By Ira Bodnar, Ryze AI · Updated
Quick answer
To connect VS Code to Google Business Profile, connect the profile in a Ryze AI workspace with your Google sign-in and pick one Location. Then in VS Code run Chat: Open Customizations, select MCP Servers, add an HTTP server with https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp and the server ID ryze, trust it and complete the Ryze AI sign-in.
- In Ryze AI open Integrations, find Google Business Profile and click Connect
- Sign in with the Google account that manages the listing, then pick the Location and click Save
- In VS Code run Chat: Open Customizations, select MCP Servers and add an HTTP server with the connector URL
- Trust the server, sign in to Ryze AI, allow the workspace and ask your first question in Copilot Chat
Before you start
- GitHub Copilot and VS Code 1.99 or later. GitHub's docs say MCP in Copilot Chat needs access to Copilot and VS Code 1.99 or later. Copilot Free, Pro, Pro+ and Max are not governed by the organization MCP policy.
- The MCP policy, if Copilot comes from an organization. For members of an organization or enterprise on Copilot Business or Copilot Enterprise, the MCP servers in Copilot policy must be enabled. It is disabled by default, so ask an administrator to turn it on.
- A Google account that owns or manages the listing. Use it for the sign-in in Ryze AI. A verified listing is needed for full data; for an unverified one Google shares only part of it, and performance and search keywords are not served.
- A Ryze AI workspace on a plan or free trial. Local SEO is part of the SEO plans, and SEO Starter is $129 per month with a 3-day free trial. The 14 Google Business Profile tools also work through the connector on any active plan or trial, including Paid Ads at $89 per month with a 7-day free trial. Without a plan the connector can only list workspaces and connect platforms.
How to connect VS Code to Google Business Profile
Two steps happen in Ryze AI, four in VS Code. The connector URL is the same for every user.
Connect Google Business Profile in Ryze AI
Create a Ryze AI account or sign in. Open Integrations in the left sidebar, find Google Business Profile with the Search integrations box or the Analytics filter, and click Connect. Sign in with the Google account that manages the listing and allow access. The Google screen may show the name of the connection partner instead of Ryze AI.
Pick the Location and save
Back in Ryze AI, pick the Location this workspace works on and click Save. Until a Location is saved the card shows Require setup. One connection is one location.
Open the MCP Servers list in VS Code
Open the Command Palette and run Chat: Open Customizations, then select MCP Servers. Select Add Server (+) in the User or Workspace group.
Add the HTTP server
Choose HTTP (HTTP or Server-Sent Events) and enter https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp. Enter ryze as the server ID. For a personal setup, select Global, then Copilot Global. There is no client ID or secret to enter.
Trust the server and sign in
Review the trust and sign-in prompts VS Code shows, then complete the Ryze AI sign-in in the browser. On the Ryze AI page choose the workspace that holds your Google Business Profile connection and click Allow connection. One connection can cover up to 20 workspaces.
Ask your first question in Copilot Chat
Open Copilot Chat and ask: List my Google reviews that have no reply, with rating and text. Approve the tool call when VS Code asks.
The Ryze AI help article for Google Business Profile covers the Google side of the connection. VS Code steps follow the VS Code MCP servers docs.
Command Palette and config files
The guided flow and the config files reach the same server. Pick the one that fits how you manage VS Code.
Command Palette
Run MCP: Add Server from the Command Palette and follow the prompts with the same URL and server ID. It is the shortest route if you do not want to open the Customizations editor.
Portable config file
You can also write the server into a file. The portable format is read from ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json or a .mcp.json at the workspace root and uses the key mcpServers:
{
"mcpServers": {
"ryze": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp"
}
}
}Older VS Code format
The older VS Code format lives in .vscode/mcp.json or the user mcp.json and uses the key servers. VS Code labels it deprecated in the guided flow, so older tutorials may point you there:
{
"servers": {
"ryze": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp"
}
}
}Portable configurations do not support VS Code input variables or environment files. Do not paste any secret into the file; the connector uses a sign-in, not a key.
