VS Code Setup

Configure ACE MCP with VS Code using GitHub Copilot or Continue extension - Complete step-by-step guide.

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ installed

Check with: node --version

VS Code installed

Download VS Code →

GitHub Copilot or Continue extension installed

Choose one AI assistant to use with ACE

ACE CLI installed and configured

ACE server running

Choose Your Setup Method

VS Code supports MCP through different AI extensions. Choose the method that matches your setup:

Option 1: Continue Extension

Free, open-source AI assistant with full MCP support. Works with any AI model.

Option 2: GitHub Copilot Chat

Microsoft's AI assistant. Requires Copilot subscription. MCP support via settings.

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Option 1: Continue Extension Setup

Install Continue Extension

Install the Continue extension from the VS Code marketplace:

Or search for "Continue" in VS Code Extensions (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + X)

Configure MCP

Edit your Continue config file to add ACE:

Config file location:

Add the mcpServers section to your config:

Merge with Existing Config

If you have an existing config.json, add the mcpServers section alongside your existing settings.

Reload VS Code

Reload VS Code for changes to take effect:

Quick Reload

Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "Developer: Reload Window"

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Option 2: GitHub Copilot Chat Setup

Copilot Subscription Required

GitHub Copilot Chat requires an active Copilot subscription (Individual, Business, or Enterprise).

Open VS Code Settings

Open VS Code settings to configure Copilot MCP:

Press Cmd/Ctrl + , to open Settings

Or: File → Preferences → Settings

Add MCP Configuration

Add the MCP configuration to your VS Code settings.json:

1. Click the "Open Settings (JSON)" icon in the top right

2. Add the following configuration:

Important: Customize Your Namespace

Replace my-project with your project namespace.

Reload VS Code

Reload VS Code for changes to take effect:

Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "Developer: Reload Window"

Test the Connection

Open the AI chat panel in VS Code and try these prompts:

Store a memory:

"Remember that we're using ESLint with strict rules"

Query patterns:

"What patterns are documented for this project?"

Track an issue:

"Track a bug: tests failing on CI"

Success!

If the AI responds by using ACE tools, your setup is complete!

Troubleshooting

"ace: command not found"

The ACE CLI is not in your PATH. Try these fixes:

Reinstall ACE globally: npm install -g @ace3-memory/ace
Check npm global bin: npm bin -g
Add to PATH in your shell config file

Continue extension not detecting ACE

Verify config.json syntax is valid JSON
Check that ACE server is running: ace status
Restart VS Code completely
Check Continue logs in Output panel

Copilot not using ACE tools

Ensure you have GitHub Copilot Chat extension installed
Verify settings.json syntax is valid
Check that the setting key is exactly github.copilot.chat.mcpServers
Reload VS Code after changing settings

MCP works in one project but not others

This happens when ACE is configured only in one project's .mcp.json file. That config is project-scoped and won't apply to other VS Code windows.

Fix: Add ACE globally so it works in every project:

For Claude Code in VS Code: run claude mcp add --scope user ace3 -- ace mcp start
For Continue: add ACE to ~/.continue/config.json (applies to all projects)
For GitHub Copilot: add to VS Code User settings (not Workspace settings)

User vs Workspace Settings

User settings apply to all VS Code projects. Workspace settings only apply to that one project. If ACE works in one window but not another, your config is likely in Workspace settings or a project-local .mcp.json file.

"Database connection timed out" or tools hanging

This usually happens when multiple VS Code windows are open, each running its own MCP connection pool. See the Multiple VS Code Windows section below for the fix.

Close VS Code windows you aren't using
Reduce the pool size: add "ACE_MCP_POOL_MAX": "2" to your MCP env config
If it persists, restart VS Code — this releases all connections

Multiple VS Code Windows

Each VS Code window spawns its own MCP server process with its own database connection pool. This works fine with a few windows, but too many can exhaust your database connections.

How It Works

VS Code Window 1 → MCP process (PID 1234) → pool: 1-3 connections

VS Code Window 2 → MCP process (PID 5678) → pool: 1-3 connections

VS Code Window 3 → MCP process (PID 9012) → pool: 1-3 connections

= up to 9 connections total to your database

By default each MCP instance uses 1-3 database connections. When you close a window, its connections are released automatically.

Pool Sizing Guide

Windows Open	Recommended Setting	Max Connections
1-3	Default (no change needed)	3-9
4-6	`ACE_MCP_POOL_MAX=2`	8-12
7+	`ACE_MCP_POOL_MAX=1`	7+

Most Neon free-tier databases allow 20 concurrent connections. Supabase allows 60.

Configuration

Add pool settings to the env block in your MCP config:

Environment Variables

ACE_MCP_POOL_MIN — minimum connections per instance (default: 1)
ACE_MCP_POOL_MAX — maximum connections per instance (default: 3)

Pro Tips

Workspace-Specific Config

You can set different namespaces per workspace by using VS Code's workspace settings instead of user settings.

View Dashboard

Visit ace3-ai.com/dashboard to visualize your memories and decisions.

Available ACE Tools

Once configured, VS Code AI assistants can use all 56 ACE tools:

ace_remember

ace_recall

ace_get_context

ace_search

ace_track_issue

ace_resolve_issue

ace_find_solutions

ace_track_decision

ace_best_practices

ace_get_stats

ace_log_work

ace_architecture

ace_patterns

ace_manage_tags

ace_graph_traverse

ace_graph_connect

ace_graph_related

ace_graph_list

ace_graph_health

ace_graph_analytics

ace_save_plan

ace_list_plans

ace_get_plan

ace_update_plan_task

ace_create_plan

ace_observe

ace_review_observations

ace_trigger_learning

ace_agent_status

ace_trigger_agent

ace_agent_config

ace_agent_history

ace_agent_activity

ace_agent_insights

ace_agent_health

ace_list_namespaces

ace_set_namespace

ace_create_namespace

ace_get_current_namespace