AI Relay for VS Code

Your Gemini models in GitHub Copilot

With this extension installed, the models of your Gemini connection — a Vertex deployment behind an Apigee gateway, a Vertex project or a Gemini API key — appear in GitHub Copilot Chat's model picker (VS Code 1.104+). Copilot keeps working as usual, agent mode included; the model answering is your Gemini.

1. Set up the connection once: AI Relay: Set Up an Agent → Gemini (or airelay gemini setup in a terminal).
2. In Copilot Chat's model picker choose Manage Models and enable the AI Relay models.

The extension starts the CLI's model server (airelay serve) itself, on a free local port, and stops it with VS Code. Your Copilot plan must allow outside models (an administrator can turn this off on Business and Enterprise). More, including other clients: airelay serve.

The AI Relay chat panel

Four coding agents over your project in one panel, laid out like GitHub Copilot Chat — your own accounts, the agent, mode and model picked in the composer, each agent in its own colour.

• Live model lists: each agent says which models it has, so new ones appear without an update; GitHub Copilot's show their premium cost (1x, 15x).
• Usage under the composer: Claude's 5-hour and weekly limits, GitHub Copilot's monthly allowance, Gemini's tokens and cost — with reset times.
• The same token use as the official tools: Claude and GitHub Copilot run through their own CLIs.
• The agents read, search, edit and run commands across the whole workspace; every tool call streams into the transcript, every edit is a diff with Revert, and you choose: read only, ask first, auto-edit or full auto.
• The editor's file and selected lines go with your message; @ adds files, # skills, / commands; personas, images and MCP servers too.

Setup

1. Have Java 21 or newer, or install the airelay command. The extension bundles the CLI and runs it on a Java it finds (JAVA_HOME, the system's JDKs, PATH); with no Java, install the command — the extension is a front-end for it and needs it on your machine. No Java required; see Install: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Chelayel/ai-relay/main/packaging/install.sh | sh on macOS/Linux, irm …/install.ps1 | iex on Windows, or an installer from the releases page. If it isn't on your PATH, set airelay.path.
2. For Gemini, Copilot or web search, run AI Relay: Set Up an Agent (command palette, or the ⚙ button in the panel): pick the connection, answer a few input boxes — keys are masked — and it is saved to ~/.airelay/config.properties, readable only by you and shared with the command line and the IntelliJ plugin. Copilot's default is browser mode: a Chrome/Edge tab opens on the first turn and you sign in there. Claude (bonus) needs nothing: it uses the claude CLI's own login.
3. Open the AI Relay view in the activity bar.

Using it

• Enter sends, Shift+Enter adds a line, Esc stops a running turn.
• The + button beside the message box attaches files or folders (they go in as paths the agent reads on demand), lists the skills found (SKILL.md files in .claude/skills, .gemini/skills or .airelay/skills in the project, or ~/.claude/skills) to attach one to the next message, opens the MCP config the CLI reads — creating an empty one if there is none — and reaches the agent settings.
• In the message box, / offers the commands (/model, /mode, /skill, /agent, /resume, /revert, /add-dir), @ picks a file from the workspace, # a skill. A message sent while the agent is busy is queued and goes out when the turn ends; an unsent draft survives a reload. Up in an empty box recalls the last message; Cmd/Ctrl+K opens the + menu.
• Runs of tool calls group under one line, open, each named as an action (Read, Edit, Run, Search) with what came back. A path in a tool row or a diff header opens the file at that line. Code fences have Copy, and Apply when the text names a file. A permission prompt shows the command or the edit it is asking about.
• The header is a coloured agent switch with a health dot; hover the meter for this turn's cost against the session's. The history list has a search box over titles and transcripts. An agent that is not set up shows a setup card instead of an error.
• Every edit the agent makes shows as a diff with a Revert button. The mode dropdown changes how tools run without losing the conversation.
• The ⟲ button lists earlier conversations in this folder; pick one to replay it and, for Claude and Gemini, carry on. The header also has a model picker, and for Claude a context and cost meter.
• The + menu also lists agent personas (.md files in .claude/agents) to adopt for the rest of the conversation.
• Drop files onto the panel, or paste an image into the message box: an image is sent as a picture (Gemini and Claude; Copilot says it cannot take one), a text file goes in with its contents, and a file dragged from the project tree is attached by path.
• The chip under the message box shows the current file, or the selected lines when there is a selection, and follows the editor as you move around. It is attached to the next message; click it to leave it out.
• The permission bar appears when the agent wants to run something in ask mode; Allow runs it once, Always for the rest of the conversation.
• New starts a fresh conversation; switching agent or permission mode does too.

Settings

AI Relay is free. If it saves you time, you can buy me a coffee ☕, or rate it on the Marketplace.

Independent and unofficial — not affiliated with Anthropic, Google or Microsoft. Source and issues: github.com/Chelayel/ai-relay.