Apache Kafka for VS Code (Lenses.io)

Apache Kafka VS Code extension by Lenses.io

Manage your Apache Kafka infrastructure directly from Visual Studio Code

Features • AI-native • Installation • Quick Start • Compare • FAQ • Commands • Settings

What is this?

Lenses.io for VS Code is an enterprise Kafka VS Code extension for teams running Apache Kafka at scale. Connect to your Lenses.io instance to manage multiple Kafka environments, run Kafka SQL queries, administer Kafka Connect connectors and Schema Registry subjects, enforce Kafka governance with IAM, and monitor Kafka DevOps health — all inside Visual Studio Code, Cursor, or any VS Code-compatible editor.

Requires a Lenses.io instance. This is not a direct-to-broker client. If you need to connect raw Kafka clusters without Lenses, see How it compares below. Don't have Lenses yet? Lenses Community Edition is free — no payment or credit card required. Install it locally via Docker in one click from the extension welcome screen.

Key Features

Lenses.io brings the full streaming data platform into your IDE. Connect to multiple Kafka environments, create and query topics, insert messages, manage users, roles and permissions, search across entities, compare configurations, and monitor your Kafka infrastructure — all without leaving VS Code.

⚡ Multi-Kafka environments — Browse, govern, and compare topics, schemas, and connectors across every Kafka environment from one tree
⚡ Environment Creation — Create and provision new Kafka environments with guided workflow
⚡ Topic Creation — Create new Kafka topics with full schema validation and autocompletion
⚡ Topic Insert Messages — Insert messages into topics with schema validation and autocompletion
⚡ Schema Registry — Browse Schema Registry subjects per environment, view schemas in VS Code's native JSON editor, and register new subjects with full schema validation
⚡ Kafka Connectors — Full connector lifecycle management: create, view, edit, start, stop, pause, resume, restart, and delete connectors with YAML-based configuration and connector-class schema validation
⚡ Tree View Navigation — Browse environments, topics, schemas, connectors, and IAM resources
⚡ Topic actions from breadcrumbs — Click the topic segment in the editor breadcrumb (or use Lenses: Topic Actions in the editor title) to run the same commands as the tree topic menu (data snapshot, configuration, insert messages, etc.)
⚡ Kafka SQL in VS Code — Query topics with Data Snapshot or stream live data in real-time
⚡ Favourites & Saved Queries — Favourite topics and save SQL queries for quick access
⚡ Kafka governance (IAM) — Create and manage users, groups, roles, and service accounts
⚡ Configuration Comparison — Compare topics, schemas, groups, and roles across environments
⚡ Kafka DevOps health monitoring — View consumer lag, connector failures, and environment issues in VS Code's Problems panel
⚡ Global Search — Instantly find any entity with fuzzy search (Cmd+Shift+L)
⚡ AI-native Kafka workflows — GitHub Copilot Agent tools for SQL, topics, connectors, schemas, IAM, search, and ops (see AI-native Kafka in VS Code)

AI-native Kafka in VS Code

Lenses.io is the only AI-native Kafka VS Code extension with built-in GitHub Copilot Language Model tools. After connecting, enable agent mode in Copilot Chat and reference extension tools to manage your Kafka platform in natural language — no context switching.

