IDE Integration

What you'll learn: VS Code Extension setup, JetBrains plugin, and how to use Claude Code with just a terminal

Note

IDE integration is optional. Claude Code is fully functional from the terminal alone. IDE integration adds convenience like one-click launch and side-by-side code/AI views.

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VS Code Integration

Requires VS Code 1.98.0 or higher. The same extension works in Cursor IDE.

Installing the Official Extension

1. Open VS Code (or Cursor)
2. Open Extensions Marketplace (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
3. Search "Claude Code"
4. Find the official Anthropic extension → Install

Launching Claude Code in VS Code

After installation, you can launch Claude Code several ways:

• Editor toolbar: Click the Spark (✱) icon in the top-right when a file is open
• Activity Bar (left): Click the Claude icon → choose a session or start new
• Command Palette: Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P → search "Claude Code"
• Status Bar: Click ✱ Claude Code in the bottom-right (works even with no file open)
• Integrated terminal: Type claude to launch CLI mode

VS Code Extension Features

The extension is a GUI wrapper for the CLI, adding these features:

• Inline diff review: When Claude edits a file, compare original vs changes side-by-side and accept/reject
• @file references: Add files to context with @filename. Use @filename#5-10 for specific line ranges
• Plan review: In Plan Mode, open Claude's plan as a markdown doc and provide inline comments
• Multi-tab sessions: Open in New Tab / Open in New Window for parallel conversations
• Session history: Search past sessions by keyword or browse by time in the panel dropdown
• Terminal output reference: Include terminal command output in your prompt with @terminal:name
• Plugin management: Use /plugins to install/manage plugins via GUI
• MCP server management: Use /mcp to enable/disable servers and manage OAuth authentication

Auto-Detect Selection

Select code in the editor and Claude automatically recognizes it. Press Option+K (macOS) / Alt+K (Windows/Linux) to insert a @reference with file path and line numbers into your prompt.

VS Code Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Description
Cmd+Esc / Ctrl+Esc	Toggle focus between editor and Claude
Cmd+Shift+Esc / Ctrl+Shift+Esc	Open conversation in new tab
Cmd+N / Ctrl+N	Start new conversation (when Claude is focused)
Option+K / Alt+K	Insert @reference for current file + selection

Windows Users

Ctrl+Esc opens the Start menu and Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens Task Manager on Windows, so these shortcuts do not work on Windows. Use the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P) → "Claude Code: Focus Input" or "Claude Code: Open in New Tab" instead.

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JetBrains IDE Integration

Works with IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand, and other JetBrains products.

Plugin Installation

1. Settings (Ctrl+Alt+S / Cmd+,) → Plugins
2. Marketplace tab → Search "Claude Code"
3. Find the official Anthropic plugin → Install
4. Restart IDE

Launching Claude Code in JetBrains

• Click the Claude Code icon in the bottom-right status bar
• Or use Tools → Claude Code menu

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Terminal-Only Usage (No IDE)

Claude Code works fully from the terminal without any IDE. This is especially useful for server environments or SSH sessions.

# Navigate to your project
cd ~/my-project

# Start Claude Code
claude

Claude Code uses the current directory as its workspace.

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Which Approach Should I Use?

Situation	Recommended
General development	VS Code Extension
Cursor users	Install Claude Code extension in Cursor
JetBrains power users	JetBrains Plugin
Server/remote work	Terminal only
Just getting started	Terminal only (simplest)

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Key Takeaways

• IDE integration is optional — all features work from terminal alone
• VS Code / Cursor: Install the official Claude Code extension
• JetBrains: Install plugin from JetBrains Marketplace
• VS Code extension adds inline diff, @file references, Plan review, multi-tab sessions
• Always run claude inside your project directory