Syncbridge
You're 30 messages deep with Claude. The plan is solid. Now you need to build it
in your editor. So you copy. You paste. You lose half the context. Your editor
doesn't know what Claude knows. And next time you go back to Claude, it doesn't
know what your editor did.
Syncbridge fixes this — automatically, for free, no CLI required.

The Problem
Every developer using AI chat faces the same daily toil:
- AI gives a long response with 5 code blocks — you copy block 1, switch to your editor, paste, switch back, scroll to find block 2, copy, switch, paste, repeat
- You make a change in your editor — you want AI feedback — you copy the code, switch to browser, paste, ask the question
- Your chat gets too long — you start a new one — and re-explain your entire project from scratch
- You use ChatGPT for one thing and Claude for another — context never carries over
- You ask Claude for the plan and Cursor to build it — they never know what the other did
- You use Cursor — it can send terminal output to its own AI chat, but there's no way to send AI chat responses back to your terminal automatically
- You use Copilot or Windsurf — there's no bridge at all between their AI and your browser-based AI chats
This is the copy-paste tax. It compounds every single day.
Syncbridge eliminates it.
Built independently to solve a daily frustration. Turns out even well-funded teams
with dedicated AI editors only solved half this problem. Syncbridge solves both directions
— and works with every AI site, not just one editor's built-in chat.
Who is this for
You don't need a CLI. You don't need a paid subscription. You just need a browser.
| Who |
Pain |
What Syncbridge gives them |
| Developers using free AI chat |
Copy-paste between browser and editor all day |
Auto-copy + one-keystroke inject |
| Students and bootcamp learners |
Re-explaining project context in every new chat |
Context migration in one click |
| Freelancers |
Losing context between client sessions |
Persistent context across chats |
| Multi-model users |
Switching between Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini manually |
Alt+C on one, Alt+V on another |
| Claude Code / Cursor / Copilot CLI users |
AI chat and CLI never in sync |
Full bidirectional auto-sync |
| Cursor users |
Terminal→AI exists in Cursor but AI→terminal is missing |
Completes the missing direction + works with any browser AI |
| Copilot and Windsurf users |
No terminal↔AI bridge at all in browser |
Full bidirectional sync with any AI chat site |
| Content creators and technical writers |
Copy-pasting AI drafts into editors all day |
Auto-copy eliminates the switching |
| Cost-sensitive developers |
Claude Code CLI too expensive |
Chrome extension is completely free |
| VS Code power users |
Always hunting for better AI workflow tools |
Install in 30 seconds, works immediately |
Free forever. No API key. No subscription. No CLI required.
Quick Start
Path A — Chrome extension only (no CLI needed)
- Clone or download this repo
- Go to
chrome://extensions → enable Developer mode → Load unpacked → select chrome-extension/ folder
- Go to any supported AI site — ask something — response auto-copies to clipboard
- Press
Alt+V on any other AI site to inject it
That's it. No VS Code extension needed. No CLI. No setup.
Chrome Web Store version coming soon.
Path B — Full sync (Chrome + VS Code + CLI)
- Install VS Code extension: search "Syncbridge" in Extensions panel
- Load Chrome extension (same as Path A step 2)
- Press
Ctrl+Shift+A (Mac: Cmd+Shift+A) → select your project folder
- Press
Ctrl+Shift+E (Mac: Cmd+Shift+E) → deploy file watcher hook
- Press
Ctrl+Shift+S (Mac: Cmd+Shift+S) → open Syncbridge panel
- Run
claude (or your CLI) from your project folder in terminal
You're ready. Ask your AI something — Syncbridge handles the rest.
What it does
Syncbridge works in two independent layers — use one or both:
Chrome extension only — works for everyone, no CLI needed:
- Auto-copies AI response to clipboard when it finishes
- Alt+C to manually copy, Alt+V to inject into any AI input
- Switch context between Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, Mistral, Perplexity, Copilot with one keystroke
- Green toast confirms copy even when widget is hidden
VS Code extension + Chrome extension — full bidirectional sync:
- AI response auto-copied → one keystroke sends to your CLI instructions file
- CLI runs tasks → VS Code panel shows every action live
- Context migration rebuilds your session for a fresh chat
Supported AI chat interfaces (Chrome extension):
- Claude.ai
- ChatGPT
- Google Gemini
- Perplexity
- Grok (x.ai)
- Mistral
- Microsoft Copilot
Supported coding CLIs (VS Code extension):
- Claude Code (full auto-sync with hooks)
- Cursor
- GitHub Copilot CLI
- Windsurf
- Aider
- Custom (user-defined file names)
Screenshots
The Problem — Manual copy-paste between AI and CLI

