llms-install.md

Azure MCP Server Installation Guide

This guide helps AI agents and developers install and configure the Azure MCP Server for different environments.

Installation Steps

Configuration Setup

The Azure MCP Server requires configuration based on the client type. Below are the setup instructions for each supported client:

For VS Code Users

✅ Recommended: Use the Azure MCP Server VS Code Extension

1. Open VS Code and go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS).
2. Search for "Azure MCP Server" and install the official Azure MCP Server extension by Microsoft.
3. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P).
4. Run MCP: List Servers.
5. Select azure-mcp-server-ext from the list and click Start to launch the server.

Alternative: Use the classic npx route via .vscode/mcp.json

Requires Node.js (Latest LTS version)

1. Create or modify the MCP configuration file, mcp.json, in your .vscode folder.

{
  "servers": {
    "Azure MCP Server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@azure/mcp@latest",
        "server",
        "start"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For Windsurf

Requires Node.js (Latest LTS version)

1. Create or modify the configuration file at ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "Azure MCP Server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@azure/mcp@latest",
        "server",
        "start"
      ]
    }
  }
}

For Claude Desktop

Download the .mcpb file for your platform/architecture from Assets section of the latest release in our GitHub Releases page:

	Windows	macOS	Linux
x64	Azure.Mcp.Server-win-x64.mcpb	Azure.Mcp.Server-osx-x64.mcpb	Azure.Mcp.Server-linux-x64.mcpb
ARM64	Azure.Mcp.Server-win-arm64.mcpb	Azure.Mcp.Server-osx-arm64.mcpb	Azure.Mcp.Server-linux-arm64.mcpb

• Option 1 (Recommended): Drag the downloaded .mcpb file into the Claude Desktop app window to install it. This is the easiest method ✅.
• Option 2:
  1. Open the hamburger menu on the top left of the Claude Desktop app.
  2. Go to File > Settings > Extensions > Advanced Settings > Install Extension
  3. Select the downloaded .mcpb file and click Preview.
  4. Click Install in the preview window to add the Azure MCP Server to Claude Desktop.
• Option 3: Set Claude Desktop to be the default application for .mcpb files on your computer. Then, double-click on the downloaded .mcpb file and Claude Desktop will automatically install the bundle.