GitHub Copilot Setup

To get the most out of Firebase with GitHub Copilot in VS Code, follow these steps to install the agent skills and the MCP server.

Recommended: Global Setup

The agent skills and MCP server should be installed globally for consistent access across projects.

Check if the skills are already installed before proceeding:

Check Local skills: Run npx skills list --agent github-copilot. If the output includes firebase-basics, the skills are already installed locally.
Check Global skills: If not found locally, check the global installation by running:
```
npx skills list --global --agent github-copilot
```
If the output includes firebase-basics, the skills are already installed globally.
Install Skills: If both checks fail, run the following command to install the Firebase agent skills:
```
npx skills add firebase/agent-skills --agent github-copilot --skill "*"
```
Note: Omit --yes and --global to choose the installation location manually. If prompted interactively in the terminal, ensure you send the appropriate user choices via standard input to complete the installation.
Verify Installation: Re-run the checks in steps 1 or 2 to confirm that firebase-basics is now available.

The MCP server allows GitHub Copilot to interact directly with Firebase projects.

Locate mcp.json: Find the configuration file for your environment:
- Workspace: .vscode/mcp.json
- Global: User Settings mcp.json file.
Note: If the .vscode/ directory or mcp.json file does not exist, create them and initialize the file with { "mcp": { "servers": {} } } before proceeding.
Check Existing Configuration: Open the mcp.json file and check the mcp.servers object for a firebase entry.
- It is already configured if the command is "firebase" OR if the command is "npx" with "firebase-tools" and "mcp" in the args.
- Important: If a valid firebase entry is found, the MCP server is already configured. Skip step 3 and proceed directly to step 4.
Example valid configurations:
```
"firebase": {
  "type": "stdio",
  "command": "npx",
  "args": ["-y", "firebase-tools@latest", "mcp"]
}
```
OR
```
"firebase": {
  "type": "stdio",
  "command": "firebase",
  "args": ["mcp"]
}
```
Add or Update Configuration: If the firebase block is missing or incorrect, add it to the mcp.servers object:
```
"firebase": {
  "type": "stdio",
  "command": "npx",
  "args": [
    "-y",
    "firebase-tools@latest",
    "mcp"
  ]
}
```
CRITICAL: Merge this configuration into the existing mcp.json file under the mcp.servers object. You MUST preserve any other existing servers inside mcp.servers.
Verify Configuration: Save the file and confirm the firebase block is present and properly formatted JSON.

Restart VS Code: Instruct the user to restart VS Code. Stop and wait for their confirmation before proceeding.
Confirm Connection: Check the MCP server list in the VS Code Copilot UI to confirm that the Firebase MCP server is connected.