Use with VS Code and Copilot

Connect GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio Code to PostgreSQL through pREST’s read-only MCP tools. In Agent mode, Copilot can discover schemas and query data via your running pREST instance.

pREST speaks MCP over HTTP at /_mcp. VS Code launches stdio MCP servers, so you need the official prest-mcp adapter as a bridge.

Requires pREST v2.1.0+.

Official VS Code MCP docs: Add and manage MCP servers.

The pREST for Cursor plugin does not apply to VS Code. You still get full MCP tools through prest-mcp; only Cursor-specific rules and skills are unavailable here.

---

Prerequisites

• pREST running locally or on a reachable host (see Get pREST)

• prest-mcp installed (Homebrew, Go, or Docker)

• VS Code with GitHub Copilot Chat and Agent mode available

Verify the HTTP endpoint before configuring VS Code:

curl -s http://localhost:3000/_mcp | head

You should see JSON with "name": "prest" and a tools array. If auth is enabled, include your usual Authorization header.

Prefer a read-only PostgreSQL role for AI access.

---

Install the adapter

brew install prest/tap/prest-mcp

Other options: Install pREST MCP Adapter. Confirm the binary is on your PATH:

which prest-mcp

---

Configure VS Code

VS Code MCP config uses a top-level servers key (not mcpServers). Each server entry includes "type": "stdio".

Workspace config (recommended)

Create or edit .vscode/mcp.json in your project root:

{
  "servers": {
    "prest": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "prest-mcp",
      "env": {
        "PREST_MCP_URL": "http://localhost:3000/_mcp"
      }
    }
  }
}

User config

For a global setup that applies across workspaces, run MCP: Open User Configuration from the Command Palette and add the same servers.prest block.

With authentication

When auth is enabled on pREST:

{
  "servers": {
    "prest": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "prest-mcp",
      "env": {
        "PREST_MCP_URL": "https://api.example.com/_mcp",
        "PREST_MCP_TOKEN": "your-jwt-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Prefer injecting the token from your environment or a secret store rather than committing JWTs to git. Use user-level MCP configuration when you need secrets out of the repo.

Absolute path

If VS Code cannot find prest-mcp on PATH:

{
  "servers": {
    "prest": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "/opt/homebrew/bin/prest-mcp",
      "env": {
        "PREST_MCP_URL": "http://localhost:3000/_mcp"
      }
    }
  }
}

On Intel Mac Homebrew installs, the path is often /usr/local/bin/prest-mcp.

---

Optional: MCP gallery / registry

VS Code can install servers from the MCP gallery or registry. The published package name is io.github.prest/prest.

After installing from the gallery, set PREST_MCP_URL (and PREST_MCP_TOKEN if needed) in the server’s environment so the adapter can reach your pREST instance. Details: Install pREST MCP Adapter.

---

Verify in Copilot Agent mode

1. Start or restart the prest MCP server from the VS Code MCP UI (or reload the window).

2. Open Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode.

3. Confirm the prest tools are available to the agent.

4. Ask something that needs catalog access, for example:

   • “List databases available through pREST.”

   • “Describe the public.users table.”

   • “Select the first 5 rows from public.orders ordered by id.”

The agent should call tools such as prest.list_databases, prest.describe_table, or prest.select.{database}.{schema}.{table}. Tool behavior and limits are documented in MCP over HTTP.

---

Optional: Docker-backed adapter

If you prefer not to install a local binary:

{
  "servers": {
    "prest": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "docker",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--rm",
        "-i",
        "-e",
        "PREST_MCP_URL=http://host.docker.internal:3000/_mcp",
        "ghcr.io/prest/prest-mcp-adapter:0.1.3"
      ]
    }
  }
}

host.docker.internal reaches pREST on the host from Docker Desktop (macOS/Windows). On Linux you may need --add-host=host.docker.internal:host-gateway or the host’s LAN IP.

---

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
Server fails to start	Ensure prest-mcp is installed and the command path is correct
Config ignored / wrong shape	Use "servers" (not mcpServers) and include "type": "stdio"
Tools never appear	Confirm curl to /_mcp works; check ACL / empty catalog; use Agent mode
Auth errors	Set PREST_MCP_TOKEN to a valid JWT
Connection refused	Start pREST; match host/port in PREST_MCP_URL
Stale tools after schema change	Restart pREST (schema-aware tools are generated at startup)

More detail: Install pREST MCP Adapter and MCP over HTTP. VS Code reference: MCP servers in VS Code.

---

Next steps

• Read-only PostgreSQL for AI

• PostgreSQL to AI agent

• Use with Cursor · Use with Claude Desktop

• Other AI tools

Related documentation

• MCP Overview

• MCP over HTTP

• Permissions

• Auth

• VS Code MCP servers