Autoplans.dev - AI-Powered Project Management for VS Code

Supercharge your coding workflow with intelligent task management, GitHub Copilot integration, and AI-assisted development automation.

Transform VS Code into an AI-powered development hub with autoplans.dev - the ultimate extension for developers who want to code smarter, not harder.

🚀 Why Autoplans.dev?

Stop context switching. Start shipping faster.

Autoplans.dev brings AI-powered project management directly into your IDE, seamlessly integrating with GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, and other AI coding assistants. Manage tasks, generate documentation, and let AI handle project coordination while you focus on writing great code.

Perfect for AI-Assisted Development

• 🤖 Native Copilot Integration - Custom instructions and chat modes tailored to your project
• 💬 Conversational Task Management - Use @autoplans to create, update, and track tasks naturally
• 🧠 Context-Aware AI - AI agents understand your project structure and conventions
• 📝 Auto-Generated Documentation - AI analyzes your codebase to create intelligent .github/copilot-instructions.md
• 🔄 Seamless Workflow - Never leave VS Code to manage your development process

✨ Key Features

🗨️ AI Chat Assistant (@autoplans)

Talk to your project using natural language with built-in chat participant:

@autoplans create a task to implement OAuth authentication
@autoplans list my projects
@autoplans what's the status of my project?
@autoplans generate .autoplans folder
@autoplans help

Chat Commands:

• /help - Get help with commands
• /projects - List all projects
• /tasks - List all tasks

📋 Complete Project & Task Management

Project Operations:

• ✅ List Projects - View all projects with filters (planning, in_progress, completed, archived)
• ➕ Create Project - Start new projects with GitHub repo linking
• 📊 Get Project Details - View comprehensive project info and task counts
• 🌐 Open in Browser - Quick access to web dashboard

Task Operations:

• 📝 Create Tasks - With title, description, priority (low/medium/high/critical), and type (coding/design/documentation/testing/other)
• 📋 List Tasks - Filter by status (pending, in_progress, blocked, completed, failed, waiting_for_review)
• ✏️ Update Tasks - Modify status, priority, assignment (unassigned/ai-agent/user), title, description
• 🗑️ Delete Tasks - Permanently remove tasks
• 📊 View Task Details - See full task information with subtasks
• ⚡ Bulk Operations - Create or update multiple tasks at once

💼 Business Planning & Branding

Business Plan Management:

• 📄 Create Business Plan - Mission, vision, executive summary, tagline
• 👀 View Business Plan - Access project strategy and goals
• ✏️ Update Business Plan - Keep business strategy current

Brand Identity:

• 🎨 Create Branding - Colors (primary/secondary with hex/rgb), logos, brand name, tagline
• 👁️ View Branding - Access brand identity guidelines
• 🖌️ Update Branding - Maintain consistent visual identity

🎯 GitHub Copilot Enhancement

• Custom Instructions - AI-generated .github/copilot-instructions.md tailored to YOUR codebase
• Project-Specific Chatmodes - Specialized AI planning agent in .github/chatmodes/Autoplanner.chatmode.md
• Convention Discovery - Automatically scans .cursorrules, .windsurfrules, .clinerules, AGENT.md
• Context Synchronization - Keeps Copilot aware of your project structure and conventions
• One-Click Generation - Right-click project → "Generate Copilot Configuration"

📁 Automated Documentation System

.autoplans/ Folder Structure:

• README.md - Project overview and autoplans integration
• architecture.md - System design and technical decisions
• tasks.md - Markdown task list synchronized from API
• tasks/*.md - Individual task documentation files

Sync Commands:

• 🔄 Generate Copilot Config - Creates .github/copilot-instructions.md and chatmodes
• 📂 Initialize .autoplans Folder - Sets up complete documentation structure
• ⚡ Sync Project to Repository - Updates both .github/ and .autoplans/ in one command

🎨 Visual Sidebar Integration

Tree View Features:

• 📊 Hierarchical Display - Projects with expandable task lists
• 🏷️ Status Icons - Visual indicators: ⏳ pending, 🔄 in progress, ✅ completed, ⛔ blocked
• 📈 Task Counts - See project progress at a glance
• 🔄 Auto-Refresh - Keep data synchronized with server
• 🖱️ Context Menus - Right-click for quick actions

Inline Actions:

