GitHub lets enterprises centrally allow or block which MCP servers Copilot can run

GitHub made MCP allowlists generally available in enterprise managed settings on August 6, 2026. Administrators add allowedMcpServers and deniedMcpServers keys to a managed-settings file to approve or block servers by remote URL, local command or user-assigned label. GitHub says the policies fail closed — a malformed or unverifiable configuration is blocked rather than allowed — and that where policies come from several layers a server must pass every one. Enforcement currently covers the GitHub Copilot app, Copilot CLI and VS Code.

What it means The first mainstream answer to 'which MCP servers is my organisation actually allowed to run' — worth wiring before agent tooling spreads further.