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AI clients

CueScout in VS Code

VS Code reads MCP servers for Copilot's agent mode, and it is the one client in this list that names the config key differently: `servers`, not `mcpServers`. Pasting a block from anywhere else without changing that key is the single most common reason a server does not appear.

Where the config lives
.vscode/mcp.json in the workspace, or the user-level mcp.json

By Telman Gadimov · Updated

What it does

Runs @cuescout/mcp through npx, so there is nothing to install first.

Setting it up

3 steps, and the last one proves it works.

  1. Create .vscode/mcp.json in the workspace

    A workspace file keeps the server with the project and can be committed. The user-level config is the alternative if you want it everywhere.

  2. Add the server block, with the `servers` key

    This is the VS Code shape. The body is identical to every other client — only the outer key changes.

    .vscode/mcp.json

    {
  "servers": {
    "cuescout": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@cuescout/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

  3. Start it from the editor

    VS Code shows a Start action above the server entry in the JSON file, and the tools then appear in agent mode's tool picker. Agent mode has to be on — the tools are not available in ordinary chat.

What this does not do

  • Tools are available in Copilot agent mode only, not in plain chat.
  • Public pages only, read over HTTP.
  • The answers describe your deployed site rather than your workspace.

Questions

The server does not appear at all.

Check the outer key. VS Code expects `servers`; a block copied from a Claude or Cursor config will say `mcpServers` and be ignored without an error.

Does this need a CueScout account?

No. The five tools call public endpoints with no authentication — the same ones behind the free tool pages. There is no key to paste and nothing to sign up for.

What does it cost?

Nothing to you. Four of the five tools are HTTP fetches against the site you name. The visibility check puts a real question to a search-grounded engine, which costs us a model call, so it is rate-limited per IP.

Is any of this stored?

Each run keeps a short record: what you entered, a summary of the result, the time and your IP address, so the daily limits can be enforced. The privacy policy has the details. Nothing is added to a CueScout account. If you want the same checks tracked over time against a site you own, that is the paid product.

Related

CursorOne block in ~/.cursor/mcp.json, and the agent editing your site can check what engines see of it.WindsurfOne block in mcp_config.json and Cascade can check what the engines see of your site.Claude CodeOne `claude mcp add` line, then ask about your site's AI visibility mid-session.
All integrations

Run the checks on your own site

The readiness check is free, needs no signup and takes about half a minute. It works out what your site is built on and gives you the fixes written for it.

Run the free check Track it over time