Chat with the Cursor CLI Agent from the VS Code secondary sidebar.
This extension uses the Agent Client Protocol (ACP) to communicate with the locally installed agent acp process over stdio and JSON-RPC.
The chat UI follows your VS Code display language and supports English and Japanese.
Cursor Agent Sidebar is an unofficial third-party extension. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Cursor or Anysphere.
Features
- Chat with the Cursor CLI Agent in the VS Code secondary sidebar
- Switch between Agent, Plan, and Ask modes
- Select from the models provided by the connected CLI
- Add workspace files and folders with
@ references
- Use slash commands and workspace prompt files
- Paste images into prompts
- Review tool permissions and file changes
- Open diffs and revert supported file changes
- Browse and restore previous sessions when supported by the installed CLI
- Run connection diagnostics from the chat view
Requirements
- VS Code 1.96 or later
- Cursor CLI installed separately
- A Cursor CLI account authenticated on your machine
- A trusted VS Code workspace
Verify your Cursor CLI installation and authentication:
agent --version
agent login
agent status
This extension does not include or redistribute the Cursor CLI.
Getting started
- Install Cursor CLI and sign in with
agent login.
- Install Cursor Agent Sidebar from the VS Code Marketplace.
- Open the secondary sidebar from View > Appearance > Secondary Side Bar.
- Select Cursor Agent and start chatting.
If the agent command is not on your PATH, set cursorAