

  • create_endpoint
  • wait_for_request

Group the Stripe webhooks by payment_intent id and flag any intent where payment_intent.succeeded arrived before payment_intent.created.

A thread rule groups related deliveries so Copilot can spot out-of-order events.

  • set_thread_rule
  • list_request_threads
  • list_thread_requests

Test the password-reset email: create an inbox, trigger a reset on localhost:3000 and check the link expires in 1 hour.

Copilot reads the real email and checks the link and copy against your template.

  • create_inbox
  • wait_for_email
  • get_email

Save the webhooks from this session as a suite and run it against staging.example.com.

Captured traffic becomes a suite with status assertions you can rerun on each deploy.

  • save_request_case
  • create_endpoint_case_suite
  • run_endpoint_cases

Troubleshooting

When VS Code doesn't connect

Copied a Cursor or Claude config and nothing loads
VS Code's top-level key is servers, not mcpServers, and type is required. Use "type": "http"; VS Code tries Streamable HTTP first and falls back to SSE on its own.
Cannot have more than 128 tools per request
A new Hooklistener workspace lists 26 tools; more toolsets appear as you use them, and x-hooklistener-toolsets: all lists all 67. Together with built-in tools and other servers you can pass the limit. Deselect servers or tools you don't need in the tool picker.
New Hooklistener tools don't appear
VS Code caches each server's tool list. Run MCP: Reset Cached Tools, then restart the server.
The server shows an error in the Chat view
Select the error and choose Show Output, or run MCP: List Servers → hooklistener → Show Output. If MCP is missing entirely, your organization may have disabled it through GitHub policies.

FAQ

VS Code and Hooklistener: common questions

What is the mcp.json format for a remote server in VS Code?

{"servers":{"hooklistener":{"type":"http","url":"https://app.hooklistener.com/api/mcp"}}}. servers is the top-level key and type is required.

Does this work with GitHub Copilot's agent?

Yes. MCP tools show up in the Chat view's tool picker and the agent calls them as needed. VS Code asks you to approve tool calls unless you allow them.

Can I add Hooklistener for every workspace?

Yes. Run MCP: Open User Configuration and add the same entry, or use code --add-mcp, which writes to your user profile. With Settings Sync you can sync MCP servers across machines.

Why does VS Code ask me to trust the server?

VS Code asks before starting any new or changed MCP server. Review the config and confirm. MCP: Reset Trust clears the decision.

Keep going

More on the MCP server

Server URL: https://app.hooklistener.com/api/mcp

Other clients

Set up Hooklistener in another tool

Give VS Code a webhook URL it can watch

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