VS Code▌

by block
Seamlessly interact with Visual Studio Code for coding, file diffing, project navigation, and command execution using ad
Enables direct interaction with VS Code through bidirectional communication, providing tools for file diffing, project navigation, shell command execution, and editor information retrieval for seamless coding assistance.
best for
- / Developers using AI coding assistants like Claude or Goose
- / Code review and editing workflows with AI assistance
- / Project setup and navigation through AI chat
capabilities
- / Execute shell commands in VS Code terminal
- / Create and preview file diffs before applying changes
- / Open files and projects in VS Code editor
- / Navigate between active and context-marked tabs
- / List and switch between available projects
- / Check extension connectivity status
what it does
Enables AI assistants to directly control VS Code through bidirectional communication, allowing file editing, project navigation, and shell command execution from your AI chat.
about
VS Code is a community-built MCP server published by block that provides AI assistants with tools and capabilities via the Model Context Protocol. Seamlessly interact with Visual Studio Code for coding, file diffing, project navigation, and command execution using ad It is categorized under developer tools. This server exposes 9 tools that AI clients can invoke during conversations and coding sessions.
how to install
You can install VS Code in your AI client of choice. Use the install panel on this page to get one-click setup for Cursor, Claude Desktop, VS Code, and other MCP-compatible clients. This server runs locally on your machine via the stdio transport.
license
Apache-2.0
VS Code is released under the Apache-2.0 license. This is a permissive open-source license, meaning you can freely use, modify, and distribute the software.
readme
VSCode MCP
This monorepo contains the VSCode MCP Server and its companion VSCode Extension, which together enable AI agents and assistants, like Goose or Claude, to interact with VSCode through the Model Context Protocol.
Project Structure
vscode-mcp/
├── server/ # MCP server implementation
└── extension/ # VS Code extension
Quick Start
- Install the MCP Server
npx vscode-mcp-server install
- Install the MCP Extension
Configuration
Goose Desktop Setup

- ID:
code-mcp - Name:
VS Code - Description:
Allows interaction with VS Code through the Model Context Protocol - Command:
npx vscode-mcp-server
Claude Desktop Setup
Add this to your Claude Desktop config file (~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"vscode-mcp-server": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["vscode-mcp-server"],
"env": {}
}
}
}
Available Tools
The Code MCP server provides the following tools for AI agents to interact with VS Code:
create_diff
Creates and shows a diff for modifying existing files:
- Shows changes preview before applying
- Requires user approval
- Only works with existing files
open_file
Opens files in the VS Code editor:
- Used for viewing new or modified files
open_project
Opens a project folder in VS Code:
- Sets up working directory for AI agent
check_extension_status
Checks if extension is installed and responding
get_extension_port
Gets the port number for VS Code MCP Extension
list_available_projects
Shows projects from port registry file
License
This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.
Copyright 2025 Block, Inc.
This product includes software developed at Block, Inc.
FAQ
- What is the VS Code MCP server?
- VS Code is a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server profile on explainx.ai. MCP lets AI hosts (e.g. Claude Desktop, Cursor) call tools and resources through a standard interface; this page summarizes categories, install hints, and community ratings.
- How do MCP servers relate to agent skills?
- Skills are reusable instruction packages (often SKILL.md); MCP servers expose live capabilities. Teams frequently combine both—skills for workflows, MCP for APIs and data. See explainx.ai/skills and explainx.ai/mcp-servers for parallel directories.
- How are reviews shown for VS Code?
- This profile displays 10 aggregated ratings (sample rows for discoverability plus signed-in user reviews). Average score is about 4.5 out of 5—verify behavior in your own environment before production use.
Ratings
4.5★★★★★10 reviews- ★★★★★Shikha Mishra· Oct 10, 2024
VS Code is among the better-indexed MCP projects we tried; the explainx.ai summary tracks the official description.
- ★★★★★Piyush G· Sep 9, 2024
We evaluated VS Code against two servers with overlapping tools; this profile had the clearer scope statement.
- ★★★★★Chaitanya Patil· Aug 8, 2024
Useful MCP listing: VS Code is the kind of server we cite when onboarding engineers to host + tool permissions.
- ★★★★★Sakshi Patil· Jul 7, 2024
VS Code reduced integration guesswork — categories and install configs on the listing matched the upstream repo.
- ★★★★★Ganesh Mohane· Jun 6, 2024
I recommend VS Code for teams standardizing on MCP; the explainx.ai page compares cleanly with sibling servers.
- ★★★★★Oshnikdeep· May 5, 2024
Strong directory entry: VS Code surfaces stars and publisher context so we could sanity-check maintenance before adopting.
- ★★★★★Dhruvi Jain· Apr 4, 2024
VS Code has been reliable for tool-calling workflows; the MCP profile page is a good permalink for internal docs.
- ★★★★★Rahul Santra· Mar 3, 2024
According to our notes, VS Code benefits from clear Model Context Protocol framing — fewer ambiguous “AI plugin” claims.
- ★★★★★Pratham Ware· Feb 2, 2024
We wired VS Code into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.
- ★★★★★Yash Thakker· Jan 1, 2024
VS Code is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory — install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.