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Overview

What you’ll accomplish:
  • Add the ABBYY Vantage MCP server to GitHub Copilot in VS Code
  • Verify the connection is working
  • Use the SearchAbbyyVantageDocumentation tool to search docs from within Copilot Chat
Time to complete: ~5 minutes

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What Is the MCP Server?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that lets AI assistants connect to external tools and data sources. By adding an MCP server to GitHub Copilot, you give the AI direct access to structured data or capabilities — without copying and pasting content manually. The ABBYY Vantage MCP server exposes a single tool, SearchAbbyyVantageDocumentation, that performs a semantic search across the full Vantage documentation. When Copilot has this server connected, it can look up API parameters, skill configuration options, troubleshooting steps, and more — automatically, as you work.
The MCP server provides read-only access to public documentation. It does not connect to your Vantage tenant, process documents, or require any Vantage credentials.

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Prerequisites

No ABBYY Vantage tenant or account is required to use the MCP server.
1

Add via Command Palette (Recommended)

Use the VS Code Command Palette to register the MCP server:
  1. Open the Command Palette with Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux)
  2. Type “MCP: Add Server…” and select it
  3. Select HTTP as the transport type
  4. Enter the URL: https://docs.abbyy.com/mcp
  5. Enter the name: abbyy-vantage
  6. Choose the scope: Workspace or User
ScopeConfig locationWhen to use
Workspace.vscode/mcp.jsonOne specific project
UserUser settings via Command PaletteAll projects on this machine
2

Alternative: Manual Configuration

If you prefer to configure manually, add the server entry to the appropriate configuration file.
Create or edit .vscode/mcp.json in your project root:
{
  "servers": {
    "abbyy-vantage": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://docs.abbyy.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P), type “MCP: Open User Configuration”, and add the following entry:
{
  "servers": {
    "abbyy-vantage": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://docs.abbyy.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}
3

Verify the Connection

  1. Open the Command Palette and run “MCP: List Servers” — confirm abbyy-vantage shows as connected
  2. Open Copilot Chat (click the Copilot icon in the sidebar or press Ctrl+Shift+I / Cmd+Shift+I)
  3. Switch to Agent mode using the mode selector at the top of the chat panel
  4. Click the tools icon in the chat input — confirm SearchAbbyyVantageDocumentation appears in the list
  5. Test with a question:
“What parameters does the Vantage Processing API require to submit a document?”
Copilot will invoke SearchAbbyyVantageDocumentation and return results from the documentation.
The URL must be entered exactly as https://docs.abbyy.com/mcp with no trailing slash. Also confirm that VS Code has network access to reach the server.

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Available Tools

The ABBYY Vantage MCP server exposes one tool: SearchAbbyyVantageDocumentation Performs a semantic search across the ABBYY Vantage documentation and returns the most relevant content. Copilot invokes this tool automatically in Agent mode when you ask questions related to Vantage. Example queries:
  • “How do I configure a Document Skill in Vantage?”
  • “What does the minConfidence parameter do?”
  • “How do I set up an LLM connection in Vantage?”
  • “What export formats does Vantage support?”
  • “How do I authenticate with the Vantage REST API?”

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Use Cases

API Integrations

Look up endpoint parameters, authentication methods, and request/response formats without leaving your IDE

Skill Configuration

Quickly find configuration options and best practices for Document Skills, Process Skills, and Advanced Designer

Troubleshooting

Search for error messages and known issues to resolve problems faster while debugging integrations

Exploring Capabilities

Discover what Vantage supports — extraction models, supported formats, tenant settings — as you plan your project

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Tips for Effective Queries

  • Be specific: Include the feature name or API endpoint in your question rather than asking generally
  • Use Vantage terminology: Terms like “Process Skill”, “Document Skill”, “Skill Designer”, and “tenant” will return more precise results
  • Ask follow-up questions: Copilot retains context, so you can narrow down results with follow-up prompts
  • Combine with your code: Paste an API response or config snippet and ask Copilot to explain it using the Vantage docs
  • Use Agent mode: MCP tools are only available in Agent mode — make sure the mode selector is set to “Agent” before asking

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Removing the MCP Server

You can remove the server using either method: Via Command Palette:
  1. Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
  2. Run “MCP: List Servers”
  3. Select abbyy-vantage
  4. Choose Remove
Via configuration file: Delete the abbyy-vantage entry from .vscode/mcp.json (workspace) or your user MCP configuration.

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Troubleshooting

Server doesn’t appear in “MCP: List Servers” Verify the configuration file was saved correctly and that the JSON is valid (no trailing commas). If you edited the file manually, try reloading VS Code (Developer: Reload Window from the Command Palette). VS Code version too old MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later. Check your version via Help → About and update if needed. Tool is not invoked automatically Copilot only invokes MCP tools in Agent mode. Make sure you’ve switched from “Ask” or “Edit” mode to “Agent” using the mode selector at the top of the Copilot Chat panel. If the tool still isn’t being used, try asking your question more explicitly: “Search the ABBYY Vantage docs for…” or mention a specific Vantage feature by name. Search returns irrelevant results Rephrase your query using terms from the Vantage interface or documentation. Avoid generic terms like “workflow” or “settings” on their own — pair them with “Vantage” or a specific feature name.

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Summary

You’ve successfully:
  • ✅ Added the ABBYY Vantage MCP server to GitHub Copilot in VS Code
  • ✅ Verified the connection using “MCP: List Servers”
  • ✅ Learned how to trigger documentation search from Copilot Chat in Agent mode

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Next Steps

API Introduction

Get started with the Vantage Processing REST API

Processing Documents

Create a Process Skill and automate document processing via SFTP

Configuring LLM Connections

Connect Vantage to OpenAI or Microsoft Foundry

Prompt-Based Extraction

Use natural language prompts to extract data from documents

MCP Server for Claude Code

Add the same MCP server to Claude Code