UniversalVSMCP

.NET Native MCP Server for Visual Studio 2026/2022

Enable AI Agents to natively control Visual Studio 2026/2022 via the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

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Installation (Single Method)

NuGet Package (Recommended)

dotnet tool install -g UniversalVSMCP

Run:

universal-vsmcp --stdio

Verify installation:

universal-vsmcp --help

Package: https://www.nuget.org/packages/UniversalVSMCP/

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Quick Start

1. Start Visual Studio 2026

Open any solution or create a new one.

2. Run the MCP Server

universal-vsmcp --stdio

3. Configure in VS 2026

Go to Tools → Options → Environment → Extensions:

• Add MCP Server: universal-vsmcp
• Command: dotnet tool run --global universal-vsmcp -- --stdio

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Available Tools (30 Total)

Solution Management (6)

Tool	Description
get_solution_projects	Get all projects in solution
get_solution_path	Get solution file path
get_solution_name	Get solution name
open_solution	Open .sln file
close_solution	Close current solution
create_solution	Create new solution (workspace)

Project Management (5)

Tool	Description
get_project_files	Get files in a project
get_startup_projects	Get startup project(s)
add_file_to_project	Add file to project
set_startup_project	Set startup project
get_project_properties	Get project properties

File Operations (5)

Tool	Description
open_file	Open file in VS editor
read_file	Read file content
write_file	Write file content
replace_in_file	Replace text in file
get_file_info	Get file information

Build Operations (6)

Tool	Description
build_solution	Build solution
rebuild_solution	Rebuild solution
clean_solution	Clean solution
build_project	Build specific project
get_build_errors	Get build errors
get_build_configurations	Get build configs

Debug Control (8)

Tool	Description
start_debugging	Start debugging (F5)
stop_debugging	Stop debugging (Shift+F5)
toggle_breakpoint	Navigate to line for breakpoint
continue_execution	Continue from breakpoint (F5)
step_over	Step over (F10)
step_into	Step into (F11)
step_out	Step out (Shift+F11)
get_debug_state	Get debug state

Diagnostics (3)

Tool	Description
health_check	Verify server and VS connection
get_server_info	Get server information
get_diagnostic_logs	Get recent diagnostic logs

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Command Line Options

universal-vsmcp --stdio                    # Default: stdio transport
universal-vsmcp --stdio --log-file uv.log  # With file logging
universal-vsmcp --verify                   # Verify VS connection
universal-vsmcp --help                     # Show help

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Configuration

VS 2026 Configuration

Method A: Direct JSON (Recommended)

1. Go to Tools → Options → Environment → Extensions
2. Check "Edit user settings as JSON"
3. Paste:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "universal-vsmcp": {
      "command": "dotnet",
      "args": [
        "tool",
        "run",
        "--global",
        "universal-vsmcp",
        "--",
        "--stdio"
      ],
      "env": {
        "VS_AUTO_DETECT": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

Method B: GUI

1. Tools → Options → Environment → Extensions
2. In MCP Server List, click Add
3. Fill in:
   • Name: universal-vsmcp
   • Command: dotnet
   • Args: tool run --global universal-vsmcp -- --stdio

Claude Desktop / Cursor

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vsmcp": {
      "command": "dotnet",
      "args": ["tool", "run", "--global", "universal-vsmcp", "--", "--stdio"],
      "env": {
        "VS_AUTO_DETECT": "true"
      }
    }
  }
}

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Localhost Support

For local development or SSE transport:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vsmcp-local": {
      "command": "dotnet",
      "args": [
        "run",
        "--project",
        "${workspaceFolder}",
        "--",
        "--stdio"
      ],
      "transport": "stdio",
      "url": "http://localhost:6277/sse"
    }
  }
}

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Troubleshooting

Verify Connection

# Check if server is installed
dotnet tool list -g

# Run health check tool from MCP client
# Or run with logging:
universal-vsmcp --stdio --log-file uv.log

Common Issues

Issue	Solution
"No VS instance found"	Start Visual Studio first
"Server not responding"	Check UVM_LOG_FILE for errors
"Tool not found"	Verify server is running
"Connection failed"	Ensure VS is not running as Admin

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Requirements

• .NET 8.0 SDK or later
• Visual Studio 2026 (18.0) or VS 2022 (17.14+)
• Windows 10 or later

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License

MIT © StarsailsClover

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Links

• NuGet Package
• GitHub Repository
• MCP Documentation
• VS 2026 MCP Guide