Claude Code + VS Code

Bypass the copy-paste. Integrate Claude directly into your VS Code terminal for a seamless agentic coding loop.

Required Tools

VS Code Node.js (Required) Claude Code Docs

Prerequisites

VS Code

Download from code.visualstudio.com

Node.js LTS

Download from nodejs.org

Restart your terminal

After installing Node, close and reopen your terminal

Verify Node

Open your terminal and run these commands:

node -v\nnpm -v

Success

You see version numbers like v20.x.x and 10.x.x

Error

"not recognized" or "command not found"

To fix: Restart terminal → Reinstall Node → Check "Add to PATH" during install

Install Claude Code

Open VS Code's integrated terminal:

Ctrl + ` on WindowsCmd + ` on Mac

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Success: No errors, you're ready to launch

Launch

Navigate to your project and run claude:

cd my-project\nclaude

Success: Browser opens for auth → Approve → Back to terminal

Alternative: Set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY environment variable to skip browser auth

Key Commands

/help

See all commands

Get a full list of available commands and their usage

/clear

Reset conversation

Mission accomplished, time for the next task. Use /clear to clear the context before starting fresh

/compact

Compress context

Running low on tokens? Compress conversation history to free up space

/config

Adjust settings

Customize Claude Code settings like model, permissions, and more

/cost

Check token usage

Track your API usage and token costs for the current session

/resume

Resume conversation

Pick up where you left off. Resume your last conversation and continue working

/doctor

Run diagnostics

Something not working? Run diagnostics to troubleshoot Claude Code issues

/mcp

View MCP servers

Manage your connected and authenticated MCP connections

Escape

Cancel action

Stop Claude mid-action to prevent unwanted changes

Ctrl+C

Exit Claude

End your Claude session and return to the terminal

Capabilities

Read

Understands your entire codebase

Edit

Modifies files with permission

Run

Executes npm, git, tests

Glob & grep your code

Ship

Creates commits & PRs

Research

Web search for docs (with MCP)

Pro Tips

Be specific

"fix null pointer in utils.ts:42"

Use file names

Claude sees your project structure — reference files directly

Iterate

Start broad, then refine with follow-up questions

Review

Always verify changes before committing

Want to supercharge Claude Code?

Add MCP servers for web search, database access, and more.

MCP Playbook MCP Configurator