Tool reference	Display name	What it does
`#lensesExtensionSql`	Run Lenses SQL	Opens the SQL editor for an environment and optionally runs a query immediately. Live streaming supported.
`#lensesExtensionDoc`	Open Lenses document	Opens any virtual document in view or edit mode — IAM entities (User, Group, Role, ServiceAccount), Topics, Connectors, Schemas, Provisioning, EnvironmentConfig, EnvironmentCreate, TopicCreate, TopicConfig.
`#lensesExtensionListing`	Open Lenses listing	Opens a listing panel: environments table, topics, schema registry, IAM (users / groups / roles / service accounts), or the SQL Results panel.
`#lensesExtensionTopic`	Topic action	Runs a topic-scoped action: data snapshot, live data, schema view, consumers, configuration, insert messages, compare across environments, open SQL tab, delete topic (with confirmation), create topic, add favourite.
`#lensesExtensionEnv`	Environment action	Switches the active environment, opens environment config or provisioning YAML, creates or deletes an environment (with confirmation), refreshes health.
`#lensesExtensionCompare`	Lenses comparison	Opens comparison wizards (topic config, topic schema, groups, roles) or performs a direct diff between two named entities across environments.
`#lensesExtensionSearch`	Lenses search & index	Opens the global search panel or drives search index actions (rebuild, start/stop/pause/resume indexing, validate, view stats).
`#lensesExtensionOps`	Lenses misc command	Miscellaneous commands: refresh tree/favourites/notifications, stop SQL, clear results, apply/save changes, schema version actions, connector/consumer group ops, notification management.
`#lensesExtensionSchema`	Schema Registry action	Manages schema registry subjects: open, edit, create, delete subject or version, version history, cross-environment comparison, favourites. Specify both versions or both environments for instant diffs without prompts.

Example prompts for Copilot Agent:

"Run a live SQL query on the orders topic in production"
"Compare the user-events topic schema between staging and production"
"Create a new Kafka connector in the dev environment"
"Search for all topics containing 'payment'"

Destructive actions (for example delete topic or environment) still show VS Code confirmation dialogs before executing. Authentication commands are not available as tools. Requires VS Code 1.96+.

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace

Open VS Code
Go to Extensions (Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for "Kafka", "Apache Kafka", or "Lenses.io"
Click Install on Lenses.io — Apache Kafka for VS Code

Also available on Open VSX for Cursor, VSCodium, and other VS Code-compatible editors.

No Lenses instance yet? Click Install Community Edition (Docker) on the welcome screen after install. Community Edition is free — no payment, signup, or credit card required. Docker is the only prerequisite.

From VSIX File

code --install-extension lenses-vscode-x.x.x.vsix

Quick Start

0. Don't have Lenses yet? (free)

Click Install Community Edition (Docker) on the extension welcome screen (or run Lenses: Install Community Edition (Docker) from the Command Palette). Lenses Community Edition is free — no payment or credit card details are required. The extension downloads and runs Lenses locally via Docker Compose, then connects automatically. You only need Docker installed.

1. Connect to Your Lenses Instance

Click the Lenses.io icon in the Activity Bar, then click Connect to Lenses.

Lenses Community Edition (local Docker) — free, no payment or credit card required:

Field	Value
URL	`http://localhost:9991`
Username	`admin`
Password	`admin`

When connecting, choose Community Edition defaults (admin / admin) or Username and password (credentials are pre-filled for localhost:9991). The /api suffix is added automatically — do not append it yourself.

Enterprise / remote Lenses — enter your HQ URL (e.g. https://lenses.your-company.com) and your Lenses username and password.

For OAuth instead of username/password:

Run Lenses: Sign in with OAuth (browser) from the Command Palette or welcome screen.
On the Lenses server — enable OAuth 2.0 / Authorization Server metadata (OAuth 2.1 docs). Ensure GET /.well-known/oauth-authorization-server is reachable.
Dynamic client registration (recommended) — if your server exposes registration_endpoint, the extension registers automatically; no VS Code settings needed.
Without DCR — register an OAuth client on your Lenses server and set in VS Code Settings (Cmd+,):
- lenses.oauthClientId — your client ID
- lenses.oauthClientSecret — optional, for confidential clients
- Redirect URI to register: vscode://lensesio.lenses-vscode/sso/callback

Community Edition local installs typically use admin / admin rather than OAuth.

2. Explore the Tree View

Once connected, you'll see your Kafka infrastructure organized in a tree:

Environments — See all your connected Kafka environments with their health status at a glance
All Topics — Browse topics across every environment in one place
IAM — Manage users, groups, roles, and service accounts from a single tree

How it compares

Choosing a Kafka VS Code extension depends on your setup. Lenses.io targets enterprise teams that already run (or plan to run) the Lenses platform for multi-Kafka governance, SQL, and operations.

