OpenClaw VS Code Extension
A full-featured VS Code companion for OpenClaw — chat with any codebase, run security hardening, manage tools, and connect to the OpenClaw gateway, all from the sidebar.
Built by OpenKnot
Screenshots
Single Chat
The sidebar chat view supports file mentions, attachments, and streamed responses in a focused single-thread layout.
Slash Commands
Type / in the composer to open command shortcuts like /explain, /fix, /review, /test, and more.
Multi-Thread Layout
OpenClaw can split the chat into multiple panes so you can work on separate threads side by side.
Features
Chat Panel
An AI chat interface lives in the OpenClaw sidebar. Each message spawns an ephemeral acpx exec session scoped to your workspace — no persistent state, no cleanup.
Slash commands — type / to open the autocomplete dropdown, then pick a command:
| Command |
What it does |
Context injected |
/explain |
Explain code or a concept |
Active selection or file |
/fix |
Find and fix issues |
Diagnostics + code |
/review |
Code review |
Git diff |
/test |
Generate tests |
Active selection or file |
/refactor |
Suggest improvements |
Active selection or file |
/doc |
Generate documentation |
Active selection or file |
/commit |
Draft a commit message |
Staged changes |
/harden |
Security analysis |
Full file content |
/search |
Search the codebase |
None (free-form query) |
@-mention files — type @ in the input to search and attach workspace files as context. Supports keyboard navigation, mouse selection, and shows open tabs when the query is empty.
File attachments — click the + button to attach any file via the system file picker. Attached files appear as removable pills below the input.
Recommendation chips — context-aware quick-action suggestions that update as you change editors, selections, and diagnostics. Shown before the first message.
Streaming responses — assistant text streams in incrementally with tool-call badges showing which files the agent reads or modifies.
Pop-out — move the chat into a standalone editor panel with full conversation transfer.
Onboarding carousel — a three-slide walkthrough shown on first use, covering codebase chat, security hardening, and setup tips. Persisted in globalState so it only appears once.
Status Bar
- Connection indicator — shows idle, connecting, connected, and error states at a glance.
- One-click connect — runs your configured OpenClaw command in a dedicated terminal.
- Terminal reuse — keeps a single terminal session for quick reconnects.
- Auto-connect — optionally run the command on startup.
Overview Panel
The OpenClaw activity bar container includes an Overview tree with five sections:
| Section |
What's inside |
| Getting Started |
Connect, Setup, Model Setup Wizard |
| Operate |
Status check, Doctor, Update, Reconfigure, Dashboard, Config file |
| Hardening |
Run hardening workflow, Access summary, Security docs |
| Tools |
List tools from ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json, enable/disable, uninstall |
| Help |
Docs link, Refresh view |
Security Hardening
Run OpenClaw: Harden from the Command Palette or the Overview tree to execute openclaw security audit, --fix, and --deep in sequence. The hardening mode is configurable (full, audit only, or audit + fix).
The Access Summary generates a plain-English Markdown report of MCP servers, tools, API key sources, network endpoints, and local files detected from your config and CLI output.
Model Setup Wizard
Run OpenClaw: Model Setup Wizard to:
- Run the onboarding wizard (
openclaw onboard)
- Pick a provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, Ollama, Local Pi RPC, or custom)
- Open your config and auth profile files
- Verify health with
openclaw doctor and openclaw gateway status
Guided Setup
If the CLI is missing, the extension offers install actions automatically. You can also run OpenClaw: Setup from the Command Palette to:
- Install via the platform-specific shell script (macOS/Linux) or PowerShell script (Windows)
- Install Node.js (Homebrew, winget, or apt)
- Install via npm
- Open the installation docs
Legacy CLI names (molt, clawdbot) are detected and the extension prompts to migrate.
Quick Start
1. Install Node.js
Download from nodejs.org — Node 24 recommended (Node 22.16+ also supported).
Verify: node -v shows v22.16 or newer.
2. Install OpenClaw
npm install -g openclaw@latest
Verify: openclaw --help
3. Install acpx (for Chat)
npm install -g acpx
4. Onboard and start the Gateway
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
Verify the Gateway is running:
openclaw gateway status
openclaw dashboard
5. Log in to a channel (optional)
openclaw channels login
6. Use the extension
- Click the OpenClaw status bar item to connect.
- Open the OpenClaw sidebar to chat, browse the overview, or run hardening.
Commands
| Command |
Description |
OpenClaw: Connect |
Run your configured CLI command in a terminal |
OpenClaw: Setup |
Guided install for Node.js and OpenClaw |
OpenClaw: Model Setup Wizard |
Onboarding + provider selection |
OpenClaw: Harden |
Run security hardening workflow |
OpenClaw: Hardening Access Summary |
Generate a plain-English access report |
OpenClaw: Open Chat |
Focus the Chat view in the sidebar |
OpenClaw: Pop Out Chat |
Move chat into a standalone editor panel |
OpenClaw: New Chat Session |
Clear conversation and start fresh |
Configuration
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
openclaw.autoConnect |
false |
Automatically connect on startup |
openclaw.command |
openclaw status |
Command to run when connecting |
openclaw.hardening.mode |
full |
Hardening workflow: full, audit, or auditFix |
openclaw.hardening.command |
openclaw |
Command prefix for hardening |
openclaw.chat.agent |
codex |
Agent for chat sessions (any acpx agent: codex, gemini, opencode, etc.) |
openclaw.chat.permissions |
approve-reads |
Permission mode: approve-reads, approve-all, or deny-all |
Windows + WSL
Set openclaw.command to wsl openclaw status and openclaw.hardening.command to wsl openclaw.
Troubleshooting
"command not found: openclaw"
- Reinstall:
npm install -g openclaw@latest
- Restart your terminal or VS Code
- Or run OpenClaw: Setup for the guided installer
Legacy CLI name (molt or clawdbot)
Update to openclaw:
- Recommended:
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
- npm:
npm install -g openclaw@latest
- Then run:
openclaw doctor
See update docs for full guidance.
"node: command not found" or Node too old
Install from nodejs.org — Node 24 recommended (Node 22.16+ also supported). Verify with node -v.
"acpx not found"
The Chat panel requires acpx installed globally:
npm install -g acpx
Gateway not running
- Check:
openclaw gateway status
- Restart:
openclaw gateway restart
- Dashboard:
openclaw dashboard
No status bar item
- Ensure you are in the Extension Development Host when testing
- Check the Output panel for extension logs
Development
- Install dependencies:
pnpm install
- Compile:
pnpm run compile
- Press F5 to launch the Extension Development Host
- Publish (prepublish + VSCE + Open VSX):
pnpm run publish:all
License
MIT