• Project level: View details, open in browser, create task, AI chat, sync operations
• Task level: View details, update status, open in browser

🤖 19 Language Model Tools

All features accessible via AI chat participants (Copilot, Cursor, Windsurf, Cline):

• Projects: list, create, get
• Tasks: list, create, update, delete, get, bulk_create, bulk_update
• Business: get/create/update business plans
• Branding: get/create/update branding
• Sync: generate_copilot_config, initialize_autoplans_folder, sync_project_to_repo

🛡️ Security & Privacy

• Secret Storage - API keys encrypted in VS Code's built-in secret manager
• Local-First - Project detection works offline without server calls
• No Telemetry - We don't track your usage or collect analytics
• Open Source - Full transparency - inspect the code yourself
• HTTPS Only - All API communication encrypted

🎬 Quick Start

1. Install the Extension

From VSIX (Current):

1. Download autoplans-vscode-0.1.9.vsix
2. Open VS Code → Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
3. Click "..." → "Install from VSIX..."

From Marketplace (Coming Soon): Search for "Autoplans.dev" in Extensions

2. Get Your API Key

1. Visit autoplans.dev/dashboard/settings
2. Create a new API key
3. Copy the key (starts with apk_live_)

3. Configure VS Code

# Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P)
> Autoplans: Set API Key
# Paste your API key

4. Start Coding Smarter

Use the Chat Interface

Ctrl+Alt+I (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Alt+I (Mac)

@autoplans help
@autoplans generate copilot config
@autoplans create project "My SaaS App"

Or Use the Sidebar

• Click Autoplans icon in Activity Bar
• Browse projects and tasks
• Right-click for quick actions

🎯 Perfect For

• 🚀 Startup Developers - Move fast without losing track of features
• 👥 Solo Developers - AI-assisted planning and task breakdown
• 🤖 AI-First Teams - Maximize Copilot, Cursor, and Windsurf effectiveness
• 📦 Open Source Maintainers - Organize issues and contributions
• 🎓 Learning Developers - Structure projects with AI guidance

💡 Use Cases

For GitHub Copilot Users

Before: Generic Copilot suggestions that don't understand your project After: Context-aware AI that knows your architecture, conventions, and current tasks

For Task Management

Before: Switching between Jira, Trello, or Linear and VS Code After: Manage everything in your IDE with conversational AI

For Documentation

Before: Manually writing and updating project docs After: AI generates and maintains comprehensive documentation automatically

For Team Collaboration

Before: Onboarding requires hours of explanation After: AI instructions guide new developers instantly

🛠️ Commands Reference

Essential Commands

Command	Shortcut	Description
Autoplans: Set API Key	-	Configure API authentication
Autoplans: Test Connection	-	Verify API connectivity
Autoplans: Open AI Chat	Ctrl+Alt+I	Start chat with @autoplans
Autoplans: Refresh	-	Reload data from server
Autoplans: Show Welcome	-	Display welcome screen

Project Management Commands

Command	Description
Autoplans: List Projects	View all projects with filters
Autoplans: Create Project	Start new project with optional GitHub URL
Autoplans: Show Project Details	View comprehensive project information
Autoplans: Open Projects Panel	Open sidebar dashboard view

Task Management Commands

Command	Description
Autoplans: List Tasks	Show all tasks in selected project
Autoplans: Create Task	Add new task with priority and type
Autoplans: Show Task Details	View and update task information

Documentation & Sync Commands

Command	Description
Autoplans: Generate Copilot Configuration	Create .github/copilot-instructions.md and chatmodes
Autoplans: Initialize .autoplans Folder	Generate .autoplans/ documentation structure
Autoplans: Sync Project to Repository	Update both .github/ and .autoplans/ folders

AI Integration Commands

Command	Description
Autoplans: Request AI Agent	Request AI assistance for current project
Autoplans: Open AI Chat	Launch conversational task interface

Developer Commands

Command	Description
Autoplans: List Available Tools	Show all registered Language Model Tools
Autoplans: Debug Registered Tools	Troubleshoot tool registration

🎨 Screenshots

Sidebar Tree View

Visual project and task management:

• 📋 Hierarchical Structure - Projects with expandable task lists
• 🏷️ Status Icons - ⏳ Pending, 🔄 In Progress, ✅ Completed, ⛔ Blocked, ⏸️ Waiting for Review
• 📊 Task Counts - Progress indicators on each project
• 🖱️ Context Menus - Right-click for quick actions
• 🔄 Auto-Refresh - Keep data synchronized