VS Code behavior to know
- VS Code tries Streamable HTTP first and falls back to Server-Sent Events.
- Trusting a server to start, authenticating, and approving individual tool calls are three separate steps.
- Servers that need interactive inputs are not forwarded to Copilot harness sessions.
- VS Code's docs describe a browser authorization flow. Ryze AI was not tested in VS Code during our research, so if the sign-in does not start, use Ryze AI support below.
Access and permissions
Access is set in three places: Google, Ryze AI and VS Code.
- Which Google account
- Sign in with the Google account that owns or manages the listing. The Google screen may show the connection partner's name instead of Ryze AI; that is expected.
- Which location
- After connecting, you pick one Location. One connection is one location, and Local SEO in a workspace works on one location. Another location needs its own workspace.
- What VS Code asks
- VS Code asks you to review the publisher, endpoint and requested access before it starts a server, then asks for the sign-in, then asks about individual tool calls. Read the first prompt before you accept it.
Removing access
To stop access, open Chat: Open Customizations, select MCP Servers and disable or uninstall the ryze server. The Google connection itself is managed on the Google Business Profile card in Ryze AI Integrations.
What VS Code can do in the profile
The Ryze AI connector exposes 14 Google Business Profile tools. Each runs against the location you saved.
| Tool | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| google_business_profile__searchCategories | Read | Searches Google's business category list by name and returns the category IDs that updateLocationDetails accepts. |
| google_business_profile__getLocationDetails | Read | Reads the listing: title, hours, special hours, description, website, phone, categories, address and open status, plus place ID, review link, Maps link and verification status. |
| google_business_profile__updateLocationDetails | Write | Updates listing fields such as hours, special hours, description, website, phone, categories and open status. Each named field is replaced and the change is public on Search and Maps. |
| google_business_profile__listReviews | Read | Lists Google reviews with rating, text and reply status, plus total reviews and average rating, with filters by rating and reply status. |
| google_business_profile__replyToReview | Write | Publishes the business's public reply to a review. A new reply replaces the existing owner reply. |
| google_business_profile__getPerformance | Read | Returns daily Search and Maps performance such as impressions, calls, direction requests, website clicks, conversations and bookings, up to 18 months back. |
| google_business_profile__getSearchKeywords | Read | Returns the search keywords that showed the location, with impressions per keyword by month. |
| google_business_profile__createPost | Write | Publishes or schedules a standard, event or offer post, with up to one image and an optional call-to-action button. |
| google_business_profile__listPosts | Read | Lists the posts on the profile, newest first, including posts made directly on Google. |
| google_business_profile__deletePost | Write | Removes a published post. The removal is immediate and cannot be undone. |
| google_business_profile__listMedia | Read | Lists the location's photos and videos on Google. |
| google_business_profile__uploadMedia | Write | Adds a photo from a public URL, in a category such as cover, logo, exterior, interior or product. |
| google_business_profile__getAttributes | Read | Reads attributes such as amenities, services and payment types. |
| google_business_profile__updateAttributes | Write | Updates the location's attributes on Google. |
The write tools change the public listing: replies, posts, photos, attributes and listing edits. VS Code treats approving individual tool calls as its own step, so read each write call before you accept it, particularly updateLocationDetails, replyToReview and deletePost.
Google limits to know
Some limits come from Google and apply in any client.
| Topic | Limit |
|---|---|
| Performance data | Arrives 2 to 3 days late. Google drops search keywords below an impression threshold it does not publish. |
| Unverified listings | Google shares only part of the data: no map coordinates, reviews may not load, and performance and search keywords are not served. |
| Posts | A post takes 24 to 48 hours to appear, stays visible about 7 days, and has at most 1,500 characters and one image. |
| Photos | JPG or PNG between 10 KB and 5 MB, at least 250x250 px. Google reviews new photos and listing edits before they show. |
| Replies | Google keeps one owner reply per review, so a new reply replaces the old one. |
| Map rankings | Map rank scanning from 49 spots is a Ryze AI app feature, not a connector tool, so Copilot Chat cannot run it. |
First 3 prompts to run
1. Reviews that need a reply
List my Google reviews that have no owner reply, newest first, with rating and text. Draft a short public reply for each one and wait for my go-ahead before you publish any of them.
