The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard that defines how applications share context with large language models (LLMs). MCP provides a standardized way to connect AI models to different data sources and tools, enabling them to work together more effectively.
You can manage MCP server usage in your organization or enterprise by configuring MCP policies on GitHub.
The MCP servers in Copilot policy defines whether MCP servers can run at all across Copilot clients. We recommend keeping this policy enabled and, if necessary, restricting the MCP servers that users can run to an approved list.
MCP allowlists
The recommended method for creating an allowlist is to use your enterprise's managed-settings.json file. This allows you to apply settings across clients that users cannot override.
Alternatively, you can host your own MCP registry and restrict access to servers in the registry. However, this method has weaker enforcement than managed-settings.json.
Next steps
To configure an allowlist on GitHub, see Configuring an MCP server allowlist for your enterprise.