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Revise Windows Package Manager MCP server documentation
Updated the documentation for the Windows Package Manager MCP server, including changes to the description, date, and various sections for clarity and accuracy. Unfortunately, Mermaid diagrams are not yet supported on Microsoft Learn. :(
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‎hub/package-manager/winget/winget-mcp-server.md‎

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---
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title: Using Windows Package Manager with Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server
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description: >-
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The Windows Package Manager includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server
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that enables AI agents and tools to discover and install packages through a
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standardized interface, enhancing the authoring experience in supported
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editors like VS Code.
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ms.date: 01/07/2025
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description: The Windows Package Manager includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI agents and tools to discover and install packages through a standardized interface, enhancing the authoring experience in supported editors like VS Code.
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ms.date: 10/30/2025
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ms.topic: overview
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---
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# Using Windows Package Manager with Model Context Protocol (MCP) Server
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# Use the Windows Package Manager MCP Server for package management with AI agents
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The Windows Package Manager (WinGet) includes a built-in Model Context Protocol
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(MCP) server that enables AI agents and development tools to interact with
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WinGet's package discovery and installation capabilities through a standardized
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interface. This integration provides intelligent assistance for discovering and
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installing packages on your system.
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The Windows Package Manager (WinGet) includes a built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server. The WinGet MCP server enables AI agents and development tools to intelligently assist you by understanding what packages are available and how to install them.
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The WinGet MCP server exposes WinGet's core functionality to AI agents,
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enabling them to help you find packages, understand their details, and assist
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with installation workflows. This enhances the overall authoring experience by
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providing contextual information about available packages directly to AI-powered
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tools.
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The WinGet MCP server exposes WinGet's core functionality to AI agents, enabling them to help you find packages, understand their details, and assist with installation workflows. This functionality enhances the overall authoring experience by providing contextual information about available packages directly to AI-powered tools.
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## What is Model Context Protocol (MCP)?
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Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that enables AI systems to
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interact with external data sources and tools in a consistent way. It provides
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a standardized interface for AI agents to discover capabilities, retrieve
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information, and invoke actions across different systems and services.
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Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open protocol that enables AI systems to interact with external data sources and tools in a consistent way. It provides a standardized interface for AI agents to discover capabilities, retrieve information, and invoke actions across different systems and services.
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MCP allows AI-powered tools to understand what operations are possible and how
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to perform them, without requiring custom integrations for each system. This
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makes it easier for developers to build AI assistants that can work with
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multiple tools and services seamlessly.
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MCP allows AI-powered tools to understand what operations are possible and how to perform them, without requiring custom integrations for each system. This protocol makes it easier for developers to build AI assistants that can work with multiple tools and services seamlessly.
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To learn more about MCP and how it works with AI agents, see
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[Use MCP servers in VS Code][01].
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To learn more about MCP and how it works with AI agents, see [Use MCP servers in VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers).
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## How AI agents use WinGet MCP tools
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## How WinGet MCP works with AI agents
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The WinGet MCP server enables AI agents to intelligently assist you by
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understanding what packages are available and how to install them. Here's how
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agents use these capabilities to help fulfill your requests:
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To use the WinGet MCP server with AI agents, you first need to configure your development environment to connect to the MCP server. Once connected, the WinGet MCP server can assist with:
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### Discovering available packages
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- **Discovering available packages**: When you ask an agent to help with software installation tasks, the agent can search the WinGet repository for available packages. WinGet MCP helps agents provide accurate, up-to-date information about available software.For example:
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When you ask an agent to help with software installation tasks, the agent can
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search the WinGet repository for available packages. For example:
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- **You ask**: "I need to install Visual Studio Code"
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- **Agent searches**: The WinGet repository for Visual Studio Code packages
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- **Agent provides**: Package details including ID, version, publisher, and installation options
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- **You ask**: "I need to install Visual Studio Code"
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- **Agent searches**: The WinGet repository for Visual Studio Code packages
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- **Agent provides**: Package details including ID, version, publisher, and
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installation options
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- **Installing packages**: When you need to install specific software, agents can assist with the installation process, ensuring that your software is installed with the correct configuration. For example:
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This discovery helps agents provide accurate, up-to-date information about
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available software.