Capability	Tools for Apache Kafka	Confluent for VS Code	Lenses.io for VS Code
Connect to raw Kafka brokers	✅ Direct	✅ Direct / Confluent Cloud	Via Lenses agent
Multi-environment governance	❌	Partial (Confluent-centric)	✅
Kafka SQL in VS Code	❌	Flink SQL (Confluent)	✅ Lenses SQL
Schema Registry management	✅	✅	✅
Kafka Connect lifecycle	Limited	Partial	✅ Full
IAM / RBAC in IDE	❌	❌	✅
Cross-environment config diff	❌	❌	✅
AI-native Copilot tools	❌	❌	✅
Best for	Local dev, produce/consume	Confluent Cloud / Platform	Enterprise multi-Kafka ops

When to choose Lenses.io

You need…	Lenses.io delivers
Multi-Kafka VS Code workflows across dev, staging, and production	Unified tree, environment switching, cross-env comparison
Kafka SQL VS Code queries with live streaming	Data Snapshot and Live Data over any topic
Kafka connector management in the IDE	Full Connect lifecycle with YAML validation
Kafka governance — users, roles, permissions	IAM entities with schema-validated JSON editors
Kafka DevOps monitoring while coding	Consumer lag, connector health, and environment status in Problems panel
AI-assisted Kafka operations	Nine Copilot Agent tools for SQL, topics, schemas, connectors, and more

Features

Environments Dashboard

View and search all your Kafka environments with status indicators.

Environments

Each environment shows a green or red indicator so you can see at a glance whether the Lenses agent is connected
Click any environment name to explore its topics, schemas, and connectors

Environment Creation

Create new Kafka environments with a guided workflow directly from VS Code.

Environment Creation

Click the "+" icon on Environments or use Command Palette → Lenses: Create Environment
YAML editor for environment profile with full schema validation
After creation, deploy the agent: if your Lenses HQ is local (e.g. localhost or private network), you can run or paste a Docker command, copy the agent key for later, or skip. If you are connected to a remote/cloud HQ, the extension does not offer local Docker (it would not connect); you get a short explanation and can copy the agent key to deploy where your HQ can reach the agent.
When using local Docker from the extension, connection polling runs until the agent connects (or you cancel)
Transition to provisioning configuration once connected

The guided workflow walks you through environment definition and agent handoff; remote setups rely on copying the agent key into your own deployment process.

Topic Creation

Create new Kafka topics directly from VS Code with full schema validation and autocompletion.

Topic Creation

To create a new topic, just click the "+" icon next to the Topics section in the tree, or open the Command Palette and choose Lenses: Create Topic. You'll be taken to a YAML editor with instant schema validation and smart autocompletion to help you fill in details like partitions, replication, and any other Kafka topic settings you need. Once you hit "Create," your new topic will show up in the list right away—even before the backend has fully finished its setup. For best results, give it a moment before working with the topic, as it may take a little time (sometimes a few minutes) for everything to be ready behind the scenes.

Topic Insert Messages

Insert messages directly into Kafka topics with full schema validation and autocompletion.

Topic Insert Messages

To quickly add test messages to any topic, just right-click it and choose Insert Messages. You’ll get an easy-to-use JSON editor that checks your input in real time against the topic's schema. The editor can even generate sample messages for you, based on the topic’s AVRO or JSON schema. You can provide a key, value, and optional headers, then hit the Play button to send your messages. As soon as they’re inserted, you’ll jump straight to a pre-filled SQL query so you can view your new data right away. If there are any issues, errors are shown inline and connected to VS Code’s Problems panel, making fixes simple.

Topics & SQL Queries

Browse and query topics with the integrated SQL editor.

Topics

Data Snapshot — Click directly on any topic or right-click and select Data Snapshot to query historical data with SQL:

SQL Query

SELECT *
FROM my-topic
WHERE _meta.offset >= LAST_OFFSET() - 10
LIMIT 10;

Press Cmd+Enter to run the query or click the Play icon in the top right corner. Results appear in the bottom panel below the editor.

