Claude Code in VS Code: Install and Shortcuts

There are two ways to run Claude Code in VS Code, and picking the wrong one is why some people conclude it "doesn't really integrate."

• The extension — a native graphical panel with inline diffs, plan review, and @-mentions. This is the recommended way.
• The CLI in the integrated terminal — type claude and you get the terminal interface, inside VS Code but not really of it.

The extension is what most people mean when they search for this. Here's how to get it, what it actually adds, and the setting that turns it back into a terminal if you prefer that.

Requirements

Two things, and one of them trips people up:

• VS Code 1.94.0 or higher
• A paid Claude subscription — Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise — or a Claude Console account

No API key is required. You sign in with your account the first time you open the extension. The free Claude plan does not include Claude Code, which is the single most common reason a fresh install refuses to start; if you're weighing that upgrade, we broke it down in is Claude Pro worth it.

Installing it

The fastest route is the direct install link for your editor, from Anthropic's VS Code documentation. Otherwise, open the Extensions view and search for "Claude Code".

The extension isn't VS Code-only. It installs in Cursor and in other VS Code forks such as Devin Desktop and Kiro, and it's published to the Open VSX registry for editors that don't use the Microsoft marketplace. If your editor can't install extensions at all, install the CLI and run claude in its integrated terminal — that works in any terminal, anywhere.

If the extension doesn't appear after installing, restart VS Code or run Developer: Reload Window from the Command Palette.

One thing worth knowing up front: the extension bundles its own copy of the CLI for the chat panel. That's enough to use it. But if you also want to type claude in VS Code's integrated terminal, you need the standalone CLI installed separately — our install guide has the command for each platform.

What the extension actually adds

The graphical panel isn't cosmetic. Five things it does that the terminal doesn't:

• Plan review before execution. Claude proposes a plan and you edit it before anything runs. This is the single biggest behavioural difference — you're correcting the approach instead of reverting the result.
• @-mentions with line ranges. Select lines in a file and @-mention them, so Claude gets exactly the region you care about instead of the whole file.
• Auto-accept edits as they're made, for when you've decided to trust a pass.
• Conversation history, browsable rather than scrolled back to.
• Multiple conversations in separate tabs or windows, so a long refactor and a quick question don't share a context.

Permission modes are exposed as a clickable indicator at the bottom of the prompt box. On Pro, Max, and Team plans, Auto is the starting mode.

Plugins get a graphical manager too: type /plugins in the prompt box to browse marketplaces, install, and choose an installation scope. It's the same system as the CLI underneath — anything you install in one appears in the other. Our guide to Claude Code plugins covers what they bundle and when to build one.

Keyboard shortcuts

The one to learn on day one:

Focus matters more than it sounds. When your cursor is in a code file the editor is focused; when it's in the prompt box, Claude is. Cmd+Esc is how you move between them without reaching for the mouse. Everything else is discoverable — open the Command Palette and type "Claude Code" to see the full list.

Connecting the browser

The extension can drive Chrome to test web apps, read console logs, and automate browser steps without you leaving the editor. That requires the separate Claude in Chrome extension, version 1.0.36 or higher. It's a genuinely different workflow from reading a stack trace: Claude loads the page, reproduces the click, and reads what the console said.

If you'd rather have the terminal

Some people want the CLI interface but inside the editor window. Open the claudeCode.useTerminal setting and check the box — the extension then opens the CLI-style interface instead of the graphical chat panel.

Worth being honest about the trade: not every built-in Claude Code command is available in the extension's graphical panel, and the terminal remains the more complete surface. If your workflow leans on CLI flags and slash commands you already know, the terminal setting gets you the integration without relearning anything.

Extension or Cursor?

Since the extension installs in Cursor too, "Claude Code vs Cursor" stops being a choice about editors and becomes a choice about shape: Cursor is an editor built around an agent, while Claude Code is an agent that travels between surfaces — terminal, editor, and desktop app. Running both is normal, and we compared them properly in Claude Code vs Cursor.

FAQ

How do I add Claude to VS Code?

Install the Claude Code extension from the Extensions view or the marketplace, then sign in with a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, or Console account. You need VS Code 1.94.0 or later and no API key.

Is the VS Code extension free?

The extension itself costs nothing, but it requires a paid Claude plan or a Console account. Claude Code is not included in the free Claude plan.

Do I need to install the Claude Code CLI separately?

Not for the chat panel — the extension bundles its own copy. You only need the standalone CLI if you also want to run claude in VS Code's integrated terminal.

Does the Claude Code extension work in Cursor?

Yes. It installs in Cursor and other VS Code forks, and it's on the Open VSX registry for editors outside the Microsoft marketplace.

How do I switch between the editor and Claude?

Cmd+Esc on Mac, Ctrl+Esc on Windows and Linux.

Can Claude Code control my browser from VS Code?

Yes, with the Claude in Chrome extension at version 1.0.36 or higher. It can load pages, read console output, and automate browser interactions for testing and debugging.

The short version

Install the extension, sign in with a paid plan, learn Cmd+Esc, and use plan review — it's the feature that changes how the tool feels. Keep the standalone CLI around for terminal work and for the commands the panel doesn't expose.

Fifteen minutes of setup is a fair price when the payoff is your own editor, your own repository, your own keys. It's a much worse price when you're paying it to evaluate somebody else's idea — which is the trade Taku removes, by opening an AI app or agent that already runs and letting you decide afterwards whether it was worth installing anything. Taku is in Beta, and the Mac app is available now.