> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.sonarsource.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/quickstart-guides/github-copilot-cli.md).

# GitHub Copilot CLI

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

[GitHub Copilot CLI](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/about-copilot-cli) is GitHub's terminal-based AI assistant. Use this MCP server setup when you want Sonar tools available within a Copilot CLI interactive session.

## Choose your setup

The SonarQube MCP Server lets an AI agent query your SonarQube projects. With it, GitHub Copilot CLI can look up issues, quality gates, and coverage while it works. You can use a server that SonarQube hosts, run your own, or have the SonarQube CLI set it up for you. Choose how to connect:

| Option                                                               | Is best for                                                                         | What you get                                                                                                       | Who sets it up                                     |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------- |
| [Automated setup](#automated-setup-with-the-sonarqube-cli)           | Automatic configuration in GitHub Copilot CLI                                       | The MCP server, secrets detection, and Sonar Vortex analysis and context                                           | You                                                |
| [SonarQube Cloud-hosted](#connect-to-a-sonarqube-hosted-mcp-server)  | SonarQube Cloud users                                                               | Nothing to install and a smaller, fixed subset of tools. No Sonar Vortex.                                          | You connect                                        |
| [SonarQube Server-hosted](#connect-to-a-sonarqube-hosted-mcp-server) | SonarQube Server 2026.3 and later (Developer, Enterprise, and Data Center editions) | Nothing to install on your machine. No Sonar Vortex.                                                               | An administrator installs it, and then you connect |
| [Self-hosted MCP server](#set-up-a-self-hosted-mcp-server)           | Full control                                                                        | The MCP server that you run yourself, with the Sonar Vortex analysis and context tools through the Stdio transport | You                                                |

For any option except the automated setup, the [configuration generator](https://mcp.sonarqube.com/config-generator.html) gives you a snippet to paste into your `~/.copilot/mcp-config.json` file.

## Automated setup with the SonarQube CLI

For an automated setup, use the [GitHub Copilot CLI setup flow](/sonarqube-cli/integrations/github-copilot-cli.md). It configures the MCP server automatically and also adds secrets detection, Vortex analysis, and Vortex context.

Set up Vortex analysis and Vortex context using the SonarQube plugin or SonarQube CLI. See [Sonar Vortex analysis](/agent-centric-development-cycle/inside-your-agent-the-agentic-loop/sonar-vortex-analysis.md) and [Sonar Vortex context](/agent-centric-development-cycle/inside-your-agent-the-agentic-loop/sonar-vortex-context.md).

## Connect to a SonarQube-hosted MCP server

Connect to a SonarQube-hosted MCP server to skip running your own MCP infrastructure and always use the current server version:

* SonarQube Cloud-hosted: for SonarQube Cloud users. The MCP server is embedded in SonarQube Cloud, so there's nothing to install, and it exposes a smaller, fixed subset of tools. To connect, see the [SonarQube Cloud-hosted](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/sonarqube-cloud-hosted.md) page.
* SonarQube Server-hosted: for SonarQube Server users on Developer, Enterprise, and Data Center editions, version 2026.3 and newer. An administrator installs the MCP server extension on your instance, and then you [connect your AI agent](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/sonarqube-server-hosted.md#connect-your-ai-agent). To install the extension, see the [SonarQube Server-hosted](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/sonarqube-server-hosted.md#install-the-mcp-server) page.

Neither the SonarQube Cloud-hosted nor the SonarQube Server-hosted option supports Sonar Vortex, which requires local filesystem access. To use Sonar Vortex, use the automated setup or a self-hosted MCP server.

To get the connection snippet for either option, use the [configuration generator](https://mcp.sonarqube.com/config-generator.html) and select the matching hosting method.

## Set up a self-hosted MCP server

A self-hosted MCP server runs on your machine or in your own environment, and you manage it yourself.

### Before you start

The following [common variables](/sonarqube-mcp-server/reference/environment-variables.md#common-variables) are required. `SONARQUBE_TOKEN` applies to stdio transport only. For HTTP, HTTPS, or the SonarQube Cloud-hosted 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.

> **Important:** 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.

> **Warning:** *User tokens* are required when setting up connected mode or your SonarQube MCP server with SonarQube (Server, Cloud). Your binding will not function properly if you use *project tokens*, *global tokens*, or *scoped organization tokens* during setup.

When using these features, your `SONARQUBE_TOKEN` lets your local MCP server configured for [Stdio](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#local-server-stdio) mode authenticate to the SonarQube Cloud API. See [Sonar Vortex analysis](/agent-centric-development-cycle/inside-your-agent-the-agentic-loop/sonar-vortex-analysis.md) and [Sonar Vortex context](/agent-centric-development-cycle/inside-your-agent-the-agentic-loop/sonar-vortex-context.md).

### Configure manually

The SonarQube MCP Server supports three transport modes. Use [Stdio](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#local-server-stdio) for local development and most use cases, [HTTPS](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#https-streamable-http-over-tls) for production and team deployments, and [HTTP](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#http-streamable-http) only on trusted internal networks.