Live Data — For real-time streaming, right-click on a topic and select Live Data. This opens a streaming SQL query panel, continuously showing new records as they arrive.

SELECT *
FROM my-topic

You can stop the stream whenever you like and resume later
Add SQL filters to narrow down what you see in real time
Keep an eye on high-throughput topics, as they can increase memory and CPU usage

Results appear in an interactive data grid in the bottom panel, showing all message fields with sorting and filtering. You can control live data behavior with the lenses.sql.liveData.maxRecords and lenses.sql.liveData.rateWarningEnabled settings.

Topic Configuration

Edit topic configurations directly in VS Code's native JSON editor.

Topic Config

JSON schema validation highlights errors inline as you type
Hover over any property to see its documentation
When you apply changes, only the values you actually modified are sent to the API

Topic Schema

View and manage topic schemas with version history.

Topic Schema

View both key and value schemas for any topic
Browse through previous versions using the version dropdown
Compare any two schema versions side by side to see what changed
Edit schemas directly and apply updates from VS Code

Schema Registry

Browse and manage Schema Registry subjects for each environment, right next to its Topics node in the tree.

Schema Registry

Click the Schema Registry node under any environment to load every subject; the inline icons let you create a new subject (+), refresh the list, or open a full listing webview ($(table)).
Click any subject to view its latest schema directly in VS Code's native JSON editor — no extra panels, full syntax highlighting, foldable AVRO/JSON/Protobuf payloads. Inline CodeLens actions appear above the document to edit, refresh, browse version history, compare versions or environments, and toggle favourites.
Click the + icon (or run Lenses: Create Schema Subject) to open a JSON-Schema-validated template document. Fill in subjectName, format (AVRO / JSON / PROTOBUF), and the schema itself; the editor autocompletes valid options and highlights mistakes inline. Saving the document registers the subject through the Lenses API and immediately opens it for review.
Browse version history for any subject and compare versions side by side using VS Code's native diff editor. Cross-environment comparison lets you spot schema drift between staging and production.
Delete subjects or individual versions from the tree context menu with confirmation prompts.
Schema Registry subjects are included in the global search index — press Cmd+Shift+L to find any subject instantly across environments.

Kafka Connectors

Full Kafka Connect connector management directly from VS Code.

Dual tree navigation — Access connectors both under each environment (Environments > {env} > Connectors) and via the top-level "Apps" group (Apps > Kafka Connectors), which filters environments by those with active Connect clusters and groups connectors by cluster.
View & edit — View connector details as JSON; edit configuration as YAML using the declarative ConnectorsAsCode API. Status-aware icons (green=running, yellow=paused, red=failed) at a glance.
Create connectors — YAML-based creation with JSON Schema validation for required fields and connector-class-specific schemas fetched from the API, matching the hq-ui creation experience.
Full lifecycle — Start, stop, pause, resume, restart, and delete connectors with confirmation dialogs. Available from tree context menus, CodeLens, listing panel bulk actions, and Copilot/chat agents.
Listing panel — Webview panel with table view, status filtering, and bulk lifecycle actions for managing connectors at scale.
Task management — Restart individual connector tasks from the tree view.
Cross-environment diff — Compare connector configurations between environments using VS Code's native diff editor.
Health monitoring — Failed and paused connectors surface in VS Code's Problems panel automatically.

IAM Management

Manage identity and access directly from VS Code.

IAM Users

Users — Create, view, and delete user accounts for your Lenses instance
Groups — Organize users into groups and assign roles to control what each group can access
Roles — Define fine-grained permissions that specify exactly which actions are allowed on which resources
Service Accounts — Manage credentials for API and programmatic access

All IAM entities open in a JSON editor with full schema validation, so you get instant feedback if something is misconfigured. Role names and permissions autocomplete as you type, and changes you make are reflected in real time across any open tabs.

Configuration Comparison

Compare entities across environments using VS Code's native diff editor.

