Add the BookStack MCP server to VS Code

Config last verified Jun 1, 2026

The exact config to run BookStack in VS Code — paste it in, restart, and the tools load.

Prerequisites

  • VS Code installed.
  • BOOKSTACK_BASE_URL — Your BookStack API endpoint, e.g. https://your-bookstack.com/api.
  • BOOKSTACK_API_TOKEN — BookStack API token in token_id:token_secret form.

Setup

1. Open .vscode/mcp.json

2. Add this configuration

Add to .vscode/mcp.json

.vscode/mcp.json
json
{
  "servers": {
    "bookstack": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "bookstack-mcp-server"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BOOKSTACK_BASE_URL": "<BOOKSTACK_BASE_URL>",
        "BOOKSTACK_API_TOKEN": "<BOOKSTACK_API_TOKEN>",
        "MCP_TRANSPORT": "<MCP_TRANSPORT>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Heads up

  • VS Code uses the `servers` key (not `mcpServers`) and requires `type`.

3. Restart VS Code and confirm the BookStack tools load.

Gotchas

  • VS Code uses the `servers` key (not `mcpServers`) and requires `type`.

VS Code is the exception to every other client: its top-level key is "servers", not "mcpServers", and each entry needs an explicit "type" (for example "http" or "stdio"). Secrets are not inlined; instead you declare an "inputs" array and reference each value as ${input:id}, so VS Code prompts for it once and never writes it to disk. Remote servers connect natively with OAuth.

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