Chat Interface

Conversational AI task management:

@autoplans I found a bug in the authentication system, 
create a critical task to fix it

✅ Created task "Fix authentication bug" with priority: critical

AI-Generated Documentation

.github/copilot-instructions.md - Intelligent project-specific instructions:

• � Architecture overview from your actual code structure
• 🔄 Development workflows extracted from conventions
• 📝 Project-specific patterns and best practices
• 🎯 Task management integration for context-aware AI
• 🤖 Auto-generated by analyzing your codebase

.autoplans/ Structure:

.autoplans/
├── README.md              # Project overview
├── architecture.md        # System design
├── tasks.md              # Task list (markdown)
└── tasks/
    ├── task-001.md       # Individual task docs
    └── task-002.md

Context Menus

Project Context Menu:

• 📊 Show Project Details
• 🌐 Open in Browser
• 💬 Open AI Chat
• ➕ Create Task
• ⚙️ Generate Copilot Config
• 📂 Initialize .autoplans Folder
• 🔄 Sync Project to Repository

Task Context Menu:

• 📄 Show Task Details
• ✏️ Update Status/Priority
• 🌐 Open in Browser

⚙️ Configuration

Settings

{
  // MCP API Endpoint (default: production)
  "autoplans.mcpEndpoint": "https://autoplans.dev/api/v1/mcp",
  
  // For local development
  // "autoplans.mcpEndpoint": "http://localhost:3000/api/v1/mcp"
}

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Windows/Linux	macOS
Open Chat	Ctrl+Alt+I	Cmd+Alt+I
Command Palette	Ctrl+Shift+P	Cmd+Shift+P

Language Model Tools Configuration

All 19 Language Model Tools are automatically registered and available to:

• GitHub Copilot Chat
• Cursor AI
• Windsurf AI
• Cline AI Assistant
• Any VS Code AI extension using the Language Model Tools API

Available Tool Tags:

• autoplans - Core autoplans functionality
• projects - Project management
• tasks - Task operations
• business - Business planning
• branding - Brand identity
• sync - Documentation synchronization
• copilot - GitHub Copilot integration
• github - GitHub repository operations

🤝 Integration with AI Tools

GitHub Copilot

✅ Full Integration:

• Custom .github/copilot-instructions.md generation
• Project-specific chatmodes in .github/chatmodes/Autoplanner.chatmode.md
• 19 Language Model Tools accessible via @autoplans chat participant
• Task-aware code suggestions with project context
• Automatic convention discovery from your codebase

Usage:

@autoplans create a feature for user authentication
@autoplans list pending tasks
@autoplans generate copilot config

Cursor

✅ Seamless Integration:

• Reads .cursorrules for project conventions
• Syncs with Cursor's AI context automatically
• All Language Model Tools available in Cursor Chat
• Compatible with Cursor's composer mode
• Project structure understanding from .autoplans/ docs

Auto-Discovery: Extension scans for .cursorrules when generating Copilot instructions.

Windsurf

✅ Native Support:

• Integrates with .windsurfrules configuration
• Shares project knowledge and conventions
• Language Model Tools accessible in Windsurf AI
• Documentation sync keeps Windsurf context fresh

Auto-Discovery: Extension reads .windsurfrules during setup.

Cline

✅ Full Compatibility:

• Works with .clinerules conventions
• Unified AI workspace across tools
• All 19 tools available to Cline agent
• Task management integrated with Cline workflows

Auto-Discovery: Automatically includes .clinerules in analysis.

Other AI Tools

Works with any VS Code extension that supports:

• Language Model Tools API (vscode.lm.tools)
• Chat Participants API
• Extension-provided AI context

📚 Documentation

• Chat Guide - Complete guide to using @autoplans chat
• Developer Guide - Contributing and development setup
• Quick Start - Get productive in 5 minutes
• Changelog - Version history and updates

🔒 Privacy & Security

• ✅ Local-First - Project detection works offline
• ✅ Secure Storage - API keys encrypted in VS Code secrets
• ✅ No Telemetry - We don't track your usage
• ✅ Open Source - Inspect the code yourself