Config Comparison

You can compare topic configurations and schemas (both key and value) across different environments to spot differences between staging and production. For global entities like groups and roles, compare any two side by side regardless of environment.

Start a comparison from the Command Palette or by right-clicking an entity in the tree view.

Health Monitoring

Monitor Kafka infrastructure health in VS Code's Problems panel.

Health Monitoring

Warns you when consumer lag crosses your configured thresholds, so you can catch slow consumers early
Alerts you when a connector fails or enters an unhealthy state
Flags environment connectivity issues if an agent goes offline
Optionally shows real-time toast notifications for critical issues so you don't miss anything while coding

Favourites & Saved Queries

Keep your frequently accessed topics and queries at your fingertips.

Favourites

Topic Favourites — Right-click any topic and choose Add to Favourites to pin it for quick access. Clicking a favourited topic opens a pre-configured SQL query right away, and you can remove favourites with a single click when you no longer need them.

Saved Queries — Save any SQL query you want to reuse by pressing Cmd+Shift+P → Lenses: Save Query, or click the star icon in the SQL editor. Your saved queries appear in the sidebar so you can open them in a new tab with one click, and rename or delete them from the context menu.

All favourites and saved queries sync with your Lenses.io web app, so your workflow carries over seamlessly between platforms.

Global Search

Find any entity instantly with fuzzy search (requires initial indexing; very large environments may take longer to index). You can adjust search behavior, result limits, and other indexing options in the extension's settings.

Press Cmd+Shift+L (Ctrl+Shift+L on Windows/Linux) to open the search panel, then start typing. Results span all your environments, topics, users, and other entities, ranked by relevance. Click any result to navigate directly to that entity in the tree or open its document.

Commands

Access all commands via the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P).

Command	Description
`Lenses: Connect to Instance`	Connect to your Lenses.io API
`Lenses: Sign in with OAuth (browser)`	Connect via OAuth 2.0 browser flow
`Lenses: Search`	Open global fuzzy search
`Lenses: Switch Environment`	Quick switch between environments
`Lenses: Create Environment`	Create a new environment
`Lenses: Create Topic`	Create a new Kafka topic
`Lenses: Save Query`	Save the current SQL query
`Lenses: Compare Topic Configuration`	Compare topic configs across environments
`Lenses: Compare Topic Schema`	Compare topic schemas across environments
`Lenses: Compare Groups`	Compare groups side by side
`Lenses: Compare Roles`	Compare roles side by side
`Lenses: Refresh Health Status`	Refresh health monitoring data
`Lenses: Open SQL Query`	Open a new SQL query editor
`Lenses: Run SQL Query`	Execute the current SQL query
`Lenses: Sign Out`	Disconnect from the Lenses instance

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Cmd+Shift+L`	Global Search
`Cmd+Shift+E`	Switch Environment
`Cmd+Shift+Q`	Open SQL Query
`Cmd+Enter`	Run SQL Query (in SQL editor)

Settings

Configure the extension via VS Code Settings (Cmd+,).

General

Setting	Default	Description
`lenses.apiUrl`	`""`	Base URL for your Lenses.io API
`lenses.oauthClientId`	`""`	OAuth client ID (when dynamic registration is unavailable)

Health Monitoring

Setting	Default	Description
`lenses.health.pollingInterval`	`30000`	Health check interval (ms)
`lenses.health.consumerLagWarningThreshold`	`10000`	Consumer lag warning threshold
`lenses.health.consumerLagErrorThreshold`	`100000`	Consumer lag error threshold
`lenses.health.notifications.enabled`	`false`	Enable toast notifications for critical issues
`lenses.health.notifications.errorOnly`	`false`	Only show error notifications
`lenses.health.notifications.cooldownMs`	`300000`	Notification cooldown (5 min)
`lenses.health.notifications.showInStatusBar`	`true`	Show unread notification count in status bar

Health Checks

Setting	Default	Description
`lenses.health.checks.consumerLag`	`true`	Monitor consumer lag
`lenses.health.checks.connectorStatus`	`true`	Monitor connector status
`lenses.health.checks.environmentStatus`	`true`	Monitor environment health

