DevExpress MCP Server: Configure Your AI-powered Coding Assistant

• Jan 12, 2026
• 8 minutes to read

To meet growing demand for AI-assisted coding, we configured an MCP server that connects GitHub Copilot and other MCP-compatible AI tools directly to our documentation database.

Benefits of the DevExpress MCP Server

Once you configure our MCP Server in your IDE, AI Assistants in Agent mode can help you with the following tasks:

• Obtain answers to DevExpress-related questions.
• Autogenerate code that implements scenarios outlined within DevExpress documentation.

When you submit DevExpress-related queries, add a reference to the configured MCP server at the end of your prompt.

Important

Always review AI-generated output: check for architectural problems, security vulnerabilities, and adherence to project standards. AI-generated output can vary greatly based on the prompt, AI model used, project code clarity, etc.

Prerequisites

Supported IDEs:

• Visual Studio 2022 (version 17.14 or later)
• Visual Studio 2026
• Visual Studio Code
• Cursor IDE
• JetBrains Rider 2025.1+

Coding Assistants and AI Tools:

• GitHub Copilot
• JetBrains AI Assistant
• Claude Desktop
• Claude Code (CLI)
• ChatGPT (Plus, Team, or Enterprise)
• Gemini CLI
• Other MCP-compatible AI Assistants

Since AI-related technology evolves rapidly and newer releases often include important fixes, we recommend that you always update to the latest version of your favorite IDE/plugins.

Integration Basics

When you setup a documentation MCP server, the endpoint URL without parameters accesses documentation for the latest publicly available version. You can also specify a previous version as a parameter (no earlier than v24.2).

The MCP server offers two tools listed below. You can refer to these tools by name when you fine-tune your AI Assistant with custom instructions (setup examples available later in this article):

• devexpress_docs_search - Performs semantic search through the documentation database and returns the top five matches for a user query.
• devexpress_docs_get_content - Allows agents to download complete help topics by URL.

The server operates exclusively over the Streamable HTTP protocol. If you are familiar with this technology, add the following endpoints to your AI assistant’s configuration and give it a try:

{
  "servers": {
    "dxdocs": {
      "url": "https://api.devexpress.com/mcp/docs",
      "type": "http"
    },
    "dxdocs24_2": {
      "url": "https://api.devexpress.com/mcp/docs?v=24.2",
      "type": "http"
    }
  }
}

Download the file: mcp.json

DevExpress MCP Server Endpoint: https://api.devexpress.com/mcp/docs.

Note

Specify this URL in a compliant MCP client that works with Streamable HTTP. This URL does not support direct access from a web browser and may return the following error if accessed manually: “405 Method Not Allowed”.

Common Setup Steps

1. Enable Agent Mode: You IDE may require that you activate Agent Mode for MCP server integration. Check IDE documentation.
2. Configure DevExpress MCP Server: Add the server endpoint to the MCP configuration. One-click installation is available for Visual Studio and Cursor.
3. Verify Connection: Confirm that DevExpress tools appear in your AI assistant’s available tools list: devexpress_docs_search and devexpress_docs_get_content.
4. Specify Custom Instructions (optional): Define prompts that optimize how the AI assistant uses DevExpress tools. See the following section for additional information: Optimize Your AI Assistant.

One-Click Installation Links

Use the following links for quick installation:

Note

If you experience issues with a one-click installation link, follow manual installation instructions listed in the next section.

Manual Installation and Related Documentation

Visual Studio 2022

Create .mcp.json in the %USERPROFILE% directory.

• Use MCP servers in Visual Studio
• Agent Mode Setup

Visual Studio 2026

Create .mcp.json in the %USERPROFILE% directory.

• Use MCP servers in Visual Studio
• Agent Mode Setup |

VS Code

Use Command Palette → “MCP: Add Server” or create <project>/.vscode/mcp.json.

• Use MCP servers in VS Code
• Built-in agents

Cursor

Create <project>/.cursor/mcp.json or use Settings → Tools & Integrations → New MCP Server. Use "type": "sse" in Cursor configuration.

• Model Context Protocol (MCP)
• Agent Overview

JetBrains Rider

Rider uses stdio protocol. Follow the workaround for remote servers.

GitHub Copilot Plugin: Change chat mode to Agent and add tools.

• Model Context Protocol
• AI Assistant Installation
• GitHub Copilot Plugin

Claude Desktop

Configuration steps:

1. Open Claude Desktop.
2. Go to Settings → Connectors.
3. Click Add custom connector.
4. Enter name: “DevExpress Documentation”.
5. Enter URL: https://api.devexpress.com/mcp/docs.
6. Set authentication: No authentication.
7. Click Add.

Learn more:

• Getting started with custom connectors using remote MCP

Claude Code

Run the following commands:

# Local configuration
claude mcp add --transport http dxdocs https://api.devexpress.com/mcp/docs

# Global configuration
claude mcp add --scope user --transport http dxdocs https://api.devexpress.com/mcp/docs

# Verify registered servers
claude mcp list

Learn more:

• Claude Code MCP Documentation

GitHub

Note: Administrative privileges required.

Navigate to Repository → Settings → Copilot → Coding agent. Add JSON configuration in the “MCP configuration” section:

{
  "dxdocs": {
    "type": "http",
    "url": "https://api.devexpress.com/mcp/docs",
    "tools": ["*"]
    }
} 

• Extending GitHub Copilot coding agent with MCP
• Model Context Protocol and GitHub Copilot coding agent

ChatGPT

Configuration steps:

1. Open ChatGPT in browser.
2. Go to Settings → Connectors → Advanced settings.
3. Turn on Developer mode.
4. Click Create connector.
5. Enter name: “DevExpress Documentation”.
6. Enter URL: https://api.devexpress.com/mcp/docs.
7. Set authentication: No authentication.
8. Trust the application and click Create.

