Add a RAGFlow MCP Server to VS Code

RAGFlow can expose its capabilities through the Model Context Protocol (MCP). By registering the RAGFlow MCP endpoint in VS Code, GitHub Copilot and other MCP-compatible tools can connect to the server without storing the API key directly in the configuration file.

Prerequisites

Before configuring VS Code, make sure that:

• The RAGFlow MCP server is running and reachable from your computer.
• You have a valid RAGFlow API key.
• Your version of VS Code supports MCP servers.

Configure the MCP Server

Open the VS Code MCP configuration file and add the RAGFlow server to mcp.json. A workspace-specific configuration is normally stored in .vscode/mcp.json.

Use the following complete configuration:

{
	"servers": {
		"ragflow-mcp-server": {
			"url": "http://ragflow-server.com:9382/mcp",
			"type": "http",
			"headers": {
				"Authorization": "Bearer ${input:ragflow-api-key}"
			}
		}
	},
	"inputs": [
		{
			"id": "ragflow-api-key",
			"type": "promptString",
			"description": "RAGFlow API Key",
			"password": true
		}
	]
}

If mcp.json already contains other servers, add only the ragflow-mcp-server object under servers and append the ragflow-api-key object to the existing inputs array.

How the Configuration Works

• url specifies the RAGFlow MCP HTTP endpoint.
• type tells VS Code to connect using HTTP.
• Authorization sends the API key as a Bearer token with every request.
• ${input:ragflow-api-key} refers to the entry with the matching id in the inputs array.
• promptString asks for the API key when VS Code starts the server.
• password: true masks the API key while it is being entered.

This input-based approach is safer than writing the API key directly in mcp.json, especially when the configuration is committed to a Git repository.

Start and Verify the Connection

After saving the file:

1. Open the MCP server list in VS Code.
2. Start ragflow-mcp-server.
3. Enter the RAGFlow API key when prompted.
4. Confirm that the server starts successfully and that its tools are available in Chat.

If the connection fails, verify that the endpoint is reachable, the API key is valid, and no proxy or firewall is blocking port 9382.

Security Note

The example endpoint uses plain HTTP. Use HTTPS whenever the MCP traffic crosses an untrusted network because the Authorization header contains a reusable credential. Never hard-code or commit the API key.

Summary

VS Code can connect to RAGFlow through a small MCP configuration. Defining the API key as a password input keeps the credential out of source control while still allowing VS Code to authenticate each request automatically.