Claude Code Terminal Tabs

Browser-like hotkeys and reliable focus for terminals running Claude Code in VS Code.

Why?

If you have multiple Claude Code sessions running in separate terminals, switching between them in VS Code is awkward:

No default keyboard shortcut for jumping to terminal N
Switching sometimes leaves focus on a stray quick-pick or palette, not the terminal input
Spawning a fresh Claude session is "toggle panel → new terminal → type claude"

This extension fixes all three.

Features

Browser-like terminal hotkeys

Hotkey (Mac)	Linux/Win	Action
`Cmd+1` … `Cmd+9`	`Ctrl+1..9`	Jump to terminal #1..9
`Cmd+Shift+0`	`Ctrl+Shift+0`	Start a new Claude Code session

Like browser tabs. Cmd+1..9 overrides VS Code's default "focus editor group N" — re-bind in your keybindings.json if you miss it.

Focus bulldozer

When the active terminal changes, the extension:

Closes any open Quick Open / command palette
Forces focus into the terminal input

So you can immediately type into Claude without clicking around. Toggle with claudeCodeTerminalTabs.enforceFocusOnSwitch or run command Claude Code Terminal Tabs: Toggle Enforce Focus On Switch.

One-click new session

Three ways to start a new Claude Code terminal:

Hotkey Cmd+Shift+0
Terminal profile Claude Code in the + ▾ dropdown next to the terminal tab list
Command Palette → Claude Code: New Terminal Session

All three open a terminal in your workspace root and run claude immediately.

Settings

Setting	Default	Description
`claudeCodeTerminalTabs.enforceFocusOnSwitch`	`true`	Force focus into terminal when active terminal changes
`claudeCodeTerminalTabs.dismissQuickPick`	`true`	Close open Quick Open before forcing focus
`claudeCodeTerminalTabs.onlyClaudeTerminals`	`true`	Only act on terminals running Claude Code. Detection: regex on terminal name first; if no match, the terminal's process tree is scanned for a `claude` descendant (cached per terminal). Set `false` to bulldoze every terminal.
`claudeCodeTerminalTabs.claudePattern`	`claude\\|·\\|\\*`	Fast-path regex for detecting Claude terminals by name (case-insensitive). When a terminal name doesn't match, the process tree is scanned as fallback.
`claudeCodeTerminalTabs.launchCommand`	`claude`	Command run by the New Session action

Commands

Claude Code: New Terminal Session — open new terminal and run Claude
Focus Active Terminal — manual focus bulldozer
Toggle Enforce Focus On Switch — flip the auto-focus setting

Installation

Build from source

npm install
npx vsce package
code --install-extension claude-code-terminal-tabs-*.vsix

Caveats

The terminal profile uses an exec-trick (claude; exec $SHELL -i) so the terminal stays alive after Claude exits. Works on bash / zsh. On other shells (fish, nu) behavior may differ.
Cmd+1..9 will shadow VS Code's editor-group focus shortcuts. To restore them, add negated overrides in your user keybindings.json:
```
{ "key": "cmd+1", "command": "-workbench.action.terminal.focusAtIndex1" }
```
Inline icon in the terminal toolbar (next to + ▾) is not added — VS Code's public extension API doesn't expose that surface.

License

MIT

Claude Code Terminal Tabs

Foxy BOA

Claude Code Terminal Tabs

Why?

Features

Browser-like terminal hotkeys

Focus bulldozer

One-click new session

Settings

Commands

Installation

Build from source

Caveats

License