# How to connect GitHub Copilot to LinkedIn, step by step

Source: https://finchreach.com/guides/github-copilot
Third-party facts checked on 2026-10-28.

Create an API key at finchreach.com/api-keys, connect LinkedIn at finchreach.com/accounts, then add `https://mcp.finchreach.com/mcp` to GitHub Copilot with the header `Authorization: Bearer lk_…`. Test with a read, and approve the first draft under Approvals.

## What you need

- A Finchreach account (sign in at [finchreach.com](https://finchreach.com/sign-in)) and the LinkedIn account you want GitHub Copilot to work on.
- GitHub Copilot (copilot Business and Enterprise admins can restrict or turn off MCP; the `chat.mcp.access` setting controls which servers are allowed).
- About five minutes.

## Step 1: Create a Finchreach API key

1. Sign in at finchreach.com and open [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys).
2. Create a key and name it after the tool, for example “GitHub Copilot”.
3. Copy it right away: it starts with `lk_` and is shown only once.

## Step 2: Connect your LinkedIn account

1. Open [Accounts](https://finchreach.com/accounts) and click to connect LinkedIn.
2. Follow the steps until the account shows as connected.

Approval mode is on by default: nothing the assistant drafts reaches LinkedIn until you approve it.

## Step 3: Add Finchreach to GitHub Copilot

1. Create `.vscode/mcp.json` with the entry below, or run “MCP: Add Server” from the command palette and pick HTTP.
2. Start the server from the file (or the MCP view). VS Code asks for the Finchreach key once, as a password, and stores it securely.
3. Open Copilot Chat in agent mode and check the tools list for the `finchreach` tools.

.vscode/mcp.json:
```json
{
  "inputs": [
    {
      "type": "promptString",
      "id": "finchreach-key",
      "description": "Finchreach API key",
      "password": true
    }
  ],
  "servers": {
    "finchreach": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.finchreach.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer ${input:finchreach-key}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

Headers are supported, and `${input:…}` prompts for the key so it is never written into the file.

Requirements: Copilot Business and Enterprise admins can restrict or turn off MCP; the `chat.mcp.access` setting controls which servers are allowed.

## Step 4: Test the connection

In GitHub Copilot, start with a read. It runs right away and proves the key and the account work:

> Ask your assistant: “List my connected LinkedIn accounts, then summarize my five latest notifications.”

You should see calls to `linkedin_list_accounts` and `linkedin_get_notifications`. Then try a write, which goes to your approval queue instead of LinkedIn:

> Ask your assistant: “Draft a short LinkedIn post saying I’m trying a new AI assistant workflow. Submit it for my approval.”

## Step 5: Approve or reject it in Finchreach

1. Open [Approvals](https://finchreach.com/approvals). The draft is there with its exact text and the account it would go out from.
2. Approve it to publish, or reject it (reject the test post if you don’t want it live).
3. GitHub Copilot can check the result with `linkedin_get_action`: pending, approved, rejected, executed, failed or expired.

## Troubleshooting

- The top-level key is `servers`, not `mcpServers`. A file copied from another client won’t load until you rename it.
- If the server never starts, your organization may block MCP: ask an admin about the Copilot MCP policy and `chat.mcp.access`.
- 401 or “unauthorized”: the key is wrong, revoked or missing its prefix. Finchreach accepts `Authorization: Bearer lk_…` or `X-API-Key: lk_…`; check for a missing `Bearer `, quotes or a trailing space.
- A tool is missing: the key’s permissions don’t include it. Create a key with the permissions you need under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys).
- “No LinkedIn account”: connect one under [Accounts](https://finchreach.com/accounts), or reconnect it if its session expired.
- A post or message “didn’t go out”: it is probably still waiting under [Approvals](https://finchreach.com/approvals). Writes run only after you approve them.

Still stuck? Compare your setup with [GitHub Copilot’s documentation](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/agents/reference/mcp-configuration), checked on 2026-10-28; client screens change often.

## What to ask GitHub Copilot next

> Ask your assistant: “Summarize the release notes in this repo as a LinkedIn post draft for our engineering page readers.”

> Ask your assistant: “Find the LinkedIn profile of the maintainer of this library and draft a short thank-you message.”

> Ask your assistant: “Read my LinkedIn notifications and tell me who engaged with my last post.”

More ideas on the [GitHub Copilot integration page](https://finchreach.com/integrations/github-copilot).

## Questions

### I lost my API key. Can I see it again?

No, a key is shown only once. Create a new one under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys), put it in your config, and revoke the old one.

### Does GitHub Copilot see my LinkedIn password?

No. GitHub Copilot only gets your Finchreach API key. Your LinkedIn connection stays in Finchreach, and you can revoke the key at any time without touching LinkedIn.

### Can I use the same key in several tools?

Yes, but one key per tool (for example one named “GitHub Copilot”) lets you revoke one without breaking the others.

### How do I disconnect GitHub Copilot?

Revoke its key under [API keys](https://finchreach.com/api-keys); GitHub Copilot gets a 401 from then on. Then remove the server from its config.

## Sources

- [GitHub Copilot docs](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/agents/reference/mcp-configuration)

## Related

- [What GitHub Copilot can do on LinkedIn](https://finchreach.com/integrations/github-copilot)
- [Write an honest engineering hiring post on LinkedIn with GitHub Copilot](https://finchreach.com/blog/github-copilot-linkedin-hiring-post)
- [Quickstart and tools](https://finchreach.com/docs)
- [All setup guides](https://finchreach.com/guides)