Genkit for VS Code

Complete Firebase Genkit development toolkit - Build, deploy, and scale AI applications from your IDE

The most comprehensive VS Code extension for Firebase Genkit development. Build sophisticated AI applications with advanced RAG patterns, deploy globally with multi-region support, and automate your workflows with integrated CI/CD.

Latest Updates

v1.1.0 - Major Feature Release 🚀

The biggest update yet with 28 new commands, 24 new snippets, and 5 new sidebar views!

New in v1.1.0:

✅ CI/CD Integration - Setup GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure Pipelines, CircleCI
✅ 8 Advanced RAG Patterns - Hybrid Search, Hierarchical, Conversational, Multi-Query, and more
✅ Multi-Region Deployment - Active-Active, Active-Passive, Geo-Routing strategies
✅ Real-Time Collaboration - WebSocket and Server-Sent Events templates
✅ Plugin SDK - Create and publish custom Genkit plugins
✅ Enhanced Explorer - 5 new sidebar views for deployments, regions, RAG, real-time, and plugins
✅ 31 TypeScript Snippets - Comprehensive code templates for all features
✅ 34 Total Commands - Complete development workflow automation

Comparison: | Feature | v1.0.1 | v1.1.0 | Improvement | |---------|--------|--------|-------------| | Commands | 6 | 34 | +467% | | Sidebar Views | 3 | 8 | +167% | | Settings | 3 | 17 | +467% | | Snippets | 7 | 31 | +343% |

Features

🚀 Quick Commands (34 Total)

Access all Genkit functionality from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):

Core Commands

Genkit: Initialize New Project - Set up a new Genkit project
Genkit: Create New Flow - Generate flows from templates
Genkit: Start Dev Server - Launch development server
Genkit: Open Developer UI - Open Genkit UI in browser
Genkit: Deploy to Production - Deploy to cloud platforms
Genkit: Run Health Check - Verify project health

CI/CD Integration (New in v1.1.0)

Genkit: Setup CI/CD Pipeline - Interactive setup wizard for GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Azure Pipelines, CircleCI
Genkit: Configure Deployment Secrets - Guided secret configuration
Genkit: Test Pipeline Locally - Validate pipeline before push
Genkit: View Pipeline Status - Monitor build and deployment status

Advanced RAG Patterns (New in v1.1.0)

Genkit: Create RAG Flow - Choose from 8 production-ready RAG patterns:
- Hybrid Search (Semantic + Keyword)
- Hierarchical RAG (Multi-level retrieval)
- Conversational RAG (Context-aware)
- Multi-Query RAG (Query expansion)
- Self-Querying RAG (Metadata filtering)
- Parent-Child RAG (Smart chunking)
- Corrective RAG (Self-correction)
- Adaptive RAG (Dynamic strategy)
Genkit: Setup Vector Database - Configure Pinecone, Chroma, Weaviate, Qdrant, or Milvus
Genkit: Test RAG Query - Interactive testing panel
Genkit: Evaluate RAG Performance - Quality metrics dashboard

Multi-Region Deployment (New in v1.1.0)

Genkit: Configure Multi-Region Deployment - Setup global deployment:
- Active-Active (all regions serve traffic)
- Active-Passive (primary + failover)
- Geo-Routing (route by location)
Genkit: Deploy to All Regions - Parallel deployment
Genkit: Monitor Regional Health - Health dashboard
Genkit: Trigger Region Failover - Manual failover controls

Real-Time Collaboration (New in v1.1.0)

Genkit: Create Real-Time Flow - WebSocket and SSE templates
Genkit: Test WebSocket Connection - Connection testing
Genkit: Monitor Active Connections - Live connection viewer

Plugin Development (New in v1.1.0)

Genkit: Create Genkit Plugin - Scaffold new plugin (Model, Flow, Tool, Retriever)
Genkit: Test Plugin - Testing environment
Genkit: Package Plugin for NPM - Build and pack
Genkit: Publish Plugin to NPM - Publishing workflow

📝 Code Snippets (31 Total)

Core Snippets

Prefix	Description
`gflow`	Basic flow template
`gtool`	Tool definition
`gconfig`	Genkit configuration
`gstream`	Streaming flow
`genclaude`	Generate with Claude
`gengemini`	Generate with Gemini
`grag`	Basic RAG flow