Use the official [SonarQube MCP Server configuration generator](https://mcp.sonarqube.com/config-generator.html) to get a configuration code snippet for your setup:

1. Identify the target MCP Client.
2. Find your [#common-variables](/sonarqube-mcp-server/reference/environment-variables.md#common-variables).
3. Choose a [hosting method](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/environment-considerations.md#hosting-method).
4. Enter the information into the configuration generator.
5. Paste the generated configuration into your configuration file.

To configure by hand instead, select a transport tab.

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="STDIO (RECOMMENDED)" %}
Use [Stdio](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#local-server-stdio) for local development or when you're the only user. It's also the transport mode used in your [Sonar Vortex analysis](/agent-centric-development-cycle/inside-your-agent-the-agentic-loop/sonar-vortex-analysis.md) and [Sonar Vortex context](/agent-centric-development-cycle/inside-your-agent-the-agentic-loop/sonar-vortex-context.md) workflows.

After starting [Copilot CLI](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/about-copilot-cli), run the following command to add the SonarQube MCP server:

```bash
/mcp add
```

Provide the required information about your MCP server; use Tab to navigate between fields.

> **Note:** This code sample configures the MCP server using [Stdio](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#local-server-stdio) transport, where `SONARQUBE_TOKEN` is passed as an environment variable.
>
> For [HTTPS](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#https-streamable-http-over-tls), [HTTP](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#http-streamable-http), or the [SonarQube-hosted MCP server](#connect-to-a-sonarqube-hosted-mcp-server), the `SONARQUBE_TOKEN` header is deprecated. Pass the token using the `"Authorization": "Bearer <YourSonarQubeUserToken>"` header instead.

> **Note:** 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 a US-region instance. See the [Connecting to SonarQube Cloud in the US region](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/environment-considerations.md#connecting-to-sonarqube-cloud-in-the-us-region) section for details.

> **Note:** Docker's MCP Hub publishes the [`mcp/sonarqube`](https://hub.docker.com/r/mcp/sonarqube) image on its own cadence, so it may occasionally lag behind the latest release. The examples below use [`sonarsource/sonarqube-mcp`](https://hub.docker.com/r/sonarsource/sonarqube-mcp/tags) instead, which receives new releases first and supports versioned tags for stable pinning.

**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, sonarsource/sonarqube-mcp
Environment Variables: SONARQUBE_TOKEN=<YourSonarQubeUserToken>,SONARQUBE_ORG=<YourSonarQubeOrganizationKey>
Tools: *
```

For SonarQube Cloud in the US region, add `-e, SONARQUBE_URL` to Arguments, before `sonarsource/sonarqube-mcp`, and add `SONARQUBE_URL=https://sonarqube.us` to Environment 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, sonarsource/sonarqube-mcp
Environment Variables: SONARQUBE_TOKEN=<YourSonarQubeUserToken>,SONARQUBE_URL=<YourSonarQubeURL>
Tools: *
```

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

> **Tip:** To verify the connection, ask your AI agent to call the SonarQube MCP `ping_system` tool. For example: *"Ping the SonarQube MCP server."*

> **Tip:** Restart your AI agent for good measure, although it might not be required.
> {% endtab %}

{% tab title="HTTPS" %}
Use HTTPS when connecting GitHub Copilot CLI to a shared MCP server deployed for a team. This requires an [HTTPS transport server](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#https-streamable-http-over-tls) to be running and accessible.

After starting [Copilot CLI](https://docs.github.com/en/copilot/concepts/agents/about-copilot-cli), run `/mcp add` and select the remote server type, then enter your server URL and token when prompted.

Alternatively, add the following directly to your `~/.copilot/mcp-config.json` file:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sonarqube": {
      "type": "https",
      "url": "https://<YourSonarQubeMCPServer>:8443/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YourSonarQubeUserToken>"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

> **Tip:** To verify the connection, ask your AI agent to call the SonarQube MCP `ping_system` tool. For example: *"Ping the SonarQube MCP server."*
> {% endtab %}

{% tab title="HTTP" %}

> **Important:** The [HTTP](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#http-streamable-http) transport mode is not recommended. Use [Stdio](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#stdio) for local development or [HTTPS](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#https-streamable-http-over-tls) for multi-user production deployments.

Use HTTP only on a trusted internal network or for local testing. This requires an [HTTP transport server](/sonarqube-mcp-server/setup/self-hosted.md#http-streamable-http) to be running.

Add the following to your `~/.copilot/mcp-config.json` file:

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sonarqube": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://<YourSonarQubeMCPServer>:8080/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YourSonarQubeUserToken>"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

> **Tip:** To verify the connection, ask your AI agent to call the SonarQube MCP `ping_system` tool. For example: *"Ping the SonarQube MCP server."*
> {% endtab %}
> {% endtabs %}

## Use Sonar tools from GitHub Copilot CLI

Once connected, GitHub Copilot CLI can call SonarQube MCP tools on your behalf. See the SonarQube MCP [Tools](/sonarqube-mcp-server/reference/tools.md) page for the full list of available tools.


---

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