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VS Code

How to use GitHub with VS Code

You want GitHub inside VS Code so it can review pull requests and assign follow-up work, triage repository issues, make a targeted repository change, and prepare and merge a pull request — without you copy-pasting between tabs. Here is the whole setup, once.

Create your GitHub gateway

The gateway is the thing VS Code connects to, and it is where you decide which GitHub tools an agent may use. You create it once and every client reuses it.

  1. Create an Arcade account

    Sign up and open the dashboard. The free tier is enough to follow this through.

  2. Create an MCP Gateway and select your GitHub tools

    In the dashboard, create a gateway and pick the GitHub tools you want to expose. The gateway is what your client connects to, and it is where tool access is decided.

  3. Copy your gateway URL

    Every client below needs it. 

    https://api.arcade.dev/mcp/<YOUR-GATEWAY-SLUG>

Create a GitHub gateway Opens the gateway builder in your Arcade dashboard.

Connect the gateway to VS Code

  1. Add the server

    VS Code 1.107.0 or higher. Command Palette → MCP: Add Server… → choose HTTP, paste your gateway URL, and name it something like mcp-arcade.

  2. Start it and sign in to Arcade

    Click Start next to the server in mcp.json or under Extensions → MCP Servers - Installed, then approve the Arcade sign-in and consent screens.

  3. Try it out

    Open the chat pane, switch to Agent mode, and ask it to use one of your GitHub tools. The first time it calls a GitHub tool, Arcade replies with an authorization link. Open it, sign in to GitHub and approve access, then ask again. You do this once per account.

Full VS Code guide in the docs steps verified 2026-08-13

Try these GitHub prompts

VS Code can now act on your GitHub account. Copy a prompt and paste it in.

review pull requests and assign follow-up work

Review the open pull requests awaiting my review. Summarize the changed files, commits, review comments, and blocking issues, then recommend reviewers or follow-up owners. Do not merge anything, and return a concise action list.

triage repository issues

List the open issues in the repository I name, group them by urgency and topic, and identify duplicates or issues missing enough detail to act on. Suggest labels and return the issue numbers with your recommendations, but do not change anything.

make a targeted repository change

Find the repository and file I specify, inspect the surrounding code, and propose the smallest change needed to fix the described problem. Show the exact file and lines you would update, then wait for my approval before writing anything.

prepare and merge a pull request

Find the branch or changes I describe, inspect the commits and changed files, and prepare a pull request with a clear title and summary. Check whether it is ready to merge and return the status, reviewers, and blocking comments; do not merge it.

Control repository access and require approval before an agent creates files, merges pull requests, or changes labels with Contextual Access policies.

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