Advanced RAG Patterns (New in v1.1.0)

Prefix	Description
`grag-hybrid`	Hybrid Search RAG (semantic + keyword)
`grag-hierarchical`	Hierarchical RAG (multi-level)
`grag-conversational`	Conversational RAG (context-aware)
`grag-multiquery`	Multi-Query RAG (query expansion)
`grag-selfquery`	Self-Querying RAG (metadata filtering)
`grag-parentchild`	Parent-Child RAG (document chunking)
`grag-corrective`	Corrective RAG (self-correction)
`grag-adaptive`	Adaptive RAG (dynamic strategy)

Vector Databases (New in v1.1.0)

Prefix	Description
`gvector-pinecone`	Setup Pinecone vector database
`gvector-chroma`	Setup Chroma vector database

Real-Time (New in v1.1.0)

Prefix	Description
`gwebsocket`	WebSocket real-time flow
`gsse`	Server-Sent Events streaming flow

Plugin SDK (New in v1.1.0)

Prefix	Description
`gplugin-model`	Custom model plugin
`gplugin-retriever`	Custom retriever plugin

DevOps (New in v1.1.0)

Prefix	Description
`gregion-config`	Multi-region deployment configuration
`gcicd-github`	GitHub Actions CI/CD workflow

Advanced Features (New in v1.1.0)

Prefix	Description
`gevaluate`	RAG quality evaluator
`gprompt`	Structured prompt template
`gchat`	Multi-turn chat flow
`gmiddleware`	Logging/monitoring middleware
`gbatch`	Batch processing with rate limiting

🔍 Enhanced Genkit Explorer

Existing Views

Flows - View all defined flows
AI Models - See configured models
Tools - Browse available tools

New Views in v1.1.0

Deployments - Monitor production/staging status, view history, rollback actions
Regions - Multi-region health monitoring, traffic distribution, latency metrics
RAG Patterns - Active patterns, vector DB status, document counts
Real-Time - Active WebSocket/SSE connections, throughput stats
Plugins - Installed plugins, versions, update indicators

All views include refresh buttons and auto-refresh capabilities.

⚙️ Configuration

Extensive configuration options in VS Code settings:

Core Settings

{
  "genkit.autoStartDevServer": false,
  "genkit.devServerPort": 4000,
  "genkit.enableIntelliSense": true
}

CI/CD Settings (New in v1.1.0)

{
  "genkit.cicd.platform": "github-actions",
  "genkit.cicd.autoSetup": false
}

Deployment Settings (New in v1.1.0)

{
  "genkit.deployment.defaultTarget": "cloud-run",
  "genkit.deployment.multiRegion": false,
  "genkit.deployment.regions": ["us-central1", "europe-west1"]
}

RAG Settings (New in v1.1.0)

{
  "genkit.rag.defaultPattern": "hybrid-search",
  "genkit.rag.vectorDatabase": "pinecone",
  "genkit.rag.embeddingModel": "text-embedding-004"
}

Real-Time Settings (New in v1.1.0)

{
  "genkit.realtime.enabled": false,
  "genkit.realtime.protocol": "websocket"
}

Plugin Settings (New in v1.1.0)

{
  "genkit.plugin.autoDiscovery": true
}

Explorer Settings (New in v1.1.0)

{
  "genkit.explorer.showMetrics": true,
  "genkit.explorer.autoRefresh": true,
  "genkit.explorer.refreshInterval": 5000
}

Quick Start

1. Setup CI/CD Pipeline

Ctrl+Shift+P → "Genkit: Setup CI/CD Pipeline"

Choose your platform and deployment target. The extension will:

Generate workflow configuration files
Guide you through secret setup
Provide testing commands

2. Create Advanced RAG Flow

Ctrl+Shift+P → "Genkit: Create RAG Flow"

Select "Hybrid Search" for best results:

Combines semantic and keyword search
Auto-generates optimal configuration
Includes evaluation metrics

Then setup your vector database:

Ctrl+Shift+P → "Genkit: Setup Vector Database"

3. Deploy Multi-Region

Ctrl+Shift+P → "Genkit: Configure Multi-Region Deployment"

Choose strategy and regions:

Active-Active for best performance
Active-Passive for cost efficiency
Geo-Routing for optimal latency

