updating mcp docs (#58153)

Co-authored-by: Joe Clark <31087804+jc-clark@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: tonytrg

content/copilot/concepts/context/mcp.md

@@ -46,6 +46,14 @@ To learn how to configure and use MCP servers with {% data variables.copilot.cop
 
 {% data reusables.copilot.mcp.mcp-policy %}
 
+## Availability
+
+There is currently broad support for local MCP servers in clients such as {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}, JetBrains IDEs, XCode, and others.
+
+Support for remote MCP servers is growing, with editors like {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}, {% data variables.product.prodname_vs %}, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, Eclipse, and Cursor providing this functionality with OAuth or PAT, and Windsurf supporting PAT only.
+
+To find out if your preferred editor supports remote MCP servers, check the documentation for your specific editor.
+
 ## About the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server
 
 The {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server provided and maintained by {% data variables.product.github %}.
@@ -57,30 +65,37 @@ The {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server is a Model Context Protocol (
 * Enable cloud-based workflows that work from any device, without local setup.
 * Invoke {% data variables.product.github %} tools, such as {% data variables.copilot.copilot_coding_agent %} (requires {% data variables.product.prodname_copilot %} subscription) and {% data variables.product.prodname_code_scanning %} (requires {% data variables.product.prodname_GHAS %} subscription), to assist with code generation and security analysis.
 
-For all public repositories, and private repositories covered by {% data variables.product.prodname_GHAS %}, interactions with the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server are secured by push protection, which blocks secrets from being included in AI-generated responses and prevents you from exposing secrets through any actions you perform using the server, such as creating an issue. See [AUTOTITLE](/code-security/secret-scanning/working-with-secret-scanning-and-push-protection/working-with-push-protection-and-the-github-mcp-server).
+To learn how to set up and use the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server, see [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/context/model-context-protocol/using-the-github-mcp-server).
 
-You can access the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server remotely through {% data variables.copilot.copilot_chat_short %} in {% data variables.product.github %}, {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}, or other editors that support remote MCP; or you can run it locally in any MCP-compatible editor, allowing you to choose between the convenience of a hosted solution or the customizability of a self-hosted setup.
+### Remote access
 
-If you want to utilize the remote {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server, you can do so in a few steps, without any local setup. This is particularly useful for users who want to quickly leverage {% data variables.product.github %}’s AI capabilities without the overhead of managing a local MCP server.
+You can access the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server remotely through {% data variables.copilot.copilot_chat_short %} in {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %} without any local setup. The remote server has access to additional toolsets only available in the remote {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server. For a list of such tools, see [Additional toolsets](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server?tab=readme-ov-file#additional-toolsets-in-remote-github-mcp-server) in the `github/github-mcp-server` repository.
 
-Running the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server locally requires a bit more setup, but it allows for greater customization and control over your AI interactions.
+The {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server can also run locally in any MCP-compatible editor, if necessary.
 
-To learn how to set up and use the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server, see [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/context/model-context-protocol/using-the-github-mcp-server).
+### Toolset customization
 
-## About the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP Registry
+> [!IMPORTANT]
+> Always review the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server repository at [github/github-mcp-server](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server) for the latest toolsets and authoritative configuration guidance.
 
-The {% data variables.product.github %} MCP Registry is a curated list of MCP servers from partners and the community. You can use the registry to discover new MCP servers and find ones that meet your specific needs. See [the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP Registry](https://github.com/mcp).
+The {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server supports enabling or disabling specific groups of functionalities via toolsets. Toolsets allow you to control which {% data variables.product.github %} API capabilities are available to your AI tools.
 
->[!NOTE]
-> The {% data variables.product.github %} MCP Registry is currently in {% data variables.release-phases.public_preview %} and subject to change.
+Enabling only the toolsets you need improves your AI assistant's performance and security. Fewer tools means better tool selection accuracy and fewer errors. Disabling unused toolsets also frees up tokens in the AI's context window.
 
-## Availability
+Toolsets do not only include tools, but also relevant MCP resources and prompts where applicable.
 
