VS Code Integration

Use Claude Code with the VS Code extension for in-editor AI assistance.

The Claude Code VS Code extension connects your editor to Claude Code running in the terminal, enabling context-aware assistance based on your open files and selections.

Installation

1. Install Claude Code

   Make sure Claude Code CLI is installed and authenticated:

   npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
   claude /login
   
2. Install the VS Code extension

   Search for “Claude Code” in the VS Code Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X) and install it.

3. Open a project

   Open your project folder in VS Code. The extension connects automatically when you start Claude Code in that directory.

4. Start Claude Code

   Open a terminal in VS Code (Ctrl+“) and run:

   claude
   

   The extension detects the running instance and establishes the bridge connection.

Features

Current file context

Claude automatically knows what file you have open:

> Explain what this file does
> Add error handling to this module
> Write tests for the functions in this file

Selection-based editing

Highlight code in VS Code, then ask Claude to work on it:

> Refactor this selection to be more readable
> What does this selected code do?
> Convert this to TypeScript

Navigate to code

Claude can open files and jump to specific lines in VS Code:

> Show me where parseToken is defined
> Open the auth middleware

Diff view

Proposed file changes appear as diffs in VS Code’s standard diff viewer, letting you review and accept/reject changes line by line.

The /desktop command

The /desktop command hands off a terminal session to the Claude desktop app, which integrates with VS Code at a deeper level:

> /desktop

Keep the Claude Code terminal visible alongside your editor. The split-view workflow — editor on left, Claude on right — is the most efficient setup.