by block
Seamlessly interact with Visual Studio Code for coding, file diffing, project navigation, and command execution using ad
Enables AI assistants to directly control VS Code through bidirectional communication, allowing file editing, project navigation, and shell command execution from your AI chat.
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.
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.
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.
Add new capabilities to Claude beyond text generation
Example
Access external data sources, execute code, interact with tools and services
Transform Claude from chatbot to action-taking agent
Provide Claude with access to relevant context and data
Example
Load project documentation, access knowledge bases, query databases
Get more accurate, context-aware responses
Automate multi-step workflows combining AI and external tools
Example
Research → Summarize → Create document → Send notification
Complete complex tasks end-to-end without manual steps
Share your MCP server with the developer community
According to our notes, VS Code benefits from clear Model Context Protocol framing — fewer ambiguous “AI plugin” claims.
VS Code has been reliable for tool-calling workflows; the MCP profile page is a good permalink for internal docs.
VS Code is a well-scoped MCP server in the explainx.ai directory — install snippets and categories matched our Claude Code setup.
VS Code is among the better-indexed MCP projects we tried; the explainx.ai summary tracks the official description.
Useful MCP listing: VS Code is the kind of server we cite when onboarding engineers to host + tool permissions.
We evaluated VS Code against two servers with overlapping tools; this profile had the clearer scope statement.
Useful MCP listing: VS Code is the kind of server we cite when onboarding engineers to host + tool permissions.
I recommend VS Code for teams standardizing on MCP; the explainx.ai page compares cleanly with sibling servers.
We wired VS Code into a staging workspace; the listing’s GitHub and npm pointers saved time versus hunting across READMEs.
Strong directory entry: VS Code surfaces stars and publisher context so we could sanity-check maintenance before adopting.
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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.
vscode-mcp/
├── server/ # MCP server implementation
└── extension/ # VS Code extension
npx vscode-mcp-server install
code-mcpVS CodeAllows interaction with VS Code through the Model Context Protocolnpx vscode-mcp-serverAdd 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": {}
}
}
}
The Code MCP server provides the following tools for AI agents to interact with VS Code:
create_diffCreates and shows a diff for modifying existing files:
open_fileOpens files in the VS Code editor:
open_projectOpens a project folder in VS Code:
check_extension_statusChecks if extension is installed and responding
get_extension_portGets the port number for VS Code MCP Extension
list_available_projectsShows projects from port registry file
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.
Prerequisites
Time Estimate
15-60 minutes depending on server complexity
Steps
Troubleshooting
✓ Do
✗ Don't
💡 Pro Tips
Architecture
Model Context Protocol standardizes how AI hosts (Claude, Cursor) communicate with external tools and data sources through server implementations.
Protocols
Compatibility
✓ Use when
Use when you need Claude to access external data, execute actions, or integrate with tools. Best for extending AI capabilities beyond conversation.
✗ Avoid when
Avoid when native integrations exist (use official APIs directly), for real-time critical systems, or when security/compliance requires zero external dependencies.