-There is currently broad support for local MCP servers in clients such as {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}, JetBrains IDEs, XCode, and others.
+To learn how to configure toolsets for the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server, see [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/context/use-mcp/configure-toolsets).
 
-Support for remote MCP servers is growing, with editors like {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}, {% data variables.product.prodname_vs %}, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, Eclipse, and Cursor providing this functionality with OAuth or PAT, and Windsurf supporting PAT only.
+### Security
 
-To find out if your preferred editor supports remote MCP servers, check the documentation for your specific editor.
+For all public repositories, and private repositories covered by {% data variables.product.prodname_GHAS %}, interactions with the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server are secured by push protection, which blocks secrets from being included in AI-generated responses and prevents you from exposing secrets through any actions you perform using the server, such as creating an issue. For more information, see [AUTOTITLE](/code-security/secret-scanning/working-with-secret-scanning-and-push-protection/working-with-push-protection-and-the-github-mcp-server).
+
+## About the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP Registry
+
+The {% data variables.product.github %} MCP Registry is a curated list of MCP servers from partners and the community. You can use the registry to discover new MCP servers and find ones that meet your specific needs. See [the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP Registry](https://github.com/mcp).
+
+>[!NOTE]
+> The {% data variables.product.github %} MCP Registry is currently in {% data variables.release-phases.public_preview %} and subject to change.
 
 ## Next steps
 

content/copilot/how-tos/provide-context/use-mcp/configure-toolsets.md

@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+---
+title: Configuring toolsets for the GitHub MCP Server
+intro: 'Learn how to configure toolsets and tools for the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server for fine-grained control and optimized performance.'
+shortTitle: Configure toolsets
+versions:
+  feature: copilot
+defaultTool: vscode
+topics:
+  - Copilot
+redirect_from:
+  - /copilot/how-tos/context/use-mcp/configure-toolsets
+contentType: how-tos
+---
+
+The {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server includes default toolsets (`repos`, `issues`, and `pull_requests`) that are enabled automatically. You can customize toolset configuration by:
+
+* **Enabling individual toolsets** such as `actions`, `code_security`, or `secret_protection`
+* **Using special keywords** like `all` to enable every available toolset, or [`default`](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server?tab=readme-ov-file#default-toolset) to include the standard set alongside others (for example, `default,stargazers`)
+* **Accessing remote-only toolsets** such as `copilot` (for {% data variables.copilot.copilot_coding_agent %}) and `github_support_docs_search`, which are only available on the remote MCP server
+* **Selecting specific tools** for granular control when you want to exclude specific tools or combine toolsets with individual tools
+
+For a complete list of available toolsets, see [Tools](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server/blob/main/README.md#tools) in the `github/github-mcp-server` repository. For configuration examples, see [Server configuration](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server/blob/main/docs/server-configuration.md). For a full introduction to the {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server and an overview of MCP, see [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/concepts/context/mcp).
+
+## Configuring toolsets for the remote MCP server
+
+You can configure toolsets for the remote {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server using:
+
+* **URL path parameters** when enabling a single toolset
+* **HTTP headers** when enabling multiple toolsets
+
+For detailed setup instructions, see [Remote {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server?tab=readme-ov-file#remote-github-mcp-server) and [Remote server configuration](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server/blob/main/docs/remote-server.md) in the `github/github-mcp-server` repository.
+
+## Configuring toolsets for the local MCP server
+
+You can configure toolsets for the local {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server using:
+
+* **Command-line flags**
+* **Environment variables** (these take precedence over command-line flags)
+
+For detailed setup instructions, see [Local {% data variables.product.github %} MCP server](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server?tab=readme-ov-file#local-github-mcp-server) and [Tool configuration](https://github.com/github/github-mcp-server?tab=readme-ov-file#tool-configuration) in the `github/github-mcp-server` repository.
+
+## Further reading
+
+* [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/provide-context/use-mcp/set-up-the-github-mcp-server)
+* [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/provide-context/use-mcp/use-the-github-mcp-server)
+* [AUTOTITLE](/copilot/how-tos/provide-context/use-mcp/configure-toolsets)