The Solution — Syncbridge auto-copies AI responses



Live CLI State — VS Code panel updates in real time as CLI runs

How it works
AI → CLI — Ask your AI something. Chrome extension auto-copies the response when it finishes. Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Mac: Cmd+Shift+X) in VS Code to write it to your instructions file. Run /sync in Claude Code CLI to execute.
CLI → AI — Claude Code CLI runs tasks and the hook auto-updates claude-state.md after every file write and bash command. The VS Code panel shows these updates live. Copy the state and paste into any AI chat to resume with full context.
Context migration — When your chat gets long, click ⟳ Regenerate in the Syncbridge panel. It merges your last instructions and last 10 CLI actions into a structured migration prompt. Paste into a new chat — the AI picks up exactly where you left off.
Architecture
- VS Code extension — sidebar panel, file watcher, status bar, clipboard bridge, project hook deployment
- Chrome extension — floating widget UI, site adapters for each AI platform, auto-copy on response complete
- MCP server — optional Claude Code CLI integration via MCP tools
Installation
VS Code Extension
From Marketplace:
Search "Syncbridge" in the Extensions panel and click Install.
From .vsix file:
code --install-extension syncbridge-0.1.0.vsix
Chrome Extension
Developer mode (available now):
- Download or clone this repo
- Go to
chrome://extensions
- Enable Developer mode
- Click Load unpacked → select
chrome-extension/ folder
Chrome Web Store: Under review — available soon.
MCP Server (Claude Code CLI)
claude mcp add syncbridge npx syncbridge-mcp
Available MCP tools:
update_state — push CLI state to Syncbridge
read_instructions — pull latest AI instructions
get_context — get full merged context
clear_state — reset state for a new session
VS Code Extension
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Syncbridge: Open Panel |
Open the sync panel in column two |
Syncbridge: Send Clipboard to CLI |
Write clipboard content to instructions file |
Syncbridge: Set Active Project |
Set the active project folder |
Syncbridge: Setup Project |
Deploy file watcher hook to current project |
Panel UI
Opens in VS Code's second column. Displays live contents of all three control files with:
- Copy button per file
- ⟳ Regenerate context.md — rebuilds migration prompt from current state
- ⚠ Clear all control files — resets all three files
The panel auto-refreshes whenever the state file changes on disk.
Status Bar
Shows last CLI action in the status bar. Click to open Claude.ai usage page.
Updates automatically when claude-state.md changes — no manual reload needed.
activeCli Setting
Syncbridge adapts control file names based on which CLI you use.
Go to VS Code Settings → search "syncbridge" → set Active CLI:
| Setting |
Instructions file |
State file |
Context file |
| claudecode (default) |
claude-ai.md |
claude-state.md |
claude-context.md |
| cursor |
cursor-ai.md |
cursor-state.md |
cursor-context.md |
| copilot |
copilot-ai.md |
copilot-state.md |
copilot-context.md |
| windsurf |
windsurf-ai.md |
windsurf-state.md |
windsurf-context.md |
| aider |
aider-ai.md |
aider-state.md |
aider-context.md |
| custom |
user-defined |
user-defined |
user-defined |
Non-Claude Code CLIs show an amber banner in the panel — state file must be updated manually for those CLIs.
Chrome Extension
Features
- Slim right-edge floating widget — hover to expand, click tab to pin open
- Draggable vertically along the right edge
- X button on hover removes widget from page — runs silently in background
- Toolbar popup to show/hide floating widget from Chrome extensions bar
- Auto-copies AI response to clipboard when response finishes (one copy per response)
- Green toast notification confirms auto-copy — visible even when widget is hidden
- Site adapters with per-site selectors for reading output and injecting input
Supported Sites
Claude.ai · ChatGPT · Google Gemini · Perplexity · Grok · Mistral · Microsoft Copilot
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut (Windows/Linux) |
Shortcut (Mac) |
Where |
Action |
| Ctrl+Shift+S |
Cmd+Shift+S |
VS Code |
Open Syncbridge panel |
| Ctrl+Shift+X |
Cmd+Shift+X |
VS Code |
Send clipboard to instructions file |
| Ctrl+Shift+A |
Cmd+Shift+A |
VS Code |
Set active project |
| Ctrl+Shift+E |
Cmd+Shift+E |
VS Code |
Setup current project (deploy hook) |
| Alt+C |
Option+C |
Chrome |
Copy AI response to clipboard |
| Alt+V |
Option+V |
Chrome |
Inject clipboard into AI input |
To remap VS Code shortcuts:
- Edit
contributes.keybindings in package.json, recompile and reinstall
- Or use VS Code built-in editor:
Ctrl+K Ctrl+S (Mac: Cmd+K Cmd+S)
To remap Chrome shortcuts:
Edit the keydown listener in chrome-extension/src/bot.js then reload at chrome://extensions.
Control Files
All three files are created automatically in the workspace root on first activation.
File names adapt based on your activeCli setting (see above).
| File (claudecode default) |
Direction |
Purpose |
claude-ai.md |
AI → CLI |
Instructions from chat; /sync reads and executes |
claude-state.md |
CLI → AI |
Auto-updated by hook after every file write and bash command |
claude-context.md |
Shared |
Migration prompt; rebuilt by ⟳ Regenerate button |
Context Migration
Use when your chat gets too long or context drifts.

