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Step 1: Open the VS Code App

  1. Launch the VS Code app on your system.
  2. Log in with your account if required.

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Step 2: Access MCP settings

  1. Go to Manage button () at the bottom-left corner of the VS Code window.
  2. Select Profiles.
  3. In the Profiles window, go to Contents → MCP Servers.
  4. Open the mcp.json configuration file.

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Step 3: Add Timbal as a new MCP server

  1. Add the Timbal MCP URL (https://api.timbal.ai/mcp). For example, you can set the server name "timbal-mcp":
    mcp.json
    {
    "servers": {
        // After saving, the Start button and configuration will appear here
        "timbal-mcp": {
            "url": "https://api.timbal.ai/mcp",
            "type": "http",
            // Use this to authenticate with a Timbal API Key instead of OAuth
            // "headers": {
            //   "Authorization": "Bearer <TIMBAL_API_KEY>"
            // }
        }
    }
}
  2. Save the file.
  3. The Start button appears above the server entry (in this example, “timbal-mcp”). Click it to start the server.

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Option 1: Connect via OAuth

  1. A browser window will open for authentication.
    If the browser does not open automatically, you can start the connection manually from the MCP Servers panel.
  2. Log in using your preferred OAuth method (GitHub, Google, Microsoft, or Timbal OAuth).
  3. Accept the requested permissions.
  4. Return to VS Code. In the mcp.json file, the status should change from Start to Running.
    Make sure you log in with your active Timbal account (the one registered on the Timbal platform). Using a different account may prevent access to Timbal tools.

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Option 2: Connect using a Timbal API Key

  1. If you add the "Authorization" header with your "TIMBAL_API_KEY" in mcp.json, VS Code will authenticate automatically.
  2. No browser login is required.
  3. In the mcp.json file, the status should display Running instead of Start.

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Step 4: Verify the MCP server is running

  1. Open the left sidebar.
  2. Go to Extensions.
  3. At the bottom, under MCP Servers – Installed, you should see Timbal MCP listed.
  4. Click the Manage button () to view and verify the configuration details.

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Step 5: Test the integration

  1. Open a new chat.
  2. You can now use Timbal tools in your conversation. VS Code will automatically leverage the MCP integration.