Git Vault
Git Vault is a VS Code / Cursor extension that automatically builds a personal knowledge base of Git commands from your shell history — so you never have to search ChatGPT or Google for the same Git commands again.
Features
- Automatic detection — Monitors your shell history for new
git commands
- Smart prompts — Save, ignore, or permanently disable prompts for new commands
- Searchable sidebar — Browse, search, and reuse saved commands from the Activity Bar
- Rich actions — Copy to clipboard, run in terminal, edit descriptions/tags, delete
- Grouping — View commands by all, recently used, most used, or tags
- Import / Export — Bulk import from history or JSON files; export your vault anytime
- 100% local — All data stored in VS Code
globalState; nothing leaves your machine
Requirements
- macOS with zsh (primary target)
- VS Code
^1.85.0 or Cursor IDE
Extension Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
gitVault.scanInterval |
30 |
Seconds between shell history scans (minimum 5) |
gitVault.enableNotifications |
true |
Show notifications when new Git commands are detected |
gitVault.autoImportHistory |
true |
Prompt to import existing Git commands on first activation |
gitVault.neverAskAgain |
false |
Disable all save prompts for newly detected commands |
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Git Vault: Search Commands |
Filter sidebar by command, description, or tags |
Git Vault: Import History |
Import unique Git commands from shell history |
Git Vault: Copy Command |
Copy a saved command to clipboard |
Git Vault: Run Command |
Execute a saved command in the integrated terminal |
Git Vault: Edit Command |
Edit description and tags |
Git Vault: Delete Command |
Delete a saved command (with confirmation) |
Git Vault: Refresh |
Refresh the sidebar and history scan |
Git Vault: Export Commands |
Export commands to a JSON file |
Git Vault: Import Commands |
Import commands from a JSON file |
Git Vault: Group: All Commands |
Show all saved commands |
Git Vault: Group: Recently Used |
Sort by last used date |
Git Vault: Group: Most Used |
Sort by usage count |
Git Vault: Group: Tags |
Group commands by tags |
Install
For users (one-click install)
- Open Extensions in VS Code or Cursor (
Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
- Search for Git Vault
- Click Install
Works in both VS Code and Cursor. Updates install automatically.
Manual install (VSIX)
Download the latest .vsix from GitHub Releases, then:
Cmd+Shift+P → Extensions: Install from VSIX... → select the file → Reload Window.
Development
npm install
npm run compile
Open this folder in Cursor/VS Code and press F5 to launch an Extension Development Host.
npm run watch # TypeScript watch mode
npm run package # Build .vsix package
npm run publish # Publish to VS Code Marketplace (publisher login required)
Publish to Marketplace (for maintainers)
- Create a publisher at marketplace.visualstudio.com/manage — use ID
ChiragTak (must match publisher in package.json)
- Create a Personal Access Token with Custom defined scope → Marketplace → Manage
- Login and publish:
npx vsce login ChiragTak
npm run publish
After publishing, users can search Git Vault in Extensions and install normally.
Supported Shell History Files
| Platform |
Shell |
History File |
| macOS |
zsh |
~/.zsh_history |
| macOS/Linux |
bash |
~/.bash_history |
| Windows |
PowerShell |
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\PSReadLine\ConsoleHost_history.txt |
Data Storage
Commands are stored under the key gitVault.commands in extension global state:
{
"id": "uuid",
"command": "git reset --soft HEAD~1",
"description": "Undo the last commit but keep changes staged.",
"createdAt": "2026-06-11T12:00:00.000Z",
"lastUsedAt": "2026-06-11T12:00:00.000Z",
"usageCount": 1,
"tags": []
}
License
MIT — see LICENSE.
