Continue (VS Code Extension)¶
Continue is an open-source AI code assistant for Visual Studio Code. Because it speaks the Model Context Protocol (MCP), Continue can discover and call the tools you publish through MCP Gateway - no plug-in code required.
π§° Key Features¶
- β¨ AI-powered completions, edits & chat
- π MCP integration - dynamic tool list pulled from your gateway
- π Bring-your-own model - local Ollama, OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.
- π§ Context-aware - reads your workspace to craft better replies
π Installation¶
- Install "Continue":
Ctrl β§ X
β search Continue β Install - Open config:
Ctrl β§ P
β "Continue: Open Config" β edits~/.continue/config.json
π Connecting Continue to MCP Gateway¶
There are two ways to attach Continue to a gateway:
Transport | When to use | Snippet |
---|---|---|
SSE (HTTP) | Remote / SSL / no local process | <-- see Option A> |
Stdio wrapper | Local dev, no SSE, or auth-header issues | <-- see Option B> |
For both options you still need a JWT or Basic auth if the gateway is protected.
Option A - Direct SSE¶
// ~/.continue/config.json
{
"experimental": {
"modelContextProtocolServer": {
"transport": {
"type": "sse",
"url": "http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1/sse",
"headers": {
"Authorization": "Bearer ${env:MCP_AUTH}"
}
}
}
}
}
Generate a token:
Option B - Local stdio bridge (mcpgateway.wrapper
)¶
- Install the wrapper (pipx keeps it isolated):
- Config in Continue:
{
"experimental": {
"modelContextProtocolServer": {
"transport": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "python3",
"args": ["-m", "mcpgateway.wrapper"],
"env": {
"MCP_SERVER_URL": "http://localhost:4444/servers/UUID_OF_SERVER_1",
"MCP_AUTH": "${env:MCP_AUTH}",
"MCP_TOOL_CALL_TIMEOUT": "120"
}
}
}
}
}
If you prefer Docker:
replace"command": "python3"
with"command": "docker"
and use the same container arguments shown in the Copilot docs.
π§ͺ Using Gateway Tools¶
Once VS Code restarts:
- Open Continue Chat (
β₯ C
on macOS /Alt C
on Windows/Linux) - Click Tools - your gateway's tools should appear
- Chat naturally:
The wrapper/Gateway executes and streams the JSON result back to Continue.
π Tips¶
- SSE vs stdio - SSE is simpler in prod, stdio is great for offline or header-free environments.
- Multiple servers - add more blocks under
"servers"
if you run staging vs prod. - Custom instructions - Continue's Custom Instructions pane lets you steer tool use.
π Resources¶
- π Continue docs
- π MCP Spec
- π MCP Gateway GitHub