Claude Code Settings Helper
VS Code extension providing IntelliSense, JSON schema validation, and settings override visualization for Claude Code configuration files.
Features
IntelliSense & Autocomplete
Get intelligent suggestions for all Claude Code settings as you type, including:
- Model configuration
- Permission rules (
allow, deny, ask)
- Sandbox settings
- Hooks configuration
- MCP server settings
- Environment variables
- And more
JSON Schema Validation
Instant validation against the Claude Code settings schema with helpful error messages for:
- Invalid property names
- Incorrect value types
- Missing required fields
- Deprecated settings
Override Visualization
Claude Code settings follow a precedence hierarchy. This extension shows you:
- Which settings are being overridden by higher-precedence files
- Which settings are overriding lower-precedence files
- The effective value that Claude Code will actually use
CodeLens Indicators
Inline indicators appear above settings to show:
Overrides: User - This setting overrides a value from your user settings
Overridden by: Local - This setting is overridden by a local settings file
Quick Navigation
Jump between settings files at different levels:
- Open user settings (
~/.claude/settings.json)
- Open project settings (
.claude/settings.json)
- Open local settings (
.claude/settings.local.json)
- Navigate directly to where a setting is defined at another level
Hover over any setting to see:
- Current value and level
- Effective value (what Claude Code will use)
- All levels where this setting is defined
- Override chain visualization
Settings Hierarchy
Claude Code settings are loaded from multiple locations with the following precedence (highest to lowest):
| Level |
Location |
Description |
| Enterprise |
System-wide managed settings |
IT-managed configuration (read-only) |
| Local |
.claude/settings.local.json |
Machine-specific project settings (gitignored) |
| Project |
.claude/settings.json |
Shared project settings (committed to repo) |
| User |
~/.claude/settings.json |
Personal user defaults |
| Legacy |
~/.claude.json |
Legacy user settings format |
Higher-precedence settings override lower-precedence ones. For example, a setting in settings.local.json will override the same setting in settings.json.
Installation
From VSIX
- Download the
.vsix file from releases
- In VS Code, open the Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
- Run
Extensions: Install from VSIX...
- Select the downloaded file
From Source
git clone https://github.com/your-username/vscode-claude-settings-schema-helper.git
cd vscode-claude-settings-schema-helper
npm install
npm run compile
Then press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host.
Usage
The extension activates automatically when you open any Claude Code settings file:
.claude/settings.json
.claude/settings.local.json
~/.claude/settings.json
~/.claude.json
Commands
Access these commands via the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):
| Command |
Description |
Claude Settings: Open User Settings |
Open ~/.claude/settings.json |
Claude Settings: Open Project Settings |
Open .claude/settings.json in workspace |
Claude Settings: Open Local Settings |
Open .claude/settings.local.json in workspace |
Claude Settings: Open Legacy User Settings |
Open ~/.claude.json |
Claude Settings: Go to User Setting |
Navigate to setting definition in user file |
Claude Settings: Go to Project Setting |
Navigate to setting definition in project file |
Claude Settings: Go to Local Setting |
Navigate to setting definition in local file |
Claude Settings: Show Setting at All Levels |
Show where a setting is defined across all levels |
Extension Settings
Configure the extension behavior in VS Code settings:
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
claudeSettings.showOverrideCodeLens |
true |
Show CodeLens indicators for settings that override or are overridden |
claudeSettings.showOverrideDecorations |
true |
Show inline decorations for override status |
Supported Settings
The extension provides IntelliSense for all Claude Code settings including:
model - Override the default Claude model
permissions - Configure tool permissions (allow, deny, ask, defaultMode)
sandbox - Bash command sandboxing configuration
hooks - Pre/post tool execution hooks
env - Environment variables
attribution - Commit and PR attribution settings
mcpServers - MCP server configuration
enabledPlugins - Plugin management
- And many more...
See the Claude Code documentation for complete settings reference.
Requirements
- VS Code 1.85.0 or higher
- Claude Code CLI (for the settings to have effect)
Development
Building
npm install
npm run compile
Watching for Changes
npm run watch
Linting
npm run lint
Testing
npm test
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit issues and pull requests.
License
MIT