Steps:
- Click ⟳ Regenerate context.md in the Syncbridge panel
- Merges last instructions + last 10 CLI actions into a structured prompt
- Copy
claude-context.md contents
- Paste into a new chat — AI resumes exactly where you left off
When to use:
- Chat responses are drifting or losing accuracy
- Starting a new day on the same project
- Switching between AI models mid-session
File Watcher Hook
The hook is configured in .claude/settings.json and fires automatically after every file write and bash command by Claude Code CLI.
Deploy to a project: Press Ctrl+Shift+E (Mac: Cmd+Shift+E) in VS Code.
To copy manually to another project:
cp .claude/settings.json <project>/.claude/
Hook captures:
✓ HH:MM:SS wrote <file_path>
✓ HH:MM:SS ran: <command>
Multi-Folder Workspace
When workspace has multiple root folders, active root resolves in this order:
- Folder containing the currently open file
- Folder set via
Ctrl+Shift+A (Mac: Cmd+Shift+A)
- First folder in workspace list as fallback
Roadmap
- [ ] Auto-detect installed CLIs on first run
- [ ] Chrome Web Store public release
- [ ] Onboarding walkthrough for first-time users
- [ ] Additional AI platform adapters
- [ ] Improved context migration with token awareness
Requirements
- VS Code 1.100.0 or higher
- Node.js v18+
- At least one supported CLI (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot CLI, Windsurf, or Aider)
- Chrome or Chromium-based browser for the Chrome extension
Extension Test Runner
Tests live in src/test/extension.test.ts — 7 deterministic tests covering control file creation, write stability, append ordering, context regeneration, and extension activation.
To run: click the beaker icon (Testing) in VS Code sidebar → press ▷ Run All Tests.
All tests must pass before packaging.
Development
Built using VS Code Extension API + Claude Code CLI with a deterministic SEP-based workflow.
Repository: https://github.com/rehmansherazi/syncbridge
Known Limitations
- Chrome extension site adapters use fallback selector chains — resilient to minor DOM changes but major site redesigns may require an update
- File watcher hook requires manual setup per project via
Ctrl+Shift+E (Mac: Cmd+Shift+E)
- Auto-sync hook only available for Claude Code CLI — other CLIs require manual state file updates
- CLI sync requires the CLI to be running from the project directory that has the hook deployed
Privacy
Syncbridge does not collect, transmit, or store any user data on external servers.
- Clipboard access is used only to read AI responses and write context locally to your project files
- Storage permission saves only widget visibility state in your browser locally
- No analytics, no tracking, no telemetry
- No data leaves your machine
- All processing happens locally between your browser, VS Code, and terminal
For questions: mrsherazi@hotmail.com