The Microsoft Learn MCP Server provides AI assistants with secure, direct access to official Microsoft documentation to prevent hallucinations and ensure accuracy when generating code and technical guidance. It offers a no-authentication, one-click installable interface that connects compatible IDEs and AI tools to Microsoft's official docs via an HTTP endpoint at https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp. By eliminating reliance on outdated training data and generic web searches, the server ensures developers receive verified, current information for Azure, .NET, and other Microsoft technologies.
Public tool metadata for what this MCP can expose to an agent.
microsoft_docs_searchSearch official Microsoft/Azure documentation to find the most relevant and trustworthy content for a user's query. This tool returns up to 10 high-quality content chunks (each max 500 tokens), extracted from Microsoft Learn and other official sources. Each result includes the...2 paramsSearch official Microsoft/Azure documentation to find the most relevant and trustworthy content for a user's query. This tool returns up to 10 high-quality content chunks (each max 500 tokens), extracted from Microsoft Learn and other official sources. Each result includes the...
querystringquestionstringmicrosoft_code_sample_searchSearch for code snippets and examples in official Microsoft Learn documentation. This tool retrieves relevant code samples from Microsoft documentation pages providing developers with practical implementation examples and best practices for Microsoft/Azure products and service...2 paramsSearch for code snippets and examples in official Microsoft Learn documentation. This tool retrieves relevant code samples from Microsoft documentation pages providing developers with practical implementation examples and best practices for Microsoft/Azure products and service...
querystringlanguagestringmicrosoft_docs_fetchFetch and convert a Microsoft Learn documentation page to markdown format. This tool retrieves the latest complete content of Microsoft documentation pages including Azure, .NET, Microsoft 365, and other Microsoft technologies. ## When to Use This Tool - When search results pr...1 paramsFetch and convert a Microsoft Learn documentation page to markdown format. This tool retrieves the latest complete content of Microsoft documentation pages including Azure, .NET, Microsoft 365, and other Microsoft technologies. ## When to Use This Tool - When search results pr...
urlstringStop AI Hallucinations. Give your AI assistant (Claude, Cursor, Copilot, Codex, ...) direct access to the latest official Microsoft documentation.
✨ Free. One-click install. No key needed.
Stop relying on outdated training data or risky web searches. Learn MCP server provides secure, direct access to Microsoft official docs.
🧠 Eliminate Hallucinations. Stop your AI from inventing non-existent Azure SDK methods or hallucinating library packages. Get code that actually compiles.
🔌 Plug & Play (No Auth). No API keys, no logins, no sign-ups required. Just one-click install and start coding immediately.
🛡️ 100% Trusted & Safe. Protect your supply chain. Unlike generic web searches that may scrape insecure blogs or malicious sites, this tool only accesses official 1st-party Microsoft documentation.
💸 Completely Free. High search capacity tailored for seamless, heavy coding sessions.
"Give me the Azure CLI commands to create an Azure Container App with a managed identity."
"Is gpt-5.4 available in Azure EU regions?"
"Are you sure this is the right way to implement
IHttpClientFactoryin a .NET 8 minimal API?"
"Show me runnable Python code to do harms eval using the Azure AI Foundry evaluation SDK."
The Microsoft Learn MCP Server is accessible to any IDE, agent, or tool that supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Any compatible client can connect to the following remote MCP endpoint:
https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp
Note: This URL is intended for use within a compliant MCP client via Streamable HTTP, such as the recommended clients listed in our Getting Started section. It does not support direct access from a web browser and may return a
405 Method Not Allowederror if accessed manually. For developers who need to build their own solution, please follow the mandatory guidelines in the Building a Custom Client section to ensure your implementation is resilient and supported.
Standard config works in most clients:
{
"servers": {
"microsoft-learn": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp"
}
}
}
For experimental features, see the Experimental Features section below.
The Microsoft Learn MCP Server offers experimental features that are under active development. These features may change or be refined based on user feedback and usage patterns.
For applications that require OpenAI Deep Research model compatibility, you can use the OpenAI-compatible endpoint:
https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp/openai-compatible
This endpoint supports OpenAI Deep Research models and follows the OpenAI MCP specification.
To manage token usage and control costs, you can append the maxTokenBudget query parameter to the MCP endpoint URL. This parameter limits the token count in search tool responses by truncating the content to meet your specified budget.
https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp?maxTokenBudget=2000
Note: These experimental features are subject to change. We welcome feedback through our GitHub Discussions.
| Tool Name | Description | Input Parameters |
|---|---|---|
microsoft_docs_search | Performs semantic search against Microsoft official technical documentation | query (string): The search query for retrieval |
microsoft_docs_fetch | Fetch and convert a Microsoft documentation page into markdown format | url (string): URL of the documentation page to read |
microsoft_code_sample_search | Search for official Microsoft/Azure code snippets and examples | query (string): Search query for Microsoft/Azure code snippetslanguage (string, optional): Programming language filter. |
previewThe @microsoft/learn-cli package gives you terminal access to the same tools — search docs, fetch pages, and find code samples — without an MCP client.
# Run instantly (no install)
npx @microsoft/learn-cli search "azure functions timeout"
# Or install globally
npm install -g @microsoft/learn-cli
# then use `mslearn`
mslearn search "azure functions timeout"
Pass --json to get structured JSON output, useful for programmatic processing:
mslearn search "azure openai" --json | jq '.results[].title'
See cli/README.md for the full command reference.