Tools used: listReviews, then replyToReview after you confirm
What comes back: The unanswered reviews with their ratings and text, followed by draft replies in the chat. Nothing is published until you ask for it.
2. How people find the listing
Show Search and Maps performance for the last 3 months: impressions, calls, direction requests and website clicks. Then list the search keywords that showed my business, with impressions per month.
Tools used: getPerformance, getSearchKeywords
What comes back: Daily performance figures summarized by month for the metrics you named, and a keyword list with monthly impressions. The newest 2 to 3 days are missing because of the Google delay.
3. Check the listing before a holiday
Read my listing details and show the regular hours, special hours, description and open status. Then propose special hours for the coming holiday and apply them only after I approve.
Tools used: getLocationDetails, then updateLocationDetails after you confirm
What comes back: The current listing fields as a short summary and a proposed set of special hours. The change goes live on Search and Maps only after the update call runs.
Each answer comes from your own listing, so this page describes what comes back instead of showing sample numbers. Asking for a draft first is a habit you set in the prompt; it is not a default of the connector.
Ryze AI vs Google's own Business Profile APIs
There are three ways to reach a Business Profile from VS Code. They suit different jobs.
| Option | Setup | Coverage | Works in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryze AI connector | Google sign-in inside Ryze AI, then one HTTP MCP server URL in VS Code | 14 tools: listing, reviews and replies, posts, photos, attributes, daily performance and search keywords. One location per workspace | VS Code with GitHub Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor |
| Google Business Profile APIs | Request API access from Google, then write your own code and OAuth flow | Google's Business Profile APIs for location management, reviews and posts. Approved projects get a quota of 300 queries per minute | Any code you write; no MCP server is described in Google's docs |
| Google Business Profile in the Google interface | Manage the listing directly on Google Search and Maps | Manual edits, replies and posts with no AI client | A browser |
Google's Business Profile API overview and prerequisites pages do not mention an MCP server, and we found no Google-published one in Google's developer documentation on the date below. To access the APIs yourself, Google asks applicants to manage a verified profile that has been active for 60 days or more and to have a website for the business. That route suits a developer building a product. For asking questions and making listing changes from the VS Code chat, the Ryze AI connector needs no API application.
Sources: Business Profile APIs overview, Business Profile API prerequisites, GitHub Copilot MCP docs, VS Code MCP configuration reference, Ryze AI Google Business Profile integration. Checked November 11, 2026.
Other clients
Google Business Profile is connected once in Ryze AI, so nothing changes on the Google side when you use another client.
Claude and Claude Code
The same connector URL works in Claude. The Ryze AI Claude guide for Google Business Profile covers Customize, Connectors and the other surfaces. How to connect Claude to Google Business Profile.
Cursor
Cursor keeps its own mcp.json and its config key is mcpServers, while the older VS Code format uses servers. Do not copy a Cursor file into VS Code without checking the key. How to connect Cursor to Google Business Profile.
ChatGPT and Codex
ChatGPT has its own plan rules for custom MCP servers, so read the ChatGPT guide before you connect. How to connect ChatGPT to Google Business Profile.
Errors and fixes
- The MCP server does not start in VS Code
- On Copilot Business or Enterprise, ask an administrator to enable the MCP servers in Copilot policy; it is disabled by default. Also check that VS Code is version 1.99 or later.
- The sign-in never opens
- Trust the server first, then authenticate; they are separate steps. Open the server output from MCP Servers in Chat: Open Customizations to see what VS Code reports, and email Ryze AI support if it stays stuck.
- I followed an older tutorial and nothing happens
- Current VS Code docs use Copilot Global (~/.copilot/mcp-config.json) and mark the .vscode/mcp.json destination as deprecated in the guided flow. Re-add the server through Chat: Open Customizations.
