Extending
The VS Code extension
ContextCode Beta inside VS Code, separate from the production MCP connection.
This extension is part of ContextCode Beta. It is different from the production ContextStream MCP connection for VS Code: the extension puts the beta ContextCode client itself in the sidebar.
The agent panel
A ContextCode view in the sidebar with your sessions and agent runs. Runs you started in the terminal appear here too — they're owned by a shared daemon, not by whichever window launched them. Start work in the terminal, watch it in VS Code, close either.
What's on the command palette
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Open ContextCode | Bring up the panel |
| New Agent Session | Start a fresh session |
| Resume Session… | Reopen a past one |
| Fork Session… | Branch from a session's state |
| Add to ContextCode Context | Send the current selection |
| Explain with ContextCode | Explain the selection |
| Fix with ContextCode | Fix the diagnostic under the cursor |
| Review Changes | Review the working diff |
| Restore Checkpoint… | Roll back to a turn's checkpoint |
| Manage Permissions | Change the approval mode |
| Run Doctor | Check the setup |
| Open ContextCode Diff | Show a turn's diff in the editor |
| Import Configuration (Preview)… | Bring in settings from another tool |
| Cancel Active Turn | Stop what's running |
| Sign in / Sign out | Account |
Where it earns its keep
Fix with ContextCode on a diagnostic — the squiggle is the prompt, and the fix arrives with project context behind it.
Explain with ContextCode on a selection — better than a generic explanation because it can reach for why the code is that way.
Diffs in the editor. Reviewing an agent's work in VS Code's diff view rather than in a terminal is simply better, and checkpoints restore from the same place.
Relationship to the production MCP
The extension and the MCP connection do different jobs. The extension is ContextCode Beta with a UI; the production MCP connection gives Copilot ContextStream search and memory. The beta extension is optional and is not needed for the MCP connection.
If it doesn't work
The panel is empty. Sign in from the palette, then Run Doctor.
Terminal runs don't appear. The shared daemon isn't running.
CONTEXTCODE_AGENT_DAEMON_AUTOSTART=off in your environment disables it.
Commands are missing. Some only appear in context — Fix needs a diagnostic under the cursor, Explain needs a selection.