essentras

AI agent setup

Essentras in GitHub Copilot

VS Code can give GitHub Copilot agents access to Essentras as a remote MCP server. Run MCP: Add Server, choose HTTP and enter https://essentras.com/api/mcp. Essentras needs no account, no API key and no OAuth. In Chat, pick Agent, check the tools and ask for outlets, quotes or free checks. You pay at the checkout link.

Quick start

  1. Add the server

    Run MCP: Add Server from the Command Palette. Choose HTTP, enter the URL, name it essentras and pick a file.

  2. Trust it and pick Agent

    Trust the server when VS Code asks. In Chat, choose Agent from the agent picker.

  3. Check tools and ask

    Confirm the Essentras tools are on with Configure Tools, then ask. Select Allow on approval prompts.

MCP configuration

.mcp.json at the workspace root, or ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json for every workspace. This portable format uses mcpServers.

JSON
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "essentras": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://essentras.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

.vscode/mcp.json, VS Code’s own format, uses servers instead.

JSON
{
  "servers": {
    "essentras": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://essentras.com/api/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Example prompts

  • Use Essentras to find 5 fintech outlets under $500 with dofollow links.
  • Quote business-insider and yahoo-finance and show the checkout_url.
  • Is a Google review that shows another business’s name removable?
  • Score our startup for a Google Knowledge Panel and list the biggest gaps.
  • Which route removes a court record about me from Google?

What it can do here

10 read-only tools. None takes payment.

search_outlets

Find outlets by country, topic, price, authority or link policy

get_outlet

Read 1 outlet in full

quote_placements

Price a basket and get the checkout link

list_services

List every service beyond placements, with its price

quote_service

Price 1 service and get the page where the buyer pays

check_review_removability

Is this Google review removable under a named Google rule?

check_knowledge_panel_readiness

How ready is this person or brand for a Google Knowledge Panel?

check_wikipedia_notability

Does each source count toward Wikipedia notability?

find_removal_route

What is the lawful route to remove a result about a person from Google?

check_instagram_recovery_path

What is the official recovery route for a hacked, disabled or locked Instagram account?

Common workflows

Quote from the editor

With Agent selected, give Copilot a goal, a country and a price cap. It calls search_outlets, then quote_placements, and lists line items and the total. Open the checkout_url to review and pay.

Diagnose with a checker

Describe a case in Chat and point at the checker with #. Copilot passes fixed choices and reports the verdict and the official route. The free route comes before any service price.

Share with the repo

Commit the entry in .mcp.json. Teammates who trust the workspace get the same tools, and each flow ends at their own checkout_url.

Tips for success

  • Type # in chat to reference a tool directly when Copilot reaches for built-in tools.
  • Run MCP: List Servers to start, stop, restart or show the output of a server.
  • Run MCP: Reset Cached Tools after the server’s tools change.
  • Switch off tools you do not need. Fewer tools help the agent choose.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which config file should I use?▾

VS Code documents 2 formats. The portable .mcp.json uses mcpServers and is preferred for new servers, since Copilot harness sessions read it directly. The VS Code format, .vscode/mcp.json, uses servers and is called deprecated for new servers. Both accept "type": "http" with a url.

Do I need an Essentras sign in?▾

No. Essentras asks for no credentials, so there is no OAuth flow to run and no oauth setting to add. The entry needs no headers or input variables, so there is no key to store. Trust the server once when VS Code asks.

Can Copilot pay for a placement?▾

No. quote_placements returns a checkout_url. You open it, review the basket and total, and authorize payment yourself. The card is charged when the order is placed, and the order is refunded if the placement is not published or the turnaround is missed.

Does Copilot Business block it?▾

It can. On Copilot Business and Enterprise an organization policy named MCP servers in Copilot is off by default, and an admin must enable it. Individual Copilot plans are not governed by that policy. VS Code also has a chat.mcp.access setting.

Troubleshooting

Essentras tools do not appear in Chat

Choose Agent in the agent picker, then check Configure Tools. If you declined trust, run MCP: Reset Trust and start the server again.

The server will not start

Run MCP: List Servers, choose essentras, then Show Output. Check that .mcp.json uses mcpServers and .vscode/mcp.json uses servers.

Error 429 or rate_limited

Essentras allows 120 MCP requests per IP per minute. Wait about 60 seconds, then ask again.

Reference

Ready to price media and services with GitHub Copilot?

Search 3,800+ outlets, price a basket or a service, and hand the buyer the checkout. No account needed.

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