GitHub Copilot CLI

Set up the SonarQube MCP Server with GitHub Copilot CLI and start using Sonar tools from your agent.

GitHub Copilot CLI is GitHub's terminal-based AI assistant. Use this setup when you want Sonar tools available within a Copilot CLI interactive session.

Set up MCP for GitHub Copilot CLI

Environment variables

The following Common variables are required. Note that SONARQUBE_TOKEN applies to stdio transport only. For HTTP, HTTPS, or the embedded SonarQube Cloud MCP server, use the Authorization: Bearer <YourSonarQubeUserToken> header instead.

• SONARQUBE_TOKEN: Your SonarQube user token (stdio transport).

• SONARQUBE_ORG: Your SonarQube Cloud organization key. Required for SonarQube Cloud only.

• SONARQUBE_URL: Your SonarQube Server or Community Build URL. Also required for SonarQube Cloud in the US region (https://sonarqube.us). Not needed for SonarQube Cloud in the EU region.

Your SonarQube token is a sensitive credential. Use environment variables to pass tokens rather than hardcoding them in configuration files. Never commit tokens to version control.

Connection and transport

After starting Copilot CLI, run the following command to add the SonarQube MCP server:

/mcp add

You will have to provide specific information about your MCP server; use the tab key to navigate between fields.

User tokens are required when setting up connected mode or an MCP Server between SonarQube (Server, Cloud) and SonarQube for IDE. Note that the binding will not function properly if project tokens, global tokens, or scoped organization tokens are used during the setup process.

This code sample configures the MCP server using Stdio transport, where SONARQUBE_TOKEN is passed as an environment variable.

For HTTP, HTTPS, or the MCP Server in SonarQube Cloud, the SONARQUBE_TOKEN header is deprecated. Pass the token using the "Authorization": "Bearer <YourSonarQubeUserToken>" header instead.

GitHub Copilot CLI with SonarQube Cloud

Server Name: sonarqube
Server Type: Local (Press 1)
Command: docker
Arguments: run, --rm, -i, --init, --pull=always, -e, SONARQUBE_TOKEN, -e, SONARQUBE_ORG, mcp/sonarqube
Environment Variables: SONARQUBE_TOKEN=<YourSonarQubeUserToken>,SONARQUBE_ORG=<YourOrganizationName>
Tools: *

SONARQUBE_URL should be defined as https://sonarqube.us each time you use a SonarQube Cloud configuration (SONARQUBE_TOKEN + SONARQUBE_ORG) and want to connect to US instance. See the Common variables article which explains when to use these variables.

GitHub Copilot CLI with SonarQube Server

Server Name: sonarqube
Server Type: Local (Press 1)
Command: docker
Arguments: run, --rm, -i, --init, --pull=always, -e, SONARQUBE_TOKEN, -e, SONARQUBE_URL, mcp/sonarqube
Environment Variables: SONARQUBE_TOKEN=<YourSonarQubeUserToken>,SONARQUBE_URL=<YourSonarQubeURL>
Tools: *

The configuration file is located at ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json.

Use Sonar tools from GitHub Copilot CLI

Once connected, GitHub Copilot CLI can call SonarQube MCP tools on your behalf. See the Tools page for the full list of available tools.

Concrete workflow examples for this IDE will be added after engineering review.