Screenshot MCP Server for GitHub Copilot CLI

Set it up (recommended: sign in with OAuth)

Copilot CLI connects to remote HTTP servers and signs in with OAuth. It registers itself with SnapRender, so there is no client ID to copy.

1Run the command below. It writes the server to ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json, which every session reads. To share the setup with a repository, put the same entry in .mcp.json or .github/mcp.json instead.
2Start copilot, run /mcp auth, pick snaprender and sign in to SnapRender in the browser. A free account works.
3Ask Copilot to take a screenshot of a page.

Terminal

copilot mcp add --transport http snaprender https://app.snap-render.com/mcp

~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snaprender": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://app.snap-render.com/mcp",
      "tools": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

Check it worked: copilot mcp list shows the server. Inside a session, /mcp show snaprender shows its status and the tools it provides.

With an API key instead

Send the key as a header instead of signing in. Copilot CLI stores it in mcp-config.json as written, so keep that file private. Get a key from your SnapRender dashboard.

Terminal

copilot mcp add --transport http snaprender https://app.snap-render.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snaprender": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://app.snap-render.com/mcp",
      "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" },
      "tools": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

Or run the server locally

Runs the open-source server from npm locally. Copilot CLI passes only PATH from your shell to local servers, so the key goes in env. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with the key from your SnapRender dashboard. The package is snaprender-mcp on npm.

Terminal

copilot mcp add snaprender --env SNAPRENDER_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY -- npx -y snaprender-mcp

~/.copilot/mcp-config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "snaprender": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "snaprender-mcp"],
      "env": { "SNAPRENDER_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY" },
      "tools": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

Copilot CLI does not read .vscode/mcp.json. Use ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json, .mcp.json or .github/mcp.json.
Servers in a project .mcp.json load only after you trust the folder.
Tools carry the server name as a prefix, for example snaprender-take_screenshot.
If your organization runs an MCP allowlist, only approved servers start. Ask an admin to allow SnapRender.

What GitHub Copilot CLI can do with it

take_screenshot

Capture any URL, HTML or Markdown as PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF, full page or by device. Inline image by default, or an attached file with as_file

extract_content

Read a page as markdown, text, article, links or metadata

batch_screenshots

Capture up to 50 URLs in one job

get_batch_status

Check a batch and get its download links

sign_screenshot_url

Create a shareable capture URL that does not expose your key

check_screenshot_cache

See whether a capture is cached, without spending quota

get_usage

Show renders used and left this month

list_webhooks

List your webhooks

create_webhook

Get notified when batches finish

delete_webhook

Remove a webhook

test_webhook

Send a test delivery

Prompts to try

"Screenshot https://example.com on desktop and on iPhone and list what breaks on mobile."
"Take a full-page screenshot of our preview deployment and compare it with the layout described in README.md."
"Read https://example.com/changelog as markdown and draft our next release notes in the same style."

SnapRender renders public pages from its own servers, with ads and cookie banners removed. Pages behind a login and localhost are out of reach; use a preview deployment or a tunnel for local work.

Questions

Can GitHub Copilot CLI take screenshots of websites?+

Yes, with an MCP server that provides a screenshot tool. With SnapRender added, Copilot calls take_screenshot, gets the image back and can describe it or fix the code behind it.

Is this the same setup as Copilot in VS Code?+

No. Copilot CLI keeps its own config in ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json and does not read .vscode/mcp.json. The VS Code setup has its own page.

Other clients

Checked against docs.github.com, github.com in November 2026.

Give GitHub Copilot CLI eyes on the web

Set it up (recommended: sign in with OAuth)

With an API key instead

Or run the server locally

What GitHub Copilot CLI can do with it

Questions

Other clients

200 free renders a month to start