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### Installing packages
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When you need to install specific software, agents can assist with the
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installation process:
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- **You ask**: "Install Python for development"
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- **Agent identifies**: The appropriate Python package from the WinGet repository
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- **Agent provides**: Installation commands or can initiate the installation
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with your approval
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This ensures you get the right software installed with the correct
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configuration.
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## How WinGet MCP integrates with VS Code
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The following diagram illustrates how the WinGet MCP server integrates with
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VS Code and AI agents:
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```mermaid
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graph TD
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A[VS Code] -->|Copilot Chat| B[AI Agent]
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B -->|MCP Protocol| C[WinGet MCP Server]
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C -->|winget commands| D[WinGet CLI]
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D -->|Search| E[Package Repository]
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D -->|Install| F[System Packages]
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B -->|Package suggestions| G[User Interface]
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B -->|Installation assistance| H[Command Generation]
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B -->|Package information| I[Details Display]
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style C fill:#e1f5fe
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style D fill:#f3e5f5
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style A fill:#e8f5e8
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```
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The integration works as follows:
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1. **VS Code Copilot** communicates with AI agents that can access MCP servers
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2. **AI agents** use the MCP protocol to query the WinGet MCP server for
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information
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3. **WinGet MCP server** processes requests and calls the appropriate WinGet CLI
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commands
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4. **WinGet CLI** performs package searches and installations in the repository
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5. **Results** flow back through the chain to provide enhanced assistance
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- **You ask**: "Install Python for development"
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- **Agent identifies**: The appropriate Python package from the WinGet repository
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- **Agent provides**: Installation commands or can initiate the installation with your approval
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## Prerequisites
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Before using the WinGet MCP server integration, ensure you have:
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- Windows 10 version 1809 (build 17763) or later, or Windows 11
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- WinGet with MCP server support installed on your system
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- VS Code v1.104 or above with [GitHub Copilot extension][02] enabled
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- Access to [Copilot in VS Code][03]
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## Setting up WinGet MCP Server
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### Locating the WinGet MCP Server executable
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- Windows 11 *(or Windows 10 version 1809, build 17763, or later)*
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- VS Code v1.104 or later with [GitHub Copilot extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=GitHub.copilot) enabled
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- Access to [Copilot in VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/overview)
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- [WinGet with MCP server support installed on your system](#set-up-winget-mcp-server)
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The WinGet MCP server executable is installed alongside the Windows Package
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Manager. You can find it using one of the following methods:
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## Set up WinGet MCP Server
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#### Method 1: Using the winget mcp command
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To set up the WinGet MCP server for use with AI agents in VS Code, you must:
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The **winget** tool includes an **mcp** command that provides the configuration
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information needed for MCP clients:
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1. Find the WinGet MCP server executable path
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1. Configure the MCP server in Visual Studio Code
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```powershell
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winget mcp
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```
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### Find the WinGet MCP server executable path
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This command displays the JSON configuration fragment showing the path to the
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`WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe` executable.
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To set up the WinGet MCP server, you must first locate the path to the executable file. Use one of the following methods to find the path:
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#### Method 2: Locating via PowerShell
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1. Open a command prompt and enter the `winget mcp` command. The result displays the JSON configuration fragment that shows the path to the `WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe` file.
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You can locate the WinGet MCP server executable by first finding the WinGet
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executable path and then navigating to the same directory:
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```powershell
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winget mcp
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```
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```powershell
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# Find the WinGet executable path
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$wingetPath = (Get-Command winget).Source
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# Get the directory containing WinGet
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$wingetDir = Split-Path $wingetPath -Parent
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# The MCP server executable is in the same directory
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$mcpServerPath = Join-Path -Path $wingetDir `
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-ChildPath "Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe" `
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-AdditionalChildPath "WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe"
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Write-Host "WinGet MCP Server path: $mcpServerPath"
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```
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1. Open PowerShell and use the following script to locate the MCP server executable:
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The typical location is:
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```powershell
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# Find the WinGet executable path
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$wingetPath = (Get-Command winget).Source
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# Get the directory containing WinGet
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$wingetDir = Split-Path $wingetPath -Parent
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# The MCP server executable is in the same directory
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$mcpServerPath = Join-Path -Path $wingetDir `
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-ChildPath "Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe" `
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-AdditionalChildPath "WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe"
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Write-Host "WinGet MCP Server path: $mcpServerPath"
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```
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```text
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C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe
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```
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The typical location is:`C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe`
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### Configuring the MCP server in VS Code
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### Configure the MCP server in Visual Studio Code
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The recommended way to configure the WinGet MCP server is through an `mcp.json`
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configuration file. Create or update your MCP configuration file in the
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`.vscode` folder with the following content:
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The recommended way to configure the WinGet MCP server is through an `mcp.json` configuration file. You need to find (you might need to show hidden files) or create a `.vscode` folder in the root directory of your project. In this directory, create a `mcp.json` file (or update it if this file already exists) with the following content:
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```json
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{
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}
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```
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Replace `<username>` with your actual Windows username, or use the path
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discovered using one of the methods above.
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Replace `<username>` with your actual Windows username or use the WinGet MCP server executable path that you previously identified.
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This configuration tells MCP clients to:
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- Use the Windows Package Manager MCP server executable as the command
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- Use the Windows Package Manager (WinGet) MCP server executable as the command
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- Use standard I/O communication between the client and server
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- Register the server with the identifier `winget-mcp`
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For detailed information about MCP configuration and setup in VS Code, refer to
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the [official MCP documentation][04].
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For detailed information about MCP configuration and setup in VS Code, see [Use MCP servers in VS Code](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/mcp-servers).
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### Manual command-line testing
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You can also start the WinGet MCP server manually for testing or development
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purposes by running the executable directly:
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To start the WinGet MCP server manually for testing or development purposes, run the executable directly by entering the following command in PowerShell:
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```powershell
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& "C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe"
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```
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The server will start and wait for MCP protocol messages on standard input. The
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server will continue running until terminated or the input stream is closed.
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## Using WinGet MCP tools in VS Code
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Replace `<username>` with your actual Windows username.
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### Step 1: Open Copilot Chat in Agent Mode
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The server starts and waits for MCP protocol messages on standard input. The server continues running until you terminate it (Ctrl+C) or close the input stream.
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1. Open the GitHub Copilot extension window in VS Code
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2. Select "Agent Mode" to enable MCP tool integration
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## Use WinGet MCP tools in Visual Studio Code
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### Step 2: Access WinGet MCP tools
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To start using the Windows Package Manager (WinGet) MCP Server in Visual Studio Code:
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1. Click on the tool icon in the GitHub Copilot chat window
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2. Search for "MCP Server: winget-mcp" in the available tools list
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3. Verify that the WinGet MCP server tools are available and loaded
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1. Open the GitHub Copilot extension chat window and select **Agent Mode** to enable MCP tool integration.
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1. Access WinGet MCP tools by selecting the tool icon in the GitHub Copilot chat window and search for **MCP Server: winget-mcp** in the available tools list.
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1. Verify that the WinGet MCP server tools are available, with a checkmark next to the entry.
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1. Begin asking questions or requesting assistance with package management tasks. The AI agent automatically uses the WinGet MCP tools when appropriate to provide accurate, context-aware help.
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### Step 3: Start using WinGet MCP integration
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Begin asking questions or requesting assistance with package management tasks.
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The AI agent will automatically use the WinGet MCP tools when appropriate to
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provide accurate, context-aware help.
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## Example prompts for WinGet MCP
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Example prompts that work well with WinGet MCP integration:
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- "Find packages for Docker on Windows"
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- "Install the latest version of Git"
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## Available MCP tools
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## Available WinGet MCP commands
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The WinGet MCP server currently provides the following tools:
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The WinGet MCP server currently supports the following commands:
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### find
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Searches the WinGet repository for packages matching specified criteria. This
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tool helps discover available software and their details.
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Searches the WinGet repository for packages matching specified criteria. This tool helps discover available software and their details.
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**Parameters:**
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If you encounter connection issues between VS Code and the WinGet MCP server:
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1. Verify your `mcp.json` configuration file syntax
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2. Check that the path to `WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe` is correct
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3. Ensure the executable has proper permissions to run
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4. Review VS Code's output panel for detailed error messages
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5. Try restarting the MCP integration in VS Code
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1. Verify your `mcp.json` configuration file syntax.
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1. Check that the path to `WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe` is correct.
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1. Ensure the executable has proper permissions to run.
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1. Review VS Code's output panel for detailed error messages.
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1. Try restarting the MCP integration in VS Code.
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### Limited or no response from AI Agent
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If the AI agent doesn't seem to be using WinGet MCP tools:
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- Use specific prompts that clearly indicate you want package management
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information
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- Try phrases like "Search for packages" or "Install using WinGet"
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- Verify that Agent Mode is enabled in Copilot Chat
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- Check if the WinGet MCP tools are visible in the tools list
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- Use specific prompts that clearly indicate you want package management information.
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- Try phrases like "Search for packages" or "Install using WinGet".
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- Verify that Agent Mode is enabled in Copilot Chat.
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- Check if the WinGet MCP tools are visible in the tools list.
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### Package installation issues
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If package installation fails or behaves unexpectedly:
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- Review the installation command or parameters suggested by the AI agent
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- Check the [WinGet troubleshooting guide][05] for common issues
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- Verify you have appropriate permissions to install software
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- Ensure the package source is accessible
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- Review the installation command or parameters suggested by the AI agent.
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- Check the [WinGet troubleshooting guide](./troubleshooting.md) for common issues.
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- Verify you have appropriate permissions to install software.
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- Ensure the package source is accessible.
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## Limitations
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> [!IMPORTANT]
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> It is your responsibility to review all commands generated with AI assistance.
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> **Always validate installation commands and verify the software source before
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> executing them on your system.**
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> You are responsible for reviewing all commands generated with AI assistance. **Always validate installation commands and verify the software source before executing them on your system.**
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Current limitations of the WinGet MCP server integration include:
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- **Agent behavior**: There is no guarantee that AI agents will use WinGet MCP
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tools for any particular query, though specific prompting can help guide tool
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usage
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- **Tool availability**: Currently supports find and install operations;
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additional operations may be added in future releases
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## See also
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- [Use the winget tool to install and manage applications][06]
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- [winget install command][07]
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- [winget search command][08]
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- [WinGet troubleshooting guide][05]
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- [Use MCP servers in VS Code][01]
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- [Model Context Protocol documentation][09]
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- [Windows Package Manager GitHub repository][10]
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<!-- Link reference definitions -->
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[01]: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers
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[02]: https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=GitHub.copilot
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[03]: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/overview
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[04]: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/mcp-servers
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[05]: ./troubleshooting.md
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[06]: index.md
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[07]: install.md
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[08]: search.md
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[09]: https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs
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[10]: https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli
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- **Agent behavior**: AI agents might not use the WinGet MCP server for every query, though specific prompting can encourage its use.
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- **Tool availability**: The integration currently supports only `find` and `install` commands. Future releases might add support for more commands.
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## How WinGet MCP integrates with VS Code
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The WinGet MCP server integrates with VS Code and AI agents as follows:
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1. **VS Code Copilot** communicates with AI agents that can access MCP servers.
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1. **AI agents** use the MCP protocol to query the WinGet MCP server for information.
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1. **WinGet MCP server** processes requests and calls the appropriate WinGet CLI commands.
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1. **WinGet CLI** performs package searches and installations in the repository.
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1. **Results** flow back through the chain to provide enhanced assistance.
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![WinGet MCP integration diagram](../../images/winget-mcp-integration-with-vscode.png)

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