Then deploy:

Ctrl+Shift+P → "Genkit: Deploy to All Regions"

Usage Examples

Example 1: Build Hybrid Search RAG Application

Type grag-hybrid in a TypeScript file
Configure vector store (Pinecone, Chroma, etc.)
Set semantic/keyword weights
Test with Ctrl+Shift+P → "Genkit: Test RAG Query"
Deploy with CI/CD pipeline

Example 2: Setup Multi-Region Deployment

Ctrl+Shift+P → "Genkit: Configure Multi-Region Deployment"
Select "Active-Active" strategy
Choose regions: US Central, Europe West, Asia East
Configure traffic weights (33% each)
Monitor in "Regions" sidebar view
Failover with one click if needed

Example 3: Create Real-Time Chat Application

Type gwebsocket in a TypeScript file
Configure WebSocket server
Implement message broadcasting
Test connections with Ctrl+Shift+P → "Genkit: Test WebSocket"
Monitor active connections in "Real-Time" sidebar view

Example 4: Build Custom Plugin

Ctrl+Shift+P → "Genkit: Create Genkit Plugin"
Choose "Model Plugin"
Implement your model integration
Test with Ctrl+Shift+P → "Genkit: Test Plugin"
Package and publish to NPM

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
Search for "Genkit"
Click "Install"

From VSIX

Download the .vsix file from Releases
Run: code --install-extension genkit-vscode-1.1.0.vsix

Requirements

VS Code 1.80.0 or higher
Node.js 18+ (for Genkit projects)
npm or yarn

Extension Settings Reference

All 17 Settings

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`genkit.autoStartDevServer`	boolean	`false`	Auto-start dev server on project open
`genkit.devServerPort`	number	`4000`	Port for development server
`genkit.enableIntelliSense`	boolean	`true`	Enable IntelliSense features
`genkit.cicd.platform`	string	`"github-actions"`	Preferred CI/CD platform
`genkit.cicd.autoSetup`	boolean	`false`	Auto-setup CI/CD on project creation
`genkit.deployment.defaultTarget`	string	`"cloud-run"`	Default deployment target
`genkit.deployment.multiRegion`	boolean	`false`	Enable multi-region by default
`genkit.deployment.regions`	array	`["us-central1", "europe-west1"]`	Default regions
`genkit.rag.defaultPattern`	string	`"hybrid-search"`	Default RAG pattern
`genkit.rag.vectorDatabase`	string	`"pinecone"`	Preferred vector database
`genkit.rag.embeddingModel`	string	`"text-embedding-004"`	Default embedding model
`genkit.realtime.enabled`	boolean	`false`	Enable real-time features
`genkit.realtime.protocol`	string	`"websocket"`	Preferred real-time protocol
`genkit.plugin.autoDiscovery`	boolean	`true`	Auto-discover installed plugins
`genkit.explorer.showMetrics`	boolean	`true`	Show metrics in Explorer
`genkit.explorer.autoRefresh`	boolean	`true`	Auto-refresh Explorer views
`genkit.explorer.refreshInterval`	number	`5000`	Refresh interval (ms)

Troubleshooting

CI/CD Pipeline Not Working

Ensure secrets are configured in your CI/CD platform
Check workflow file syntax
Verify deployment target configuration
Review pipeline logs in platform UI

RAG Flow Not Retrieving Documents

Verify vector database credentials
Check documents are indexed
Test embedding model configuration
Use "Test RAG Query" command for debugging

Multi-Region Deployment Failing

Ensure all regions are properly configured
Verify cloud provider credentials
Check regional quotas and limits
Review regional health in sidebar view

WebSocket Connection Issues

Check WebSocket server port availability
Verify firewall rules
Test with "Test WebSocket Connection" command
Review connection logs

Dev Server Not Starting

Ensure Genkit is installed: npm install -g genkit
Check port availability: lsof -i :4000
Try a different port in settings
Check Node.js version (18+ required)

Snippets Not Working

Verify file language mode is TypeScript or JavaScript
Restart VS Code
Check extension is enabled
Try typing the full prefix

What's New in Each Version

v1.1.0 (Current)

28 new commands for CI/CD, RAG, Multi-Region, Real-Time, Plugins
24 new code snippets
5 new sidebar views
14 new configuration settings
Complete multi-region deployment support
Advanced RAG pattern library
Plugin development toolkit

v1.0.1 (Previous)

Initial marketplace release
6 core commands
7 basic snippets
3 sidebar views
Basic Genkit workflow support

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Here's how:

Fork the repository
Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
Make your changes
Test thoroughly
Submit a pull request

Development Setup

cd vscode-extension
npm install
npm run compile
code .

