Tollecode for VS Code
An AI coding agent in your sidebar. Ask about your code, have it write a plan, or let it build — and review every change before you keep it.
What it does
- Three modes. Ask answers questions, Plan researches and writes a plan, Build edits files and runs commands. Switch from the input bar or with
Shift+Tab.
- Knows what you're looking at. The open file and your selection are attached automatically as chips you can remove. Attach more with
@: files, problems, terminal output, or an image (pasting works too).
- Readable progress. Steps collapse into lines like "Explored 4 files, 2 searches". The agent's plan shows as a live checklist.
- You stay in control. When the agent needs approval, the request stays pinned above the input until you answer. It shows what will run and where, and you can answer with
1, 2, 3 or Esc.
- Review, keep or undo. Every file the agent changes is listed above the input, with Keep all and Undo all. Edited lines are highlighted in the editor, and Open diff uses VS Code's own diff view.
- Any model. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, Ollama (local) or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
- Agents and teams. Named agents with their own instructions, skills and model, and teams where a lead hands work to members.
- Sessions. Searchable history per workspace, with rename and delete.
Getting started
- Install the extension and open a folder.
- Click the Tollecode icon in the Activity Bar.
- Choose a provider, paste your API key (or point it at Ollama), and click Connect. Tollecode checks the key by listing its models.
- Pick a suggestion, or type a task and press
Enter.
The extension bundles its sidecar, so there's nothing else to install.
Permissions
Settings › Permissions sets how much the agent may do on its own in this workspace:
| Level |
What happens |
| Ask every time |
Every edit and command waits for you |
| Edit freely, ask before commands (default) |
File edits apply, and you can review and undo them. Commands wait |
| Don't ask |
Nothing waits. Only use this in trusted, sandboxed workspaces |
Commands you mark Always allow (for example npm test) run without asking. Commands in Never allowed are refused. Rules match the start of a command. A command chained with ;, && or | always asks.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut (macOS / Windows & Linux) |
Action |
⌘L / Ctrl+L |
Focus the Tollecode input |
⌘⇧L / Ctrl+Shift+L |
Add the editor selection to the chat (when text is selected) |
⌘⌥N / Ctrl+Alt+N |
New session |
⌘⏎ / Ctrl+Enter |
Keep all changes (in the Tollecode panel) |
⌘⌫ / Ctrl+Backspace |
Undo all changes (in the Tollecode panel) |
⌘. / Ctrl+. |
Stop the agent (outside the editor) |
Shift+Tab |
Cycle Ask → Plan → Build (in the input) |
You can rebind any of these in Keyboard Shortcuts by searching for "Tollecode".
In the editor
- Right-click → Explain This on a selection.
- Right-click → Fix with Tollecode, or Ask Tollecode to fix from the lightbulb on any problem.
- Explorer → Add File to Chat.
- Keep · Undo · Open diff links above code the agent changed.
- The status bar shows whether Tollecode is idle, working (step 3 of 5), waiting for your approval, or has files to review.
| Command |
Description |
/new |
Start a new session |
/sessions |
Browse sessions |
/clear |
Clear the conversation from the panel |
/compact |
Summarise history to free up context |
/mode ask\|plan\|build |
Switch mode |
/thinking on\|off |
Extended thinking |
/help |
List commands |
Troubleshooting
If the panel says it lost its connection, click Restart or run Tollecode: Restart Sidecar. Logs are in the Tollecode output channel.
License
MIT © Tollesoft
| |
