VS Code ignores my MCP config ("servers" vs "mcpServers")

The error

Why it happens

VS Code's .vscode/mcp.json uses a top-level servers key, not mcpServers like Cursor and Claude Desktop.

How to fix it

1. Rename the key
   Use servers in .vscode/mcp.json.

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

2. Start the server
   Run MCP: List Servers from the Command Palette, select the server, and choose an action (start/restart).
3. Enable its tools in chat
   Click Configure Tools in the chat input and make sure the server's tools are switched on.

Related servers

Sources

• https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/mcp-servers
• [Bug]: Generated .vscode/mcp.json uses incorrect key "mcpServers" instead of "servers" (GitHub issue, 2 comments)