RangeLink - One Keybinding. Precise References. Any AI assistant or tool.

"Claude Code today. Cursor AI tomorrow. Different shortcuts, different muscle memory."
RangeLink ends it. One keybinding. Any AI, any tool. Character-level precision. recipes/baking/chickenpie.ts#L3C14-L314C16

Why RangeLink?

Every AI coding assistant has its own way to share code — different shortcuts, different formats, different muscle memory. If you use multiple AI tools, you're constantly context-switching.

RangeLink unifies it:

One keybinding — Cmd+R Cmd+L works with Claude, Copilot, Cursor, terminal tools, text editors. Learn once, use everywhere.
Better precision — Character-level ranges, not just lines. Share exactly what matters.
Universal format — GitHub-style links work in PRs, Slack, docs. Not proprietary.
AI-agnostic — Your workflow doesn't change when you switch AI assistants.

For AI-Assisted Development

Using Claude Code Extension, terminal claude-code, ChatGPT, or Cursor for development? RangeLink eliminates the context-sharing friction:

Select code → Generate link (Cmd+R Cmd+L)
Paste Destination handles delivery → Link appears where your AI can see it
AI reads precise context → No manual copy/paste, no lost focus
AI responds with links → Click to jump directly to code (Cmd+Click in terminal or editor)

Compete with built-in AI features by making external AI assistants feel integrated. You get:

⚡ Zero-friction AI context — Paste destinations auto-send links. No clipboard juggling.
🎯 Choice of AI model — Claude, GPT, Gemini, anything. Not locked into one vendor.
📐 Full control over context — Character-level precision (#L42C10), not just line-level.
🔗 Cross-file context — Generate links from multiple files, paste all in one prompt.
🌐 Universal compatibility — Works across editors (VSCode, Cursor) and in any text-based tool.

Perfect For

🤖 AI assistants — Claude Code Extension, Cursor AI, terminal claude-code, Copilot with exact context + clickable navigation
💬 Code reviews — "The bug is in api/routes.ts#L215C8-L223C45" (click to view)
👥 Team collaboration — Universal format everyone can use and navigate

Quick Start

Installation

Open VSCode or Cursor
Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
Search for "RangeLink"
Click Install

Basic Usage

Select text in the editor (non-empty selection required)
Press Cmd+R Cmd+L (Mac) or Ctrl+R Ctrl+L (Windows/Linux)
Link copied to clipboard!

Example output:

src/utils/parser.ts#L42C10-L58C25

Note: R then L - the letters stand for Range Link.

Features

🎯 Paste Destinations

The killer feature for AI-assisted workflows: Auto-send generated links to your preferred destination.

RangeLink's unified pattern: All paste destinations share the same seamless workflow—links paste exactly at your insertion point, the destination auto-focuses, and you immediately continue typing. No copy/paste friction, no manual clicking, no context switching. This is what makes RangeLink competitive with integrated AI assistants like Cursor's Cmd+L, but works across any destination and any AI.

Terminal Paste Destination

Bind a terminal to RangeLink, and all generated links auto-paste directly there — even if you switch to other terminals for work.

Perfect for terminal-based AI workflows (claude-code CLI): Links paste exactly at your insertion point in the terminal (not appended at the end), and the terminal auto-focuses so you can immediately continue typing your prompt.

How to use:

Open integrated terminal
Command Palette → "Bind RangeLink to Terminal Destination"
Select code → Generate link → Link pastes at insertion point + terminal focuses automatically

Text Editor Destination

Build AI prompts in any text document before sending to your AI assistant? Bind any text editor as your paste destination—works with untitled files, markdown, code files, notes, anything text-based.

Perfect for complex prompts: Links paste exactly at your insertion point in the bound editor, and the editor auto-focuses so you can immediately continue typing.

