Claude Model Provider Extension for VS Code

This Visual Studio Code extension contributes language models that can be used in the chat view and also by other extensions that allow selecting language models.

Why?

Adding your Anthropic API key directly in Visual Studio Code only allows using Claude models from the Chat sidebar. Trying to use the models from another extension will produce system: text content blocks must be non-empty errors.

This extension allows using Claude models from other extensions like LGTM as well.

Models

Models are fetched from the Anthropic API, so newer models such as Claude Opus 4.8 and Sonnet 5 are available automatically, without an extension update.

Use in Chat

Extension-provided language models may not be visible in the chat model picker. Use the Chat: Manage Language Models command to list all models, and toggle visibility for the model(s) you want.

Note: If you only want to use Claude in the Chat view, you don't need this extension. Visual Studio Code's built-in "bring your own key" (BYOK) support should work. (Open the Chat: Manage Language Models command and click Add Models > Anthropic)

Setup

The extension will prompt you to enter your API key when you first use it. It's recommended to generate a new key from the Claude Console.

To change your key later, run the Claude Model Provider: Reset API Key command from the Command Palette.

Disclaimer

This extension is not associated with Anthropic. It's an independent project that uses Anthropic's API.

Usage is billed to your own account at standard API rates.

Support

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.