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awesome-copilot/extensions/connector-namespaces/README.md
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Alex Yang [MSFT] c0869f6231 Improve connector reload authentication UX (#2370)
Keep Azure tokens in memory and preserve linked namespace context across extension reloads.

Co-authored-by: Alex Yang (DevDiv) <yangalex@microsoft.com>
Co-authored-by: Copilot App <223556219+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
2026-07-23 10:51:00 -07:00

3.6 KiB

MCP Connectors

A GitHub Copilot app canvas extension for discovering and connecting hosted MCP servers from Azure Connector Namespace. It brings the Microsoft and partner connector catalog, guided browser sign-in, and connected-server management into the Copilot side panel.

Features

  • Connector catalog - browse and search Microsoft and partner MCP servers available in your namespace.
  • Guided Azure setup - sign in from the canvas, then choose a subscription and Connector Namespace.
  • Browser-based connection flow - complete each connector's authentication or consent without leaving the setup experience.
  • My MCPs - see which servers are connected and ready to add to Copilot.
  • Namespace playground - open any connected server in the Connector Namespace playground with Sandbox.
  • Persistent namespace selection - retain the selected namespace while Azure tokens remain in memory and sign-in is requested again after a restart.

Install

Open the GitHub Copilot app, go to Settings > Plugins, search for connector-namespaces, and select Install.

You can also open the MCP Connectors gallery page and select Install in GitHub Copilot app.

Requirements

  • Access to an Azure subscription with a Connector Namespace. If you do not have one, follow the Connector Namespace creation guide.
  • Permission to view the namespace and create its connections and hosted MCP server configurations.
  • A browser for Microsoft Entra sign-in and connector consent.

Connector Namespace is currently an Azure preview service and availability can vary by region.

Usage

  1. Open the MCP Connectors canvas in the GitHub Copilot app.
  2. Select Sign in to Azure and complete Microsoft Entra authentication in your browser.
  3. Choose an Azure subscription and Connector Namespace.
  4. Browse or search the catalog, then select Connect on an MCP server.
  5. Complete the connector's sign-in or consent flow when prompted.
  6. Confirm the server appears under My MCPs.
  7. Restart the GitHub Copilot app so the new tools become available to the agent.

Use Sandbox on a connected server to inspect it in the Connector Namespace playground. Use Change namespace to switch subscriptions or namespaces.

Authentication and privacy

Azure sign-in and connector sign-in are separate:

  • Azure sign-in lets the canvas discover and manage Connector Namespace resources. Access and refresh tokens remain in the extension process and are never written to extension files. Reloading the extension or restarting the app requires Azure sign-in again. The selected namespace coordinates are retained in ~/.copilot/extensions/connector-namespaces/artifacts/gateway-config.json so the canvas can explain that the namespace is still linked and return directly to its connectors after sign-in.
  • Connector sign-in grants an individual MCP server access to its backing service. The resulting connection is managed by Connector Namespace.

The canvas serves its interface from loopback only (127.0.0.1). Azure management requests are restricted to https://management.azure.com/. The gateway API key that lets Copilot reach a connected server is stored in the user-scoped GitHub Copilot MCP configuration and sent only to that server's configured HTTPS endpoint.

License

MIT © Microsoft Corporation.