VS Code Terminal MCP

A VS Code extension that exposes an MCP (Model Context Protocol) server so AI assistants can list, rename, navigate, create, close, split, and execute commands in your VS Code terminals — using the real VS Code API, not browser automation.

Why this extension?

No existing MCP server provides first-class terminal management inside VS Code. This extension bridges that gap by running a Streamable HTTP MCP server directly inside the VS Code extension host, giving AI agents direct access to vscode.window.terminals.

Tools

Tool	Description
`list_terminals`	List all open terminals with index, name, active status, and shell integration availability
`get_active_terminal`	Get info about the currently focused terminal
`focus_terminal`	Focus (show) a terminal by name or index
`create_terminal`	Create a new terminal with optional name, cwd, and shell path
`rename_terminal`	Rename a terminal by name or index
`close_terminal`	Close (dispose) a terminal by name or index
`send_text_to_terminal`	Send text/command to a terminal, optionally pressing Enter
`split_terminal`	Split a terminal pane from an existing terminal
`hide_terminal`	Hide (collapse) a terminal panel without closing it
`close_all_terminals`	Close all open terminals at once
`run_command`	Run a shell command and capture output (requires shell integration, VS Code 1.93+)

Installation

VS Code Marketplace

or search "Terminal MCP" in the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X).

Open VSX

From VSIX

code --install-extension terminal-automatization-*.vsix

Setup

Once installed, the extension:

Starts an MCP Streamable HTTP server — by default the OS picks a free port (port 0), so there are never port conflicts.
Shows the actual port in the status bar — click it for quick actions.
Can optionally auto-configure .vscode/mcp.json for your MCP client.

Manual MCP configuration

If you need a fixed port, set terminalMcp.port in your settings, then add to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "terminal-automatization": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:<PORT>/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Replace <PORT> with the port shown in the status bar, or your configured port.

Configuration

Setting	Default	Description
`terminalMcp.port`	`0`	HTTP server port (`0` = OS picks a free port). Set a fixed port for external MCP clients.
`terminalMcp.enableHttpServer`	`true`	Start the HTTP server. Disable if you only use VS Code's built-in MCP — frees the port entirely.
`terminalMcp.autoConfigureMcpJson`	`false`	Auto-add entry to `.vscode/mcp.json` on startup.

Commands

Command	Description
`Terminal MCP: Show Status`	Show server status and quick actions
`Terminal MCP: Copy MCP Configuration`	Copy JSON config to clipboard
`Terminal MCP: Add to .vscode/mcp.json`	Write config to workspace mcp.json
`Terminal MCP: Restart Server`	Restart the MCP server

Requirements

VS Code 1.99.0 or higher
For run_command output capture: VS Code 1.93+ with shell integration enabled

License

MIT

Terminal Automatization MCP

davidrsch