Claude Code VSCode Extension

Problem: Every Claude Code session means another pane. You're bouncing between the editor and a terminal, copying file paths by hand, and losing the thread every time you switch windows.

Quick Win: Pull the whole thing into the editor. Hit Ctrl+Shift+X to open Extensions, type "Claude Code", and pick the official Anthropic build (2M+ installs, verified publisher).

Tap the Spark icon on the sidebar and a Claude Code session opens next to your files. Prompts, diffs, and the editor all sit in the same pane from here on out. More than 2 million developers are already working this way.

Why Use Claude Code in VS Code

The extension lifts every terminal feature into the IDE layout:

• Autonomous exploration: Claude reads, writes, and explores your codebase independently
• Real-time diffs: See changes as inline diffs with accept/reject buttons
• Subagents: Run parallel AI tasks for complex multi-file operations
• Custom slash commands: Access CLI commands directly in the extension
• MCP support: Use MCP servers for browser automation and search
• Extended thinking: Toggle Claude's reasoning visibility for deep thinking
• Plan mode: Review and edit Claude's plans before accepting changes

The first project you point it at runs faster because Claude edits inside the workspace directly, not by handing you patches to apply.

Installing the Claude Code Extension

Via VS Code Marketplace (recommended):

1. Open VS Code
2. Click Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Search "Claude Code"
4. Install the official Anthropic extension (verified publisher badge)

Requirements: VS Code 1.98.0+ and one of these:

• Claude Pro or Max subscription
• Team or Enterprise plan
• API key (pay-as-you-go)

Walk through the installation guide if anything looks off. The same package drops into Cursor, Windsurf, and VSCodium too, not just stock VS Code.

Setting Up Your First Session

Hit the Spark button to bring up Claude Code inside VS Code. Mac users open a fresh conversation with Cmd+N, Windows users press Ctrl+N.

Ask Claude to ship something real:

Create a React component with useState hook for a counter

A live diff drops into the editor. Widen the sidebar and you'll see three layers inside it:

1. Highlighted changes showing what Claude wants to add
2. Accept/Reject buttons at the diff level
3. File preview before committing

Hit accept. The code lands in your workspace right away.

Want a tweak? Say so:

Add a reset button to the counter

Claude drops a new diff on the same file. Nothing ships until you approve it. The configuration basics guide covers what else you can turn on from here.

Configuration Options

Extended Thinking Mode

Flip on Extended Thinking at the bottom right of the prompt box and Claude's reasoning becomes visible before any edit happens. Handy when you're chasing a bug into logic that's hard to follow.

Auto-Accept Mode

Auto-accept applies changes without asking. Reach for it once you've built enough trust in a workflow to watch implementation run without clicking through.

File Attachments

Drop files straight into the chat window, or lean on @-mentions:

@readme.md explain this project structure
@src/components/Header.tsx refactor to TypeScript generics

Workspace context is already loaded. No extra setup.

Multiple Sessions

Every workspace folder can host its own Claude session, which is exactly what microservice repos want. Each one keeps a separate context. Teams that need a structured multi-agent setup inside VS Code can reach for ClaudeFast's Code Kit. It ships 18 specialized agents that plan first, then execute, with parallel sessions coordinated for you. The agent workflows doc has the deeper patterns.

Terminal Setup in VS Code

VS Code's integrated terminal wants a small tweak before Shift+Enter starts working as a multi-line prompt key. Run /terminal-setup from inside any Claude Code session and the keybinding gets wired up automatically. Zero manual editing.

Prefer Option+Enter? In Settings, open Profiles, then Keys, then switch the Left/Right Option key over to "Esc+".

The terminal setup walkthrough covers every extra tweak worth knowing.

Windows-Specific Keybindings

Two Windows defaults deviate from the Mac shortcuts:

• Alt+V for image paste (instead of Ctrl+V, which is reserved for clipboard paste)
• Meta+M for cycling permission modes on older Node.js versions (below 24.2.0 or 22.17.0) that lack VT mode support

Both are defaults, and anything in there is yours to rebind from the keybindings config file.

Controlling Extension Auto-Installation

When the Claude Code CLI sees that it's running inside VS Code, the extension installs itself. Block it with an environment variable:

export CLAUDE_CODE_IDE_SKIP_AUTO_INSTALL=1

Handy for corporate-policy installs, locked-down profiles, and pipelines that never need the extension loaded.

When Things Go Wrong

The troubleshooting guide covers more fix paths.

Enterprise: Third-Party Providers

Routing through Amazon Bedrock or Google Vertex AI? Drop this into settings.json:

{
  "env": {
    "CLAUDE_CODE_USE_BEDROCK": "1",
    "AWS_REGION": "us-east-2"
  }
}

Login prompts get silenced with "claudeCode.disableLoginPrompt": true.

You Can Now Code with Claude in VS Code

• Terminal-grade Claude Code is stitched into the IDE
• What's next: browser automation through MCP extensions
• Level up: multi-step task orchestration with agent workflows
• Side by side: how the extension stacks up against Cursor
• Dial in: terminal behavior and keyboard shortcuts tuned to your workflow
• Tune further: the full settings reference for every option

The extension ships updates on a steady cadence. Still in beta for now, so bug reports land on GitHub.