Before you start
You need a Reach account; the Free plan works. Connect your Google Business Profile in Reach so VS Code sees your real data. Without it, VS Code can read your public listing only.
See it work: this week's reviews, answered
One request in plain words. The assistant reads the new reviews, drafts replies in your usual tone, and asks before anything goes live on Google.
Owner: What did customers say about us this week? Draft replies for the new reviews.
Assistant: You have 2 new reviews since Monday. One is 5 stars; one is 3 stars and mentions the wait. Here are drafts in your usual tone:
Ananya R.
Friendly staff and a spotless clinic. Booked online in a minute.
Draft replyThank you, Ananya! We are glad booking was quick. See you at your next visit.
Vikram S.
Good treatment, but I waited 40 minutes past my appointment time.
Draft replySorry about the wait, Vikram. That is not the visit we want for you, and we are looking at how our evening appointments run. Thank you for telling us.
Nothing is posted yet. Post these 2 replies to Google?
Example conversation. The business, names and reviews are made up.
Set it up
- Run this in a terminal. It adds Reach to your VS Code user profile:
code --add-mcp '{"name":"reach","type":"http","url":"https://reach.locus-intelligence.com/api/mcp"}' - In VS Code, run MCP: List Servers from the Command Palette, choose reach and start it.
- Sign in with your Reach account when VS Code opens the browser, and allow access.
- Open Copilot Chat, switch to Agent mode and ask about your business.
Add it to one project instead
Put this in .vscode/mcp.json. VS Code uses servers here, not mcpServers:
{
"servers": {
"reach": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://reach.locus-intelligence.com/api/mcp"
}
}
}What the Reach sign-in screen shows
After you sign in, Reach asks one question and shows the email you are signed in as and your business:
Allow VS Code to use your Reach account?
Then it lists what VS Code gets:
- Read your Reach data
- Prepare work in Reach
- Change your Google profile, only after you confirm each change in the chat
It also shows how many Credits your plan has left this month. Choose Allow to connect or Cancel to stop.
VS Code runs on your computer, so the screen may label it an unverified app. Continue only if you started the connection yourself.
You can turn this off at any time in Reach under Settings, AI Connectors.
Two things to ask first
Ask about your business in plain words. VS Code does the rest with Reach.
Which searches bring people to my profile, and how did calls and direction requests change this month?
Add haircut, beard trim and hair colour to my services. Show me the preview first.
If it does not work
- Copilot does not use Reach: check that the chat is in Agent mode and reach is turned on in the tools picker.
- reach does not start: run MCP: List Servers, choose reach and open its output to see the error.
- The code command is not found: on a Mac, run Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH from the Command Palette, or use .vscode/mcp.json below.
- Still stuck? Email hello@locus-intelligence.com.
Questions
- Do I need a Reach account to use VS Code?
- Yes, and it is free. The account holds your Google Business Profile connection and the switch that turns VS Code's access off.
- Can VS Code change my Google profile without asking?
- No. VS Code can read once you allow it, but every change, such as a posted reply, a new post or new hours, waits for your yes in the chat.
- Does Reach work with Gemini?
- Not today. Gemini is not a supported client. Claude, ChatGPT and apps that add a connector by URL work.