IdeaLift for VS Code
Capture ideas directly from your code editor without context switching.
Features
Quick Capture (Cmd+Shift+I / Ctrl+Shift+I)
Select text and capture it as an idea with one keyboard shortcut. Includes file path and line number as context.
TODO Scanner
Scan your codebase for TODO, FIXME, HACK, IDEA, and BUG comments and push them to IdeaLift as ideas.
CodeLens Integration
See inline "Push to IdeaLift" buttons above your TODO comments.
View your workspace ideas, TODOs, and GitHub backlog directly in VS Code. The IdeaLift sidebar includes three panels:
- Ideas - Your captured ideas from all sources
- TODOs in Workspace - Scanned TODO comments from your codebase
- GitHub Backlog - Prioritized issues from your connected GitHub repository
GitHub Backlog
View and prioritize your GitHub issues directly in VS Code. Issues are automatically analyzed and organized by:
- Priority (1-5 scale) - Based on labels, age, and content analysis
- Effort (XS, S, M, L, XL) - Estimated implementation effort
- Quick Wins - High-value, low-effort issues
- Stale Issues - Issues that may need attention or closure
Getting Started
- Install the extension
- Run
IdeaLift: Configure API Key from the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P)
- Enter your API key from IdeaLift Dashboard > Integrations
Commands
| Command |
Description |
IdeaLift: Capture Idea |
Capture selected text as an idea |
IdeaLift: Scan TODOs in Workspace |
Find all TODO comments in your workspace |
IdeaLift: Scan TODOs in Current File |
Find TODO comments in the current file |
IdeaLift: Configure API Key |
Set your IdeaLift API key |
IdeaLift: Refresh Ideas |
Reload ideas from your workspace |
IdeaLift: Refresh Backlog |
Reload GitHub issues from your repository |
IdeaLift: Toggle Backlog View |
Switch between grouped and priority views |
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
idealift.apiKey |
- |
Your IdeaLift API key |
idealift.todoPatterns |
["TODO", "FIXME", "HACK", "IDEA", "BUG", "XXX"] |
Comment patterns to scan for |
idealift.excludePatterns |
["**/node_modules/**", "**/dist/**"] |
Glob patterns to exclude from scanning |
idealift.autoScan |
false |
Automatically scan for TODOs on file save |
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut |
Command |
Cmd+Shift+I (Mac) / Ctrl+Shift+I (Win/Linux) |
Capture Idea |
Support
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