integrations

Connect VS Code to the Trends API MCP server

VS Code reads MCP servers from .vscode/mcp.json under a servers key. One entry adds keyword history, growth, and live boards to Copilot chat.

VS Code connects to the Trends API MCP server through .vscode/mcp.json, and the file shape differs from Cursor in one place that breaks copy-paste: the top-level key is servers, and a remote entry carries "type": "http". One entry registers https://api.trendsapi.ai/mcp with the same Bearer key as REST. Copilot chat in agent mode then lists get_time_series, get_growth, and get_top_trends. Server-level detail sits on MCP server setup.

The entry VS Code expects

{
  "servers": {
    "trends-api": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://api.trendsapi.ai/mcp",
      "headers": {"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"}
    }
  }
}

Start the server from the MCP file once and approve it. A missing type or an mcpServers key leaves the tool list empty with no error worth reading. Keeping the key in an inputs variable keeps the secret out of version control while the file itself travels with the repo.

Questions from the editor

A workspace question reads the same as anywhere else. "Did npm downloads for the package in this repo grow over 12 months" maps to get_growth with source npm and the package name as keyword. "What is on the Steam board" maps to get_top_trends with type Steam Most Played. Keyword calls take a source string; board calls take a type label. Both lists sit on the sources reference.

Shared repos and stored jobs

The committed file should carry the server entry and no secret. Teammates add a personal key at first start. Anything scheduled belongs on POST https://api.trendsapi.ai/api, where the reply is data a job can store. Only successful 200 responses count against quota; caps sit on pricing. The Cursor version of this file shape sits on Cursor Trends MCP.

VS Code Trends MCP setup

What you get

.vscode/mcp.json with the servers key

Remote HTTP server, no extension to install

Same Bearer key as REST

Tools available in Copilot chat agent mode

FAQ

Common questions

Why does VS Code use a different config shape from Cursor?

VS Code stores MCP servers under a top-level servers key and marks remote entries with a type of http. Cursor and Claude Desktop use mcpServers. Pasting a Cursor block into VS Code fails silently because the key name is wrong, not because the server is unreachable.

Where does the VS Code MCP file live?

In a .vscode folder at the workspace root for one project, or in the user profile for every window. The workspace file can travel with the repo, so a teammate opening the project gets the same tool list after adding a personal key.

Which key goes in the header?

The product key, sent as Authorization Bearer. It is the same key as POST /api. The header can reference an input variable so the secret stays out of a committed file; VS Code prompts for it at first start.

What do the tools return inside Copilot chat?

get_time_series returns weekly points on a 0-100 scale, get_growth returns percent change over preset windows, and get_top_trends returns ranked live boards. The reply is prose and tables in chat, suited to a question, not a stored dataset.

Keep exploring

Connect the Trends API MCP server The product MCP URL is https://api.trendsapi.ai/mcp. Same Bearer key as REST. The server exposes get_time_series, get_growth, and get_top_trends. Connect Cursor to the Trends API MCP server One mcp.json block in Cursor settings gives the editor three trend tools next to the codebase. Same Bearer key as REST, no local server to run. Bearer key on POST /api Every call sends Authorization Bearer and the key. The URL is POST https://api.trendsapi.ai/api. The same header authenticates the MCP server.

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