SQL Queries

Setting	Default	Description
`lenses.sql.liveData.maxRecords`	`5000`	Maximum records for live data streaming (0 = no limit)
`lenses.sql.liveData.rateWarningEnabled`	`true`	Show warning when message rate is high
`lenses.sql.acceptSelfSignedCerts`	`false`	Trust self-signed TLS certificates for SQL connections

Search Index

Setting	Default	Description
`lenses.search.index.enabledEntityTypes`	all types	Entity types to include in search index
`lenses.search.index.autoIndexOnStartup`	`false`	Automatically start indexing when connected
`lenses.search.cache.enabled`	`true`	Persist search index between sessions
`lenses.search.cache.ttlHours`	`24`	Search index cache duration (hours)

Other

Setting	Default	Description
`lenses.yaml.schemaValidation`	`true`	YAML schema validation for provisioning files
`lenses.telemetry.enabled`	`true`	Anonymous usage telemetry (respects VS Code global setting)

Requirements

VS Code version 1.96.0 or higher
A running Lenses.io instance with API access enabled (use the free Community Edition if you don't have one — no payment or credit card required)
Network connectivity between your machine and the Lenses API

Recommended Extensions

YAML — Enhanced YAML editing for environment configuration

Version Compatibility

Important: The extension version must match your Lenses.io API version (minor version compatibility).

Extension Version	Compatible API Version
6.2.x	6.2.y

The extension will check version compatibility when connecting and display a warning if there's a mismatch. While you can continue with mismatched versions, some features may not work correctly.

Example:

Extension 6.2.0 ✅ API 6.2.1 (compatible)
Extension 6.2.0 ⚠️ API 6.1.5 (warning shown)
Extension 6.2.0 ⚠️ API 6.3.0 (warning shown)

What's New

6.2.2 — Schema Registry & Community Edition

Schema Registry — Full subject management: browse, view, create, edit, delete, version history, cross-environment comparison, and CodeLens inline actions
Schema Registry in Copilot — New #lensesExtensionSchema tool for managing schemas from GitHub Copilot Chat with direct-diff support
Schema Registry in Global Search — Subjects are now indexed and searchable alongside topics and other entities
One-click Community Edition — Install Lenses Community Edition via Docker directly from the welcome screen

Previous Highlights (6.2.1)

Live Streaming in Pinned SQL Results — Pinning a live-data query transfers the streaming session to the pinned tab
Actionable Health Notifications — Remediation guidance and CodeLens actions in health documents
Quick Fix Actions in Problems Panel — Lightbulb quick fixes for consumer lag, failed connectors, and disconnected environments
Full Topic Context Menu on Favourites — Favourited topics now show the complete topic action menu

See the CHANGELOG for full release history.

Troubleshooting

Extension Doesn't Load

Ensure VS Code is version 1.96.0 or higher
Check the Output panel (View → Output) and select "Lenses.io" from the dropdown
Try reloading the window (Cmd+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window")

Authentication Fails

Verify your URL points to the correct Lenses instance. The /api suffix is added automatically — use http://localhost:9991 for Community Edition, not …/api.
Community Edition: default credentials are admin / admin. Choose "Community Edition defaults" in the sign-in picker or enter them manually.
Check your username and password for enterprise instances.
Ensure your Lenses instance is accessible from your network (VPN, firewall, Docker running).
OAuth: if browser sign-in fails, confirm OAuth is enabled on Lenses 6.2+, DCR is available or lenses.oauthClientId is set, and redirect URI vscode://lensesio.lenses-vscode/sso/callback is registered. See OAuth 2.1 docs.

Topics Not Loading

Check if the environment has an agent connected (green indicator)
Verify you have permissions to view topics
Try refreshing the node (right-click → Refresh)

FAQ

What is the best VS Code extension for Apache Kafka?