How to use:

Split your editor (2+ tab groups) — side-by-side or vertical split
Open scratchpad file in one pane: untitled (Cmd+N / Ctrl+N) or any text file
Command Palette → "Bind RangeLink to Text Editor Destination"
Keep scratchpad visible (active tab in its pane)
Select code in other pane → Generate links → They paste at insertion point + editor focuses automatically

Workflow:

Draft complex prompts - Gather multiple code references in one place (any file type)
Review context - See all links together, validate navigation (Cmd+Click to test)
Iterate on prompts - Edit, rearrange, add notes around links before sending to AI

Requirements:

Split editor (2+ tab groups) - Ensures bound file stays visible while you browse code
Bound file must be topmost tab - Auto-paste only works when it's the active tab in its pane
Text-like files only - Binary files (images, PDFs, archives) are blocked

If bound file is hidden behind other tabs, link copies to clipboard with a reminder to make it active. When you close the bound file, RangeLink auto-unbinds with a notification.

AI Chat Integrations (Claude Code, Cursor AI & GitHub Copilot)

One keybinding to rule them all. AI assistants have their own ways to share code — different shortcuts, different formats, and only work with their AI. RangeLink unifies it all: one keybinding (Cmd+R Cmd+L), character-level precision (not just lines), and works with any AI assistant.

The precision advantage: Most AI code-sharing tools work at line-level precision. RangeLink goes deeper with character-level ranges (#L42C10-L58C25), letting you highlight exactly the function signature, the problematic condition, or that one sneaky semicolon — not the whole block.

Supported AI assistants:

Claude Code Extension — Anthropic's official extension (works in VSCode and Cursor)
Cursor AI — Built into Cursor IDE
GitHub Copilot Chat — GitHub's AI coding assistant

How it works:

Bind your AI assistant: Command Palette → "Bind RangeLink to..."
Select code → Cmd+R Cmd+L → Link auto-pastes into chat
Review and send

One destination at a time: Bind to Claude Code, Cursor AI, terminal, OR text editor. Quick switching: Run a different "Bind to..." command to replace your current binding with confirmation—no need to unbind first.

Click RangeLinks anywhere to jump directly to code — the perfect complement to paste destinations.

Any RangeLink in your terminal becomes clickable — whether from claude-code responses, your own links you're validating before sending, or references shared by teammates:

Cmd+Click (Mac) or Ctrl+Click (Windows/Linux) to navigate
Instant file opening with precise caret positioning
Works with all formats: single-line, ranges, columns, rectangular selections
Smart path resolution: workspace-relative and absolute paths supported

Example: AI suggests checking src/auth.ts#L42C10-L58C25 → Click → VSCode opens file at exact selection.

RangeLinks in editor files (markdown, text, code, untitled) are also clickable:

Hover to see navigation details
Cmd+Click to jump to code
Perfect for scratchpads - Validate links before sending to claude-code

🔗 Flexible Link Formats

Single line: src/file.ts#L42
Line ranges: src/file.ts#L10-L25
Column precision: src/file.ts#L42C6-L42C15
Rectangular selections: src/file.ts##L10C5-L20C10 (double hash)

📦 Portable Links (BYOD)

Share code references with teammates who use different delimiter configurations. Portable links embed metadata so they work everywhere — no coordination needed.

path#L10C5-L20C10~#~L~-~C~

The ~ separator marks embedded delimiters that override recipient's local settings. No coordination needed — links just work.

Learn more: Monorepo docs → BYOD Guide

Commands

All commands are available via keyboard shortcuts, Command Palette, and right-click context menu:

Command	Shortcut (Mac)	Shortcut (Win/Linux)	Description
Copy Range Link	`Cmd+R Cmd+L`	`Ctrl+R Ctrl+L`	Create relative path link
Copy Range Link (Absolute)	`Cmd+R Cmd+Shift+L`	`Ctrl+R Ctrl+Shift+L`	Create absolute path link
Copy Portable Link	`Cmd+R Cmd+P`	`Ctrl+R Ctrl+P`	Create BYOD portable link
Copy Portable Link (Absolute)	`Cmd+R Cmd+Shift+P`	`Ctrl+R Ctrl+Shift+P`	Create absolute BYOD link
Copy Range Link (Clipboard Only)	`Cmd+R Cmd+C`	`Ctrl+R Ctrl+C`	Copy link to clipboard only (skip bound destination)
Copy Range Link (Clipboard Only, Absolute)	`Cmd+R Cmd+Shift+C`	`Ctrl+R Ctrl+Shift+C`	Copy absolute path link to clipboard only
Paste Selected Text to Bound Destination	`Cmd+R Cmd+V`	`Ctrl+R Ctrl+V`	Send selected text directly to bound destination
Jump to Bound Destination	`Cmd+R Cmd+J`	`Ctrl+R Ctrl+J`	Focus your currently bound paste destination
Bind RangeLink to Claude Code Destination	—	—	Auto-send links to Claude Code chat
Bind RangeLink to Cursor AI Destination	—	—	Auto-send links to Cursor AI chat
Bind RangeLink to GitHub Copilot Chat Destination	—	—	Auto-send links to Copilot Chat
Bind RangeLink to Terminal Destination	—	—	Auto-send links to integrated terminal for AI workflows
Bind RangeLink to Text Editor Destination	—	—	Auto-paste links at insertion point in bound text editor
Unbind Destination	—	—	Stop auto-sending links to bound destination
Show Version Info	—	—	Display version and build info

Customizing Shortcuts: Press Cmd+K Cmd+S (Mac) or Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (Win/Linux) to open Keyboard Shortcuts, then search for "RangeLink".

Configuration

Customize delimiters in VSCode settings (Preferences > Settings > search "rangelink"):

{
  "rangelink.delimiterLine": "L",
  "rangelink.delimiterPosition": "C",
  "rangelink.delimiterHash": "#",
  "rangelink.delimiterRange": "-"
}

Validation Rules:

Delimiters cannot contain digits
Delimiters cannot be empty
All delimiters must be unique
Reserved characters (~, |, /, \, :, ,, @) cannot be used

Invalid configurations will fall back to defaults with a warning in the output channel (Cmd+Shift+U / Ctrl+Shift+U, select "RangeLink"). See DEVELOPMENT.md for details.

Full configuration guide →

What's Next

RangeLink is under active development. See the full roadmap for planned features and other editor integrations.

Requirements

VSCode or Cursor version 1.49.0 or higher

Known Issues

If you find a bug, please report it.

When filing a bug report, please include:

Extension version: Command Palette → "RangeLink: Show Version Info"
IDE: VSCode or Cursor (with version number)
Operating system: e.g., macOS 14.0, Windows 11, Ubuntu 22.04
Extension logs: Open Output panel (Cmd+Shift+U / Ctrl+Shift+U), select "RangeLink", copy relevant logs. More details →

Featured In

The most recent posts are at the top.

RangeLink v0.3.0: One Keybinding to Rule Them All - DEV Community
I Built a VS Code Extension to Stop the Copy-Paste Madness - DEV Community

About

RangeLink is a monorepo project with:

rangelink-vscode-extension - This VSCode extension (you are here)
rangelink-core-ts - Pure TypeScript core library (platform-agnostic)
More plugins coming - Neovim, Sublime Text, and more

The extension is a thin wrapper around the core library, ensuring consistent behavior across all editor integrations.

Want to Learn More?

Curious about how RangeLink came to be or want to contribute?

📖 Project Origin Story - Why RangeLink exists (spoiler: claude-code changed everything)
🐔 About the Logo - Free-range chickens, precision, and Pi (yes, really)
🏗️ Architecture & Monorepo - How it's built and organized
🤝 Contributing Guide - Help make RangeLink even better
🗺️ Roadmap - What's coming next (enhanced navigation, multi-range support, and more!)

License

MIT - see LICENSE file for details.

Made with ❤️ for developers who love precision

RangeLink

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