Agent Skills are portable instruction packages that help AI agents use tools more effectively. We provide three skills that guide agents on when and how to use the Microsoft Learn MCP tools:
| Skill | Purpose | Best For |
|---|---|---|
microsoft-docs | Understanding concepts, tutorials, architecture, limits | "How does X work?", learning, configuration guides |
microsoft-code-reference | API lookups, code samples, verification, error fixing | Implementing code, finding correct methods, troubleshooting |
microsoft-skill-creator | Meta-skill that generates custom agent skills for any Microsoft technology | Creating a skill to teach agents about a new Azure library, .NET feature, or other Microsoft tech |
These agent skills are packed in a microsoft-docs plugin together with the Learn MCP server itself. If you use Claude Code, run the following command and restart Claude Code:
/plugin install microsoft-docs@claude-plugins-official
Or if you use GitHub Copilot CLI, run this command:
/plugin install microsoftdocs/mcp
Otherwise:
.github/skills/ or .claude/skills/ directory:
microsoft-docs — for concepts, tutorials, and factual lookupsmicrosoft-code-reference — for API lookups, code samples, and troubleshootingmicrosoft-skill-creator — meta-skill for generating custom skills about Microsoft technologiesAgent Skills work across multiple AI agents:
chat.useAgentSkills setting| If you want to... | Install |
|---|---|
| Cover all Microsoft docs scenarios | All three skills |
| Focus on coding (APIs, samples, errors) | microsoft-code-reference only |
| Focus on facts & concepts (limits, config, tutorials) | microsoft-docs only |
| Generate a custom skill for a specific Microsoft technology | microsoft-skill-creator only |
The Microsoft Learn MCP Server supports quick installation across multiple development environments. Choose your preferred client below for streamlined setup:
| Client | One-click Installation | MCP Guide |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code | or search "@mcp learn" in Extensions to show "Microsoft Learn" MCP | VS Code MCP Official Guide |
| GitHub Copilot CLI | /plugin install microsoftdocs/mcp | |
| Claude Desktop | Follow "Add custom connector" instructions in official guide. | Claude Desktop Remote MCP Guide |
| Claude Code | /plugin install microsoft-docs@claude-plugins-official (includes MCP server + skills) | Claude Code Remote MCP Guide |
| Visual Studio | Upgrade to latest VS 2022 or 2026, "Microsoft Learn" MCP is already built-in | Visual Studio MCP Official Guide |
| Cursor IDE | Cursor MCP Official Guide | |
| Codex | codex mcp add "microsoft-learn" --url "https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp" | Codex MCP documentation |
| Roo Code | Open Roo Code Marketplace, search for Microsoft Learn, and click Install | Roo Code MCP Official Guide |
| Cline | Manual configuration required Use "type": "streamableHttp" | Cline MCP Official Guide |
| Gemini CLI | Manual configuration requiredView ConfigNote: Add anmcpServer object to .gemini/settings.json file{ | How to set up your MCP server |
| Qwen Code | Manual configuration requiredView ConfigNote: Add anmcpServer object to .qwen/settings.json file{ | Configure the MCP server in settings.json |
| GitHub | Manual configuration requiredView ConfigNote: Navigate to Settings → Coding agent{ | |
| ChatGPT | Manual configuration requiredView Instructions1. Open ChatGPT in the browser2. Go to Settings → Connectors → Advanced settings → Turn Developer mode on 3. Go back to connectors and click create 4. Give the connector a name, enter URL https://learn.microsoft.com/api/mcp, set authentication to No authentication and trust the application5. Click create | ChatGPT Official Guide |
| Windsurf | Manual configuration requiredView Config{ | Windsurf MCP Guide |
| Kiro | View Config{ | Kiro MCP Guide |
⚠️ Building a Custom Client
If your use case requires a direct, programmatic integration, it is essential to understand that MCP is a dynamic protocol, not a static API. The available tools and their schemas will evolve.
To build a resilient client that will not break as the service is updated, you should adhere to the following principles:
- Discover Tools Dynamically: Your client should fetch current tool definitions from the server at runtime (e.g., using
tools/list). Do not hard-code tool names or parameters.- Refresh on Failure: Your client should handle errors during
tool/invokecalls. If a tool call fails with an error indicating it is missing or its schema has changed (e.g., an HTTP 404 or 400 error), your client should assume its cache is stale and automatically trigger a refresh by callingtools/list.- Handle Live Updates: Your client should listen for server notifications (e.g.,
listChanged) and refresh its tool cache accordingly.
Even tool-friendly models like Claude Sonnet 4 sometimes fail to call MCP tools by default; use system prompts to encourage usage.
Here's an example of a Cursor rule (a system prompt) that will cause the LLM to utilize microsoft-learn more frequently:
## Querying Microsoft Documentation
You have access to MCP tools called `microsoft_docs_search`, `microsoft_docs_fetch`, and `microsoft_code_sample_search` - these tools allow you to search through and fetch Microsoft's latest official documentation and code samples, and that information might be more detailed or newer than what's in your training data set.
When handling questions around how to work with native Microsoft technologies, such as C#, F#, ASP.NET Core, Microsoft.Extensions, NuGet, Entity Framework, the `dotnet` runtime - please use these tools for research purposes when dealing with specific / narrowly defined questions that may occur.
| Issue | Possible Solution |
|---|---|
| Connection errors | Verify your network connection and that the server URL is correctly entered |
| No results returned | Try rephrasing your query with more specific technical terms |
| Tool not appearing in VS Code | Restart VS Code or check that the MCP extension is properly installed |
| HTTP status 405 | Method not allowed happens when a browser tries to connect to the endpoint. Try using the MCP Server through VS Code GitHub Copilot or MCP Inspector instead. |