VS Code uses the top-level key servers, not mcpServers, and each entry declares a type such as stdio. It also supports an inputs array that prompts for secrets at runtime. So a config that works in Cursor or Claude Desktop will not load in VS Code unchanged; you have to rename the key and add the type.
Connect the Reddit MCP to VS Code
VS Code runs MCP servers in Copilot agent mode. Its config differs from other clients: the top-level key is servers, each entry sets a type, and an inputs prompt keeps your key out of the file. Here is the exact setup.
Written by Emma, developer relations at Redditapis. The server is the published redditapis-mcp package, so every field below is verified against the live package and VS Code's own docs.
How do you add the Reddit MCP to VS Code?
Create .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace with the redditapis-mcp server under the servers key (not mcpServers), set type to stdio, and read the key from an inputs prompt as ${input:redditapis-key}. Run MCP: Open Workspace Folder Configuration to create the file. In Copilot Chat agent mode the 11 Reddit tools appear in the tools picker, and VS Code prompts once for the key.
Set up the Reddit MCP in VS Code
VS Code exposes MCP servers to GitHub Copilot in agent mode. The config shape is not the same as most clients, so read the block closely: the key is servers, and inputs keeps the token out of the committed file.
Method: Config fileConfig:
.vscode/mcp.json (workspace)Key: serversThe server (same for every client)
$ npx -y redditapis-mcp@latest.vscode/mcp.json (Copilot agent mode)
// .vscode/mcp.json
{
"inputs": [
{
"id": "redditapis-key",
"type": "promptString",
"description": "Redditapis API key",
"password": true
}
],
"servers": {
"reddit": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "redditapis-mcp@latest"],
"env": { "REDDITAPIS_KEY": "${input:redditapis-key}" }
}
}
}1
Create the workspace config
Run the command MCP: Open Workspace Folder Configuration from the command palette. That creates .vscode/mcp.json in the current workspace.
2
Use the servers key, not mcpServers
VS Code's top-level key is servers, and each entry sets type to stdio for a local command. This is the field that trips people coming from Cursor or Claude Desktop.
3
Prompt for the key with inputs
The inputs block asks for your Redditapis key on first run and the server reads it as ${input:redditapis-key}, so the token never sits in the committed file.
4
Run it in agent mode
Open Copilot Chat, switch to Agent mode, and open the tools picker. The reddit server and its 11 tools appear there for the agent to call.
Confirm it connected
In Copilot Chat agent mode the tools picker lists the reddit server with its tools. VS Code prompts once for the API key and holds it for the session. If nothing shows, confirm the key is servers and each entry has type: stdio.
The 11 Reddit tools VS Code gets
The published server is read-only, so these tools read Reddit and never write. Votes, comments, and DMs stay REST write endpoints your agent calls directly, kept off the tool surface so a model cannot trigger a write by picking a tool. Your key, REDDITAPIS_KEY, authenticates every call.
reddit_searchreddit_subreddit_postsreddit_subreddit_topreddit_postreddit_post_commentsreddit_search_commentsreddit_search_communitiesreddit_search_mediareddit_search_usersreddit_user_profilereddit_user_commentsSame server, a different client?
The redditapis-mcp server runs the same way everywhere; only the config file and key differ per client. Setup for the others:
- Reddit MCP for Claude Desktop , mcpServers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Claude Code , mcpServers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Cursor , mcpServers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Windsurf , mcpServers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Kilo Code , mcp in JSONC
- Reddit MCP for OpenClaw , mcp.servers in JSON
- Reddit MCP for Hermes , mcp_servers in YAML
- Reddit MCP server overview , the server, tools, and pricing
- Reddit API for AI agents , tool use, MCP, and RAG on Reddit
By the numbers
Reddit MCP access, by the numbers
Every Redditapis figure resolves to our published per-call rates; every external figure is a primary US source.
Redditapis bills reads at $0.002 per call, votes at $0.005, writes at $0.012, and DMs at $0.025, one flat rate for every account with no minimum spend. (Redditapis pricing, 2026)
The published redditapis-mcp server exposes 11 read tools behind one Bearer key, and every new account starts with $0.50 in free credits, enough for roughly 250 reads before any charge. (Redditapis, 2026)
Reddit's own commercial Data API is priced at $0.24 per 1,000 API calls, the rate that ended third-party apps like Apollo in 2023. (The Verge, 2023)
Reddit's free Data API tier is capped at 100 queries per minute per OAuth client, and 10 queries per minute without OAuth, so an MCP client polling at volume needs a managed layer. (Reddit Data API Wiki, 2026)
Reddit signed a reported $60 million-a-year deal to license its data for AI training, a sign of how valuable structured Reddit context has become for models. (Reuters, 2024)
Frequently asked questions
For a workspace, it is .vscode/mcp.json at the project root, created by the command MCP: Open Workspace Folder Configuration. You can also add servers in your user settings for every workspace. MCP support runs through GitHub Copilot in agent mode.
Use the inputs block. Define an input with type promptString and password true, then reference it in env as ${input:redditapis-key}. VS Code prompts for the key the first time the server starts and stores it securely, so the token is not written into .vscode/mcp.json.
Yes. MCP servers surface to Copilot Chat in agent mode, so you use them through Copilot's tools picker. Once the reddit server is in .vscode/mcp.json and connected, the 11 read-only Reddit tools are available to the agent alongside its built-in tools.
The same 11 read-only tools redditapis-mcp exposes everywhere: reddit_search, reddit_subreddit_posts, reddit_subreddit_top, reddit_post, reddit_post_comments, reddit_search_comments, reddit_search_communities, reddit_search_media, reddit_search_users, reddit_user_profile, and reddit_user_comments.
Keep reading.
Continue exploring related pages.
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Give VS Code live Reddit tools.
$0.50 in free credits at signup, no card required. Copy your bearer token, paste it into the config above, and the reddit tools are live the same session.