Adfin + GitHub Copilot (VS Code): Complete MCP Integration

Adfin is a MCP server that The only platform you need to get paid - all payments in one place, invoicing and accounting reconciliations with Adfin..

When integrated with GitHub Copilot (VS Code), you can:

• Monitor and manage customer credit status and payment tracking
• Create individual invoices with customizable details
• Upload and process multiple PDF invoices simultaneously

This guide provides step-by-step instructions to set up Adfin in GitHub Copilot (VS Code), including configuration, examples, and troubleshooting.

What You'll Achieve

After completing this setup:

• Adfin will be fully integrated and operational
• You can use Adfin tools directly in GitHub Copilot (VS Code)
• All Adfin capabilities will be available for your workflows
• Access to 5 different tools

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Adfin account email address
• Adfin account password
• GitHub Copilot (VS Code) installed and configured
• Compatible operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Installation

Step 1: Install Adfin

Configuration

Step 2: Configure GitHub Copilot (VS Code)

1. Locate your configuration file:

   • Windows: .vscode\\mcp.json in your project directory
   • macOS: .vscode/mcp.json in your project directory
   • Linux: .vscode/mcp.json in your project directory

2. Add server configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "adfin": {
      "command": "adfin",
      "args": [],
      "env": {
        "ADFIN_EMAIL": "[email protected]",
        "ADFIN_PASSWORD": "your-secure-password"
      }
    }
  }
}

3. Restart GitHub Copilot (VS Code)

Completely quit and restart GitHub Copilot (VS Code) to load the new configuration.

Examples

Once configured, you can use Adfin in GitHub Copilot (VS Code):

Credit Control Status Check

Review overall credit control status for all customers

Ask GitHub Copilot (VS Code): "Give me a credit control status check for all our customers"

Expected Result: Comprehensive report showing customer payment status, overdue amounts, and credit risks

Create New Invoice

Generate an invoice for a specific customer with custom terms

Ask GitHub Copilot (VS Code): "Create a new invoice for 60 GBP for Abc Def that is due in a week"

Expected Result: Invoice created with customer details, amount, and 7-day payment terms

Bulk Invoice Upload

Process multiple PDF invoices from a directory

Ask GitHub Copilot (VS Code): "Upload all pdf invoices from the invoices folder from my Desktop"

Expected Result: All PDF invoices processed, validated, and uploaded to Adfin system

Payment Reconciliation

Match received payments with outstanding invoices

Ask GitHub Copilot (VS Code): "Reconcile the payment of £1,250 received today with our outstanding invoices"

Expected Result: Payment matched to appropriate invoices with reconciliation details recorded

Testing Your Setup

1. Start a new conversation in GitHub Copilot (VS Code)
2. Ask GitHub Copilot (VS Code) to list available tools
3. Try using Adfin functionality

Test prompts:

• "What MCP tools are available?"
• "Use Adfin to help with my code"
• "Show me what Adfin can do"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Authentication Failed

Symptoms: Login errors, Invalid credentials messages, 401 Unauthorized

Cause: Incorrect ADFIN_EMAIL or ADFIN_PASSWORD

Solution:

• Verify email and password are correct in Adfin web interface
• Check for typos in environment variables
• Ensure credentials are not expired or locked
• Reset password if necessary through Adfin portal

UV Package Manager Not Found

Symptoms: Command not found errors, uv command fails

Cause: UV package manager not installed or not in PATH

Solution:

• Install uv: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
• Restart terminal to update PATH
• Verify installation: uv --version
• For Windows: use PowerShell installation script

PDF Invoice Processing Fails

Symptoms: Upload errors, PDF parsing failures, Invalid file format

Cause: Corrupted PDFs, unsupported format, or file permissions

Solution:

• Verify PDFs are valid and readable
• Check file permissions allow read access
• Ensure PDFs contain text (not just images)
• Try uploading files individually to isolate issues

Claude Desktop Configuration Error

Symptoms: MCP server not detected, Configuration syntax errors

Cause: Invalid JSON syntax or incorrect configuration structure

Solution:

• Validate JSON syntax in claude_desktop_config.json
• Ensure proper nesting of mcpServers configuration
• Check file is in correct location for Claude Desktop
• Restart Claude Desktop after configuration changes

MCP Configuration Not Loaded

Symptoms: MCP tools not appearing, Copilot does not recognize MCP server

Cause: Configuration file not in correct location or invalid JSON

Solution:

• Verify .vscode/mcp.json exists in project root directory
• Check JSON syntax is valid (no trailing commas, proper quotes)
• Reload VS Code window after making configuration changes
• Check VS Code Developer Tools (Help > Toggle Developer Tools) for errors

MCP Server Not Starting

Symptoms: Tools listed but not responding, Server connection errors

Cause: Server command path incorrect or dependencies missing

Solution:

• Test the MCP server command independently in terminal
• Verify all server prerequisites are installed
• Check that command path is correct (use absolute paths if needed)
• Ensure required environment variables are set in mcp.json
• Review VS Code Output panel for MCP server error messages

GitHub Copilot Subscription Required

Symptoms: Copilot features grayed out, Unable to access Copilot Chat

Cause: No active GitHub Copilot subscription

Solution:

• Sign up for GitHub Copilot subscription (Individual, Business, or Enterprise)
• Verify subscription is active in GitHub account settings
• Re-authenticate GitHub Copilot in VS Code
• Check that VS Code is using correct GitHub account

VS Code Version Too Old

Symptoms: MCP configuration ignored, No mcp.json recognition

Cause: VS Code version below 1.99 does not have native MCP support

Solution:

• Update VS Code to version 1.99 or later
• Check current version: Help > About
• Download latest version from code.visualstudio.com
• After updating, reload window and verify MCP support

{server_name} Tools Not Working

Symptoms: Server connected but tools fail, Error messages when invoking tools

Cause: Server-specific configuration or authentication issues

Solution:

• Verify all required environment variables for {server_name} are set
• Check {server_name} documentation for specific prerequisites
• Test {server_name} with another MCP client to isolate issue
• Review error messages in VS Code Output panel for specific failures

Adfin not appearing in GitHub Copilot (VS Code)

Symptoms: Server not listed, Tools not available

Cause: Configuration or installation issue

Solution:

• Verify configuration syntax
• Check Adfin installation
• Restart GitHub Copilot (VS Code)
• Check logs for error messages

Next Steps

Now that Adfin is integrated with GitHub Copilot (VS Code):

• Explore all Adfin capabilities through GitHub Copilot (VS Code)
• Check out other MCP servers that work with GitHub Copilot (VS Code)
• Join the MCP community for tips and support
• Consider contributing to Adfin development

Need Help?

• Search for Adfin documentation
• Check the GitHub Copilot (VS Code) MCP guide
• Join the MCP community discussions