🐛 Troubleshooting

API Key Issues

# Test your connection
> Autoplans: Test Connection

# Common fixes:
1. Verify key starts with 'apk_live_'
2. Generate new key at autoplans.dev/dashboard/settings
3. Re-run: Autoplans: Set API Key
4. Check API endpoint in settings (should be https://autoplans.dev/api/v1/mcp)

Connection Problems

Symptoms: "Connection Failed" or timeout errors

Solutions:

1. Check internet connection
2. Verify autoplans.mcpEndpoint setting:
   • Open Settings → Extensions → Autoplans.dev
   • Default: https://autoplans.dev/api/v1/mcp
3. Try accessing autoplans.dev in browser
4. Check firewall/proxy settings
5. View logs: Help → Toggle Developer Tools → Console

Projects Not Loading

Symptoms: Empty sidebar or "No projects found"

Solutions:

1. Click refresh icon (🔄) in sidebar
2. Run > Autoplans: Refresh from Command Palette
3. Verify you have projects at autoplans.dev/dashboard
4. Check API key is valid with > Autoplans: Test Connection
5. Check Developer Console for errors

Chat Participant Not Responding

Symptoms: @autoplans doesn't respond

Solutions:

1. Verify extension is activated (check sidebar icon)
2. Try: @autoplans help
3. Restart VS Code
4. Check extension is enabled: Extensions → Autoplans.dev
5. View activation logs in Output panel → Autoplans

Language Model Tools Not Available

Symptoms: Tools not showing in Copilot or other AI assistants

Solutions:

1. Run > Autoplans: List Available Tools (should show 19 tools)
2. Run > Autoplans: Debug Registered Tools for diagnostics
3. Ensure VS Code version is 1.80.0 or higher
4. Restart VS Code after installation
5. Check AI tool supports Language Model Tools API

Documentation Generation Fails

Symptoms: Copilot config or .autoplans folder not created

Solutions:

1. Ensure you have write permissions in workspace
2. Check workspace is a valid folder (not untitled)
3. Verify project exists with > Autoplans: List Projects
4. Try manual commands:
   • > Autoplans: Generate Copilot Configuration
   • > Autoplans: Initialize .autoplans Folder
5. Check Output panel for error details

Performance Issues

Symptoms: Slow loading or freezing

Solutions:

1. Reduce project count (archive old projects)
2. Clear VS Code cache: Close VS Code → Delete ~/.vscode/ cache
3. Check network latency to autoplans.dev
4. Disable auto-refresh if on slow connection
5. Use local-first mode when offline

🗺️ Roadmap

Version 0.2.0 (Coming Soon)

• [ ] 🌐 VS Code Marketplace publication
• [ ] 📊 Task analytics and productivity insights
• [ ] 🔔 Desktop notifications for task updates
• [ ] 🎨 Customizable status icons and colors

Version 0.3.0 (Planned)

• [ ] 💾 Offline mode with local SQLite database
• [ ] 🔄 Real-time sync with WebSockets
• [ ] 📱 Mobile companion app integration
• [ ] 🤝 Multi-workspace support

Version 0.4.0 (Future)

• [ ] 🔗 GitHub PR/Issue integration
• [ ] 💬 Slack and Discord notifications
• [ ] 👥 Team collaboration features
• [ ] ⏱️ Time tracking and estimates
• [ ] 📅 Calendar view for deadlines
• [ ] 🎯 Milestone tracking
• [ ] 📈 Burndown charts

Community Requests

Vote on features at GitHub Discussions

Current Version: 0.1.9

Latest Changes:

• ✅ 19 Language Model Tools
• ✅ AI Chat Participant with conversation history
• ✅ Intelligent project detection from workspace
• ✅ User confirmation workflow for project operations
• ✅ AI-powered Copilot instructions generation
• ✅ Business plan and branding management
• ✅ Bulk task operations
• ✅ Complete sync commands

🤝 Contributing

We welcome contributions! See DEVELOPER.md for setup instructions.

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE.txt

🔗 Links

• Website: autoplans.dev
• Dashboard: autoplans.dev/dashboard
• Documentation: docs.autoplans.dev
• GitHub: github.com/mohamedgb00714/autoplans.dev

💬 Support

• 📧 Email: support@autoplans.dev
• 💬 Chat: Available in dashboard
• 🐛 Issues: GitHub Issues

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Made with ❤️ for developers who code with AI

Autoplans.dev - Your AI-powered development companion in VS Code