Sepia AI ManagerUse Claude and OpenAI Codex in one VS Code chat. Switch accounts without starting the conversation over. Sepia connects to AI command-line tools installed on your computer and brings them into a shared chat interface. Connect your accounts, choose which one answers each message, and return to saved conversations from the sidebar. New in 1.2.0: Attach images and documents to your messages. Each provider receives them through the real mechanism its own CLI actually supports — see Add images and files for exactly what's supported and its limits. New in 1.1.0: Long conversations can move between accounts using a working summary of older history alongside recent messages. Your full chat history remains saved. Before you startYou need VS Code 1.85 or later, an account with access to the provider you want to use, and that provider's command-line tool (CLI). A CLI is the program Sepia runs in the background to communicate with the AI.
Install only the tool for the provider you plan to use, or both to switch between them. Follow the installation instructions on the linked package pages. Installing Sepia does not install these tools or provide an AI account. Run the check in Terminal → New Terminal. It should print a version number. If the command is not found, finish installing the CLI and restart VS Code. The tool must be on If you use a Dev Container, SSH connection, or WSL, install the CLI in the environment where Sepia runs—not only on your main computer. Get started1. Open Sepia and connect an account
If you prefer an API key, choose Use an API key instead, enter your provider's key, and click Save key. Already signed in through another AI extension or terminal? Connect the account inside Sepia too. Sepia keeps its account connections separate so you can use multiple accounts independently. 2. Start your first chat
For example: “Explain how this project is organized and suggest what I should review first.” Use Stop to interrupt a response and Retry to try the last request again. To reopen a saved conversation, click its title under Session Manager. Use Search sessions... to find it by title. 3. Add another accountClick + beside Account & Usage again. Select the provider and use a different Label for each account on that provider, such as Changing a label does not create a new provider account. It lets you identify another account you already have. Check which account is selected in the browser when completing sign-in. Switch AI accounts in the same conversationClick Current AI at the top of the chat, select another connected account, and send your next message. Do not create a new session if you want to continue the same topic. For example:
Sepia supplies the selected account with context from the shared conversation. Each chat has its own account selection; always check Current AI to see where your next message will go. Changing it during a response applies to the next message. What happens with long conversations?Sepia prepares a working summary of older messages and includes recent messages in more detail. The summary is designed to carry forward your goal, constraints, decisions, completed work, and open questions. You may briefly see Preparing context… before a response starts. Summary preparation uses the connected AI service, so it can take additional time and count toward your provider's usage. Summaries may also be refreshed in the background as a conversation grows. Your full conversation stays in the chat history. A summary is not a word-for-word memory of everything discussed; when an exact old detail matters, refer to the relevant message or file in your next request. How responses are shownSepia renders what Claude and Codex actually send — tables, headings, bold/italic text, lists, task list checkboxes, quotes, and links — instead of showing the raw Markdown characters ( Tool calls (running a command, reading or editing a file, calling an MCP tool) appear as a collapsed card with a short summary. Click it (or press Enter/Space while it's focused) to see the full command/input, the real output the tool returned, and — for an edited file — the actual before/after change. A card only ever shows a green success mark when the provider confirmed the call succeeded; a failed, cancelled (Stop), or unresolved call shows its real state instead. Reopening a saved conversation shows the exact same cards and formatting as when they first streamed in. Add images and files to your messagesClick + in the message composer, drag a file onto it, or paste an image with Each provider receives an attachment through the real mechanism its own CLI was confirmed, live, to actually support — not a generic upload. Support differs by provider on purpose:
Limits Sepia enforces itself (not published limits from either provider): images up to 10 MB each, text/code files up to 2 MB, PDF/DOCX up to 20 MB, and up to 10 attachments per message. Switching accounts or providers keeps your attachments working. If you attach an image to Claude and later switch Current AI to a Codex account, Sepia re-sends that image to Codex the real way ( Files are stored locally, alongside the rest of your chat history, in the same per-extension storage Sepia already uses — never inside your original file, which is left untouched. An attachment you've sent survives closing and reopening the tab and restarting VS Code; only an attachment added but never sent is lost if you close the tab, the same as unsent typed text. Remote setups (SSH, Dev Containers, WSL): the file you pick, paste, or drop is always read from your own local machine's display and transferred into wherever the extension itself is actually running — so it works the same way whether Sepia is running locally or remotely, as long as the CLI you're using is installed in that same remote environment (see Before you start). Set up automatic failoverAutomatic failover lets Sepia try another account when it detects a rate or usage limit during a chat request.
When a supported limit is detected and another eligible account is available, Sepia notifies you and attempts the request with that account, preparing the conversation context as needed. You do not need to retype the request. Failover does not bypass provider limits or guarantee recovery from every error. An expired sign-in may require Reconnect. Simulate limit reached is an optional test action that marks the active account as limited and exercises account switching; it is not required for everyday use. Common questions
Storage and provider usageSepia stores chat history, working summaries, and account metadata locally in the environment where the extension runs. API keys are stored using VS Code SecretStorage; provider CLIs manage their own login credentials in separate account directories. Local storage does not mean offline AI processing. Prompts and the conversation context needed to answer them are sent through the selected provider's CLI to its service. Switching providers shares that context with the provider you select. Sepia does not require a separate Sepia backend server. Sepia does not include AI credits or remove provider usage limits. Your provider's access and usage rules still apply. Feedback and supportReport an issue with the Sepia version, operating system, provider, CLI version, and steps to reproduce the problem. Remove API keys, login codes, and private conversation content before sharing logs or screenshots. DevelopmentThe steps above are for using the installed extension. To run Sepia from source: Press |