Learn more:

• ChatGPT Developer Mode Guide

Gemini CLI

Add to .gemini/settings.json:

{
  "DevExpress MCP Server": {
    "httpUrl": "https://api.devexpress.com/mcp/docs"
  }
} 

• How to set up your MCP server

Asking a Question: Best Practices

To obtain most relevant answers from DevExpress MCP Server:

1. Be specific about components: Mention exact DevExpress class names (such as “GridControl”, “DxPivotTable”).
2. Include technology stack: Specify your platform (WinForms, WPF, Blazor, ASP.NET Core, VCL, etc.).
3. Request code examples: Explicitly ask for implementation code when needed.
4. Reference documentation: Use phrases like “Use dxdocs”, “search DevExpress docs”, or “according to DevExpress documentation”.
5. Specify version: Mention specific DevExpress versions when working with older releases (such as “v24.2”).

Example Prompts:

• Create a WPF window with DevExpress RibbonControl and GridControl. Use dxdocs.
• Show me how to implement master-detail reports using DevExpress Reports for ASP.NET Core. Search DevExpress docs.
• Generate a DevExpress Blazor Data Grid (DxDataGrid) with inline editing. Query dxdocs for best practices.
• How do I apply a custom filter to DevExpress GridView in WinForms? Use dxdocs.
• Create a VCL application with a DevExpress report viewer. Use dxdocs for component setup.

Optimize Your AI Assistant

To get the most from the DevExpress Documentation MCP server, define instructions that guide your AI assistant on how to effectively use DevExpress tools.

You can define custom instructions in all IDEs. Visual Studio and VS Code can use a predefined DevExpress prompt:

mcp.dxdocs.devexpress_docs_query_workflow

Visual Studio: Predefined DevExpress Prompt

• Select Prompts | MCP Prompts
• In the MCP Prompts dialog, select the DevExpress prompt
• Enter your question and press Insert
• Submit the request

VS Code: Predefined DevExpress Prompt

• Run the following command: /mcp.dxdocs.devexpress_docs_query_workflow
• Enter your question and submit the request

GitHub Copilot (VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains Rider)

Create or edit the file: <solution>/.github/copilot-instructions.md.

Sample instructions:

---
description: 'Answer questions about DevExpress UI Components and their API using the dxdocs server'
---

You are a .NET/JavaScript programmer and DevExpress product expert.

Your task is to answer questions about DevExpress components and their APIs using dxdocs MCP server tools.

When replying to **ANY** question about DevExpress components, use the dxdocs server to construct your answer.

## Workflow:

1. **Call devexpress_docs_search** to obtain help topics related to the user's question
2. **Call devexpress_docs_get_content** to fetch and read the most relevant help topics
3. **Reflect on the obtained content** and how it relates to the question
4. **Provide a comprehensive answer** based solely on retrieved information

## Constraints:

- **Use devexpress_docs_search only once** per question to avoid redundant queries
- **Answer questions based solely** on information obtained from MCP server tools
- If relevant code examples are available in documentation, **include those code examples**
- **Reference specific DevExpress controls and properties** mentioned in the docs
- If a user specifies a version (such as v24.2 or 24.2), invoke MCP server tools corresponding to that version (for example, "dxdocs24_2")

Learn more about GitHub Copilot custom instructions:

• Custom Instructions for VS Code
• Custom Instructions for Visual Studio

Cursor

Navigate to Settings → Rules & Memories. Run the Add Rule command and specify custom instructions similar to the example above.

For additional information about Rules in Cursor IDE, refer to: Rules Documentation

JetBrains Rider AI Assistant

Create a custom prompt as described in: Add and customize prompts

Claude Desktop (Using Claude Projects)

Claude Projects allow you to create dedicated workspaces with custom instructions and knowledge bases.

1. Create a new Project in Claude Desktop (click Projects in the sidebar → New Project).
2. Name your project.
3. Click Set custom instructions and add guidelines similar to the example above.
4. The DevExpress MCP Server connector will be available across all conversations within this project.

Claude Code

Claude Code uses CLAUDE.md files for custom instructions that load automatically at startup. You can create these files at different levels:

Project-level (shared with team, checked into version control):

• ./CLAUDE.md or ./.claude/CLAUDE.md in your project root

User-level (personal settings across all projects):

• ~/.claude/CLAUDE.md

Local project (personal project-specific, automatically git-ignored):

• ./.claude/CLAUDE.local.md

Example CLAUDE.md content:

# DevExpress Development Instructions

When working with DevExpress components:
- Always use the dxdocs MCP server to search DevExpress documentation.
- Reference specific DevExpress control names.
- Include technology stack (WinForms, WPF, Blazor, ASP.NET Core, VCL).
- Follow DevExpress best practices from official documentation.

## Common Commands
- Build: `dotnet build`
- Test: `dotnet test`

Alternative: Use the --append-system-prompt flag for ad-hoc instructions:

claude --append-system-prompt "Use dxdocs MCP server for all DevExpress questions"

For additional information, see Claude Code Memory Management.

ChatGPT

Custom instructions can be set in Settings → Personalization → Custom instructions or included directly in your conversation prompts.