ClaudeKei brings Claude into VS Code with a focused, editor-native workflow. It is a personal-use extension built on the Claude Agent SDK and authenticates through your local claude login session.
Requires the Claude Code CLI (claude) installed on your machine: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash (macOS/Linux), irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex (Windows) or npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code. The extension does not bundle it; it is found on your login-shell PATH or in the usual install locations (override with claudekei.claudeExecutablePath).
Status: early scaffold (0.1.0). Sessions run on the Claude Agent SDK; the extension host owns every Claude process and the webviews are subscribers.
Features
Chat directly beside your code
Open sessions in editor tabs
Run Agent Manager comparisons in parallel
Add selected code or files into the composer quickly
Commands
Command
Description
ClaudeKei: Focus Chat
Focus the chat panel
ClaudeKei: New Session
Start a new chat session
ClaudeKei: Open Sidebar
Open the ClaudeKei sidebar
ClaudeKei: Open Agent Manager
Launch parallel multi-model runs
ClaudeKei: Open Session in Editor
Open current or new session in an editor tab
ClaudeKei: Settings
Open extension settings
ClaudeKei: Restart Claude Sessions
Close every live Claude process (they resume on the next message)
ClaudeKei: Show Claude Status
Account, executable, PATH (node for plugin hooks), catalog and live-session diagnostics
ClaudeKei: Claude Login
Open a terminal running claude login with the resolved executable
ClaudeKei: Cycle Primary Agent
Shift+Tab: cycle the main-thread agent (claudekei plugin primary agents)
ClaudeKei: Cycle Permission Mode
default / acceptEdits / plan
ClaudeKei: Dev: Replay Recorded Session Fixture
Replay a recorded session without API cost (Extension Development Host only)
Shortcuts
Cmd+L on macOS / Ctrl+L on Windows/Linux: insert the current selection into the chat composer as a file-range mention
Editor context menu
Select code in the editor, right-click, and use the ClaudeKei submenu:
Add to Context
Explain
Improve Code
Configuration
Setting
Default
Description
claudekei.useApiKey
false
Use ANTHROPIC_API_KEY / ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN instead of the subscription login.
claudekei.claudeExecutablePath
(empty)
Absolute path to a claude executable. Empty = auto-detect the installed claude CLI.
claudekei.maxLiveSessions
3
Max live Claude processes; least recently used idle ones are closed first.
claudekei.idleTimeoutMinutes
10
Close an idle session's process after this many minutes (0 = never).
claudekei.primaryAgents
[]
Order/labels/colors of the primary agents (empty = auto-detect the claudekei plugin agents).
Requirements
VS Code 1.85+
Claude Code CLI installed and logged in on this machine (claude login); the extension does not bundle it
The claudekei Claude Code plugin enabled in ~/.claude/settings.json for primary-agent cycling
License
MIT. Derived from OpenKei / OpenChamber (MIT); original copyright retained in LICENSE.