It depends on your setup. For direct broker access and local produce/consume workflows, Tools for Apache Kafka is a popular choice. For Confluent Cloud or Confluent Platform, use Confluent for VS Code. For enterprise multi-Kafka governance, SQL, IAM, connector management, and AI-native Copilot workflows via Lenses.io, use this extension.

Do I need Lenses.io to use this extension?

Yes. This Kafka VS Code extension connects to a running Lenses.io API instance — it does not connect directly to Kafka brokers. If you don't already have Lenses, install Lenses Community Edition locally via Docker from the extension welcome screen. Community Edition is completely free — no payment, account signup, or credit card details are required. Default login: admin / admin at http://localhost:9991.

Is Lenses.io free to use with this extension?

Lenses Community Edition is free. You can install and run it locally via Docker directly from the extension — no payment or credit card required. Enterprise Lenses deployments are a separate paid product for teams that need multi-cluster governance at scale; the extension works with both.

How do I search for this extension in VS Code?

Search the Extensions marketplace for Kafka, Apache Kafka, or Lenses.io. The listing is titled Lenses.io — Apache Kafka for VS Code.

Does this work in Cursor and other VS Code forks?

Yes. Install from the VS Code Marketplace or Open VSX.

Can I use GitHub Copilot to manage Kafka?

Yes. Lenses.io is an AI-native Kafka VS Code extension with nine built-in Copilot Agent tools for SQL queries, topic actions, schema registry, connectors, IAM, search, and operations. Enable agent mode in Copilot Chat after connecting.

For Lenses Community Edition (local Docker at http://localhost:9991): username admin, password admin. The extension offers a one-click Community Edition defaults option in the sign-in picker. Change these credentials in Lenses after first login for production use.

How do I enable OAuth for the extension?

OAuth requires Lenses 6.2+ with OAuth 2.0 configured on your HQ server. See Lenses OAuth 2.1 documentation. In VS Code, use Lenses: Sign in with OAuth (browser). If dynamic client registration is unavailable, set lenses.oauthClientId and register redirect URI vscode://lensesio.lenses-vscode/sso/callback on the server.

How is this different from a Kafka client extension?

Client extensions connect directly to Kafka brokers for produce/consume and cluster exploration. Lenses.io provides a platform-level view: multi-environment governance, Kafka SQL, Schema Registry, Kafka Connect, IAM, health monitoring, and configuration comparison — unified under Lenses' permission model.

Support

Documentation: VS Code Extension Docs · Lenses.io Docs
Issues: GitHub Issues
Lenses.io: lenses.io

License

_{Built with ❤️ by the Lenses.io team}

Lenses.io — Apache Kafka for VS Code

Lenses.io

Apache Kafka for VS Code (Lenses.io)

What is this?

Key Features

AI-native Kafka in VS Code

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace

From VSIX File

Quick Start

0. Don't have Lenses yet? (free)

1. Connect to Your Lenses Instance

OAuth sign-in (Lenses 6.2+)

2. Explore the Tree View

How it compares

When to choose Lenses.io

Features

Environments Dashboard

Environment Creation

Topic Creation

Topic Insert Messages

Topics & SQL Queries

Topic Configuration

Topic Schema

Schema Registry

Kafka Connectors

IAM Management

Configuration Comparison

Health Monitoring

Favourites & Saved Queries

Global Search

Commands

Keyboard Shortcuts

Settings

General

Health Monitoring

Health Checks

SQL Queries

Search Index

Other

Requirements

Recommended Extensions

Version Compatibility

What's New

6.2.2 — Schema Registry & Community Edition

Previous Highlights (6.2.1)

Troubleshooting

Extension Doesn't Load

Authentication Fails

Topics Not Loading

FAQ

What is the best VS Code extension for Apache Kafka?

Do I need Lenses.io to use this extension?

Is Lenses.io free to use with this extension?

How do I search for this extension in VS Code?

Does this work in Cursor and other VS Code forks?

Can I use GitHub Copilot to manage Kafka?

What are the default login credentials?

How do I enable OAuth for the extension?

How is this different from a Kafka client extension?

Support

License