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JetBrains Copilot Setup

Setup guide for using context-mode with JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, PyCharm, etc.) via the GitHub Copilot plugin.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 18+ (node --version)
  • JetBrains IDE — any JetBrains IDE (IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, PyCharm, GoLand, Rider, CLion, etc.)
  • GitHub Copilot plugin v1.5.57+ — install from Settings > Plugins > Marketplace, search "GitHub Copilot"

MCP Setup

JetBrains configures MCP servers via the Settings UI, not a file.

  1. Open your JetBrains IDE.
  2. Go to Settings > Tools > AI Assistant > Model Context Protocol (MCP).
  3. Click Add Server and configure:
    • Name: context-mode
    • Command: npx
    • Args: -y context-mode
  4. Click OK to save.

Alternatively, you can use a global install (npm install -g context-mode) and set the command to context-mode with no args.

Example MCP config (for reference): configs/jetbrains-copilot/mcp.json

Hook Installation

Install hooks using the automated setup command:

npx context-mode@latest setup --adapter jetbrains-copilot

This creates .github/hooks/context-mode.json in your project with the following hook configuration:

{
  "hooks": {
    "PreToolUse": [
      { "type": "command", "command": "context-mode hook jetbrains-copilot pretooluse" }
    ],
    "PostToolUse": [
      { "type": "command", "command": "context-mode hook jetbrains-copilot posttooluse" }
    ],
    "PreCompact": [
      { "type": "command", "command": "context-mode hook jetbrains-copilot precompact" }
    ],
    "SessionStart": [
      { "type": "command", "command": "context-mode hook jetbrains-copilot sessionstart" }
    ]
  }
}

Full hook config reference: configs/jetbrains-copilot/hooks.json

Upgrade

Update context-mode to the latest version:

context-mode upgrade

Or from within a Copilot chat session, type ctx upgrade.

Verification

Run the diagnostics to verify everything is working:

context-mode doctor

Or from within a Copilot chat session, type ctx doctor.

All checks should show [x]. The doctor validates runtimes, hooks, FTS5, and MCP registration.

You can also verify context savings by typing ctx stats in a Copilot chat session.

Troubleshooting

MCP server not connecting

  • Ensure Node.js 18+ is in your PATH.
  • Restart the JetBrains IDE after adding the MCP server.
  • Check Settings > Tools > AI Assistant > MCP and confirm "context-mode" shows a green status indicator.

Hooks not firing

  • Verify .github/hooks/context-mode.json exists in your project root.
  • JetBrains Copilot reads hooks from .github/hooks/ — the same location as VS Code Copilot.
  • Re-run npx context-mode@latest setup --adapter jetbrains-copilot to regenerate the hook config.

"context-mode: command not found"

  • Install globally: npm install -g context-mode
  • Verify: which context-mode should return a path.
  • If using npx, ensure npx is in your IDE's PATH.

Tools appear but routing is not enforced

  • Hooks enforce routing programmatically. Without hooks, the model can still use context-mode tools but won't be redirected to prefer them.
  • Ensure the hook config file is in .github/hooks/context-mode.json (not .github/hooks.json).

Session continuity not working

  • Verify all four hooks (PreToolUse, PostToolUse, PreCompact, SessionStart) are configured.
  • Run ctx doctor to check hook registration status.