Press F5 to launch extension development host.

Telemetry and Privacy

This extension collects anonymous usage data to help improve the product. We respect your privacy!

What We Collect (Anonymized)

Command usage and performance
Extension activation/deactivation
Error reports (sanitized)
VS Code and OS versions

What We DON'T Collect

❌ No file names, paths, or content
❌ No personal information
❌ No API keys or credentials
❌ No user-generated code

How to Disable

Telemetry respects VS Code's settings. To disable:

Option 1: VS Code Settings UI

Go to File → Preferences → Settings
Search for "telemetry"
Set telemetry.telemetryLevel to "off"

Option 2: settings.json

{
  "telemetry.telemetryLevel": "off"
}

Option 3: Command Line

code --telemetry-level off

📖 Full details: TELEMETRY.md

✅ GDPR & CCPA compliant | ✅ Open source | ✅ No PII collected

Resources

Support

🐛 Issues: GitHub Issues
💬 Discussions: GitHub Discussions
📧 Email: amit.patole@gmail.com
🌟 Star on GitHub: Show your support!

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Acknowledgments

Firebase Genkit Team at Google
Anthropic for Claude AI
Visual Studio Code Team
Open source contributors

Roadmap

v1.2.0 (Planned)

RAG visual debugger
Pipeline visualization dashboard
Live real-time preview
Enhanced IntelliSense
Integration tests

v2.0.0 (Future)

Multi-user collaboration features
Enterprise deployment templates
Advanced monitoring and observability
Plugin marketplace integration

Made with ❤️ for the Genkit developer community

The most comprehensive VS Code extension for Firebase Genkit - from local development to global production deployment.

Install Now | View on GitHub | Give Feedback

Genkit for VS Code

Amit Patole

Genkit for VS Code

Latest Updates

v1.1.0 - Major Feature Release 🚀

Features

🚀 Quick Commands (34 Total)

Core Commands

CI/CD Integration (New in v1.1.0)

Advanced RAG Patterns (New in v1.1.0)

Multi-Region Deployment (New in v1.1.0)

Real-Time Collaboration (New in v1.1.0)

Plugin Development (New in v1.1.0)

📝 Code Snippets (31 Total)

Core Snippets

Advanced RAG Patterns (New in v1.1.0)

Vector Databases (New in v1.1.0)

Real-Time (New in v1.1.0)

Plugin SDK (New in v1.1.0)

DevOps (New in v1.1.0)

Advanced Features (New in v1.1.0)

🔍 Enhanced Genkit Explorer

Existing Views

New Views in v1.1.0

⚙️ Configuration

Core Settings

CI/CD Settings (New in v1.1.0)

Deployment Settings (New in v1.1.0)

RAG Settings (New in v1.1.0)

Real-Time Settings (New in v1.1.0)

Plugin Settings (New in v1.1.0)

Explorer Settings (New in v1.1.0)

Quick Start

1. Setup CI/CD Pipeline

2. Create Advanced RAG Flow

3. Deploy Multi-Region

Usage Examples

Example 1: Build Hybrid Search RAG Application

Example 2: Setup Multi-Region Deployment

Example 3: Create Real-Time Chat Application

Example 4: Build Custom Plugin

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

From VSIX

Requirements

Extension Settings Reference

All 17 Settings

Troubleshooting

CI/CD Pipeline Not Working

RAG Flow Not Retrieving Documents

Multi-Region Deployment Failing

WebSocket Connection Issues

Dev Server Not Starting

Snippets Not Working

What's New in Each Version

v1.1.0 (Current)

v1.0.1 (Previous)

Contributing

Development Setup

Telemetry and Privacy

What We Collect (Anonymized)

What We DON'T Collect

How to Disable

Resources

Support

License

Acknowledgments

Roadmap

v1.2.0 (Planned)

v2.0.0 (Future)