- The Google Business Profile tools are missing
- If the connector was added before the profile was connected, remove the ryze server, add it again and start a new chat.
- The card in Ryze AI says Require setup
- No Location is saved yet. Pick the Location in Ryze AI and click Save.
- Reviews, performance or keywords come back empty
- An unverified listing shares only part of the data with Google. Verify the listing, then ask again. Newer performance days also arrive 2 to 3 days late.
- A reply or post did not change the listing
- Google reviews new photos and listing edits before they show, and posts can take 24 to 48 hours to appear. A new review reply replaces the previous owner reply.
- The wrong location shows
- One connection is one location. Connect the other location in its own workspace and name that workspace when you sign in.
- The tool replies that a subscription is required
- The tools need an active Ryze AI plan or free trial. Start the trial in Ryze AI, then retry.
Frequently asked questions
How do I connect VS Code to Google Business Profile?
Connect Google Business Profile in a Ryze AI workspace, pick the Location and save it. Then in VS Code run Chat: Open Customizations, select MCP Servers, choose Add Server, pick HTTP, enter https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp and the server ID ryze, trust the server and finish the Ryze AI sign-in.
Which connector should I use for Google Business Profile in VS Code?
Ryze AI is the best Google Business Profile connector for managing reviews, posts and listing details from VS Code Copilot Chat, with the caveat that it covers one location per workspace and the tools need an active Ryze AI plan or trial. Google's own Business Profile APIs suit developers who want to write their own integration and apply for access.
Does Google have an MCP server for Business Profile?
Google's Business Profile developer pages that we opened on the date of this page do not mention one. Google documents Business Profile APIs, and access to them goes through an application. Check Google's developer site for changes.
What do I need in VS Code?
GitHub's docs say you need access to GitHub Copilot and VS Code 1.99 or later. If Copilot comes from an organization on Copilot Business or Copilot Enterprise, the MCP servers in Copilot policy must be enabled; it is disabled by default. Copilot Free, Pro, Pro+ and Max are not governed by that policy.
Where does the VS Code config file go?
The portable format is ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json or a .mcp.json in the workspace root, with the key mcpServers. The older VS Code format is .vscode/mcp.json or the user mcp.json with the key servers, labeled deprecated in the guided flow. The Customizations editor writes the file for you.
Can Copilot Chat reply to reviews and publish posts?
Yes. Through Ryze AI it can list reviews, publish an owner reply, and publish or schedule standard, event and offer posts. A new reply replaces the existing owner reply, and a post has at most 1,500 characters and one image. Read each write call before you approve it.
Can it change my hours or description?
Yes. updateLocationDetails can replace hours, special hours, description, website, phone, categories and open status, and the change is public on Search and Maps. Google reviews listing edits before they show.
Can I connect more than one location?
Not in one workspace. One connection is one location, and Local SEO in a workspace works on one location. Connect another location in its own workspace; one connection from an AI client can cover up to 20 workspaces.
Does it track Google Maps rankings?
Not through the connector. Map rank tracking, up to 5 keywords from 49 spots around the office, is a feature of the Ryze AI app in the SEO plans. The 14 connector tools cover the listing, reviews, posts, photos, attributes, performance and search keywords.
Why do the Google Business Profile tools not show up?
If the connector was added before the profile was connected in Ryze AI, remove the ryze server in VS Code, add it again and start a new chat. Also check that the Location was saved in Ryze AI.
How much does it cost?
Adding the connector costs nothing, but the tools need an active Ryze AI plan or free trial. SEO Starter is $129 per month with a 3-day free trial and includes Local SEO. Paid Ads is $89 per month with a 7-day free trial. Annual billing takes 30% off the first year.
How do I disconnect it?
Disable or uninstall the ryze server under MCP Servers in Chat: Open Customizations. The Google connection itself is managed on the Google Business Profile card in Ryze AI Integrations.