How to connect VS Code + GitHub Copilot to WhatsApp with Aurora MCP (2026)

VS Code is the world's most installed IDE, and GitHub Copilot is the standard AI assistant on thousands of engineering teams. If your daily setup already combines both, with just five lines of code... settings.json You can also manage WhatsApp Business: read the inbox, open opportunities in the CRM, send follow-ups, and connect webhooks—all without leaving the editor. This guide gets Aurora MCP up and running in Copilot Chat in under 5 minutes.

Prerequisites

Before touching the settings, confirm:

• VS Code installed (Stable or Insiders version, both work; recommended >= 1.95).
• Active GitHub Copilot subscription — Individual ($10 USD/month) or Business ($19 USD/month). Copilot is paid separately from Aurora; it is not included in any Aurora Inbox plan.
• The official extension GitHub Copilot Chat enabled in your VS Code.
• Aurora Inbox Workspace active (the free trial It can be used to test everything).
• WhatsApp Business number connected in Aurora (via OAuth with Meta or manual registration).
• Key Platform API ak_live_* generated in the Developer Portal (next step).

Step 1: Generate your Aurora key

1. Enter your workspace at app.aurorainbox.com.
2. Go to Integrations → Developer Portal (Direct URL: https://app.aurorainbox.com/integrations/developer-portal).
3. Click on Generate new keyGive it a descriptive name, for example vscode-copilot-laptop-alex.
4. Copy the key — it starts with ak_live_…It is only displayed once; if you lose it, you must generate another one.

The key remains scoped to a single tenant (a workspace) with scope aurora.api.platformAny action that Copilot performs is transferred using your workspace identity and is logged in the Aurora audit log with that identity. keyId.

Step 2: Edit VS Code settings.json

VS Code saves the MCP configuration for Copilot in the settings.json from the user (not in the workspace, unless you want to force a password on a specific project).

To open it:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) to open the command palette.
2. Writes Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON) and press Enter.

VS Code opens the file settings.json from the user. Paste the following block inside the root JSON (if you already have content, add it as another key, separated by a comma):

{ "github.copilot.mcp.servers": { "aurora": { "url": "https://developers.aurorainbox.com/mcp", "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ak_live_REEMPLAZA_TU_CLAVE" } } } }

Replace ak_live_REPLACE_YOUR_KEY using the key you copied from the Developer Portal. Save with Ctrl+S / Cmd+S.

Important notes:

• He settings.json It must still be valid JSON. If VS Code shows a red underline, open the palette and run JSON: Validate — a trailing comma or a loose bracket breaks the entire MCP configuration.
• Do not commit this file to a public repository. The key is equivalent to a password.
• If you work with multiple Aurora workspaces, register multiple servers (aurora-prod, aurora-staging) with different keys.

Step 3: Reload Window and Verify

To have Copilot start the new MCP server, reload the window:

1. Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P.
2. Writes Developer: Reload Window and press Enter.

After recharging:

1. Open the panel of Copilot Chat (chat icon in the sidebar or Ctrl+Alt+I / Cmd+Ctrl+I).
2. At the top of the panel you will see an icon of MCP / Tools (Similar to a plug). Click there.
3. It should appear Aurora in the server list, with connected status and the listed tools (search_chats, send_message, create_contact, etc.).

If it appears as failed If it doesn't appear, check the troubleshooting section at the end.

For a quick test, type the following in the Copilot chat:

List the first 5 contacts from my Aurora Inbox account.

Copilot calls list_contacts and returns an array with id, yam, phone, e-mail, companyNameIf the response arrives, the setup works.

What tools does Aurora MCP offer?

Aurora MCP covers all 10 functional areas of the product. Each tool mirrors a Platform V1 API REST endpoint 1:1.

Category	Representative tools	Use case
Chats	search_chats, get_chat, create_chat, assign_chat_agents, set_chat_owner	Tray triage, agent assignment
Messages	send_message (1 ms/sec per tenant), internal notes with note=true	Responses, follow-ups, and feedback for the team
Chatbots	start_chatbot, stop_chatbot, list_chat_chatbots, list_chatbots	Activate workflows in specific chats
Contacts	list_contacts, get_contact, create_contact, update_contact, upsert_contact, delete_contact	Basic CRM from the editor
Companies	list_companies, get_company, create_company, update_company	B2B Accounts
Opportunities	create_opportunity, update_opportunity, delete_opportunity, list_chat_opportunities	Moving deals through the funnel
Channels	List and review the status of WhatsApp Cloud API, WhatsApp Business, Messenger, and Instagram.	Multi-channel diagnostics
Equipment / Users	Team and User tools for inviting, assigning, and querying	Programmatic onboarding
Webhooks	create_webhook, list_webhooks, delete_webhook (max. 5 per tenant)	Outbound events to your infrastructure
Diagnosis	health, whoami	Validate connectivity and permissions

The ChannelType that accept create_chat and related endpoints are: 0=WhatsApp Cloud API, 1=WhatsApp Business, 2=Messenger, 3=Instagram.

Three example prompts in Copilot Chat

While you are programming the integration of a webhook

I'm writing an endpoint that receives webhooks from Aurora. List the webhooks I already have configured in my tenant and tell me which events they are subscribed to. Then help me register a new one at https://api.miapp.com/aurora-events for the "MessageReceived" event.

Copilot calls list_webhooks and then create_webhookAnd since it's in VS Code, it will suggest the handler in your open file. Schedule the integration and launch it in the same shift.

Morning triage without abandoning the editor

Before we return to yesterday's code, search Aurora for all unanswered WhatsApp chats from the last 24 hours. Give me a one-line summary for each one and mark them by priority (high/medium/low).

Copilot chains search_chats(unanswered=true) with get_chat(id) per chat. You receive the prioritized list in the panel without opening the browser.

New lead joining Slack

I have a new lead: Daniel Martínez, +52 55 1234 5678, daniel@empresa.mx, company "Logística MX". Create him in Aurora with upsert_contact, open a WhatsApp Cloud chat and create an opportunity in the "Q3 Sales" funnel with an estimated amount of $80,000 MXN.

Copilot chains upsert_contact → create_chat(channelType=0) → create_opportunity → update_opportunity(dealAmount=80000)The entire operation takes place in Copilot Chat without touching the Aurora UI.

Combining Copilot + Aurora MCP into daily flows

VS Code is where developers already spend eight hours. Having Aurora MCP loaded in Copilot Chat opens up three interesting patterns:

• Peer programming on real integrationsWhile you write the client that consumes Aurora webhooks, Copilot can query list_webhooks, read real payloads of get_chat and propose correct parsers against live data instead of mocks.
• Manage WhatsApp from the same window where you write codeA support developer investigates a bug, finds the affected customer's chat, and sends them an update with send_message and returns to the diff. Zero context switching to the browser.
• Copilot Chat in agent mode for multi-step operationsIn Agent mode, Copilot runs multiple tools sequentially with minimal supervision: import 200 leads from a CSV with upsert_contact, open opportunities for those who qualify and send a welcome message — all in a single natural language request, respecting the rate limit of 1 message/sec.

Troubleshooting

Copilot says "you don't have an active subscription"

VS Code allows editing settings.json Even if your Copilot subscription has expired, Copilot Chat won't respond. Renew your subscription at https://github.com/settings/copilotThe MCP server is still there, ready for when Copilot returns.

malformed settings.json

If you pasted the block and broke the JSON (trailing comma, extra opening brace), VS Code displays a red underline and Copilot ignores the entire file. Open the palette, run JSON: Validate and corrects. The Prettier extension or native formatting (Shift+Alt+F) also help to detect the error.

The server Aurora It appears in MCP but with a status failed

It's almost always the password: either you didn't copy it completely, or it has spaces at the beginning. Regenerate the password in the Developer Portal and paste it carefully. Confirm that it starts exactly with ak_live_Also check that you are not behind a corporate proxy that is blocking. developers.aurorainbox.com.

The MCP icon does not appear in Copilot Chat

Check:

• VS Code is up to date (Help → Check for Updates).
• The GitHub Copilot Chat extension is enabled (not just installed).
• After editing settings.json, you did Developer: Reload WindowThe change does not apply to hot-reload in many builds.

"This tool is not available for the selected model"

Not all Copilot models support tool calling (MCP) with the same reliability. If you use a model that doesn't support it, Copilot will ignore the tools. In the Copilot Chat model selector, choose one with full MCP: GPT-5, Claude Sonnet, or Gemini Pro. GPT-5 and Claude Sonnet are the most reliable for chaining multiple tool calls.

Rate limit in send_message

Aurora limits sending to 1 message per second per tenant to protect number quality in Meta. If your prompt requests 100 messages, Copilot must space them out. If it exceeds this limit, it will receive an error. Rate limit exceeded… retry after 1s and it stops.

How Aurora MCP does it

Unlike directly attaching the WhatsApp Cloud API endpoint to Copilot, Aurora MCP delivers:

• Simple Auth: a key ak_live_* And it reuses the same Platform API system you already had. No three-legged OAuth, no expiring tokens.
• Native audit logEach call is recorded in Aurora with the keyId that originated it — you know exactly which key from which dev did what.
• Rate limits per tenantCopilot cannot degrade the quality of the Meta number by sending too quickly, even if you ask it to.
• Multi-channelThe same tool works for WhatsApp Cloud, WhatsApp Business, Messenger, and Instagram — the agent chooses the channel with channelType.
• CRM behindEach chat is already linked to a contact and can generate opportunities — it's not just "send a message" without status.

Recommended plan to start with: Aurora IA $179 USD/month ($3,200 MXN) which includes GPT-5, native RAG, onboard scheduling, and MCP server. The plan CRM ($99 USD / $1,800 MXN) and AI Plus ($329 USD / $6,000 MXN) also include MCP.

Start your free trial and connect VS Code + Copilot in 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to pay for GitHub Copilot separately?

Yes. Copilot is a GitHub product and is paid separately: $10 USD/month for Individual or $19 USD/month for Business. It is not included in any Aurora plan. Aurora only provides the MCP server—whose reasoning is still Copilot's model. If your organization already has Copilot Business, take advantage of that subscription.

Does it work in VS Code Insiders and Stable?

Yes, both. The MCP feature in Copilot has been available in Stable since 2025 and in Insiders a little earlier. The configuration (github.copilot.mcp.servers) is identical.

Which Copilot models support MCP?

GPT-5, Claude Sonnet (3.5/3.7/4 depending on the release), and Gemini Pro support full tool calling and, therefore, MCP. Smaller models may ignore tools or call them incorrectly. If you chain several tools (e.g., create contact + open chat + create opportunity), GPT-5 and Claude Sonnet provide the best results.

Does the configuration apply to all my VS Code workspaces?

If you stick it on the settings.json of UserYes — it works for any project. If you stick it on the settings.json of a specific workspace (.vscode/settings.json), only applies to that project. We recommend User for personal use and Workspace only when you want a different key for each client project.

Does it work with GitHub Enterprise or Copilot Business?

Yes. The configuration is the same. In Copilot Business, confirm with your admin that third-party MCP servers are allowed—some organizations use policies to restrict which MCP servers developers can upload.

Are there conflicts if I already have other MCP servers (Sentry, Linear, GitHub MCP)?

No. github.copilot.mcp.servers It is an object that accepts multiple entries. Aurora lives under the key Aurora and the other MCP servers on their own keys. Copilot lists all the tools in the MCP panel and chooses which one to call based on the prompt. The only consideration is that some smaller models get confused by too many tools at once—if you see erratic behavior, switch to GPT-5 or Claude Sonnet.

Do you work with other agents? We have parallel guides for Claude Code, Codex CLI, Claude Desktop and CursorAnd if you want to understand the protocol thoroughly, read on. What is MCP and how does AI connect with WhatsApp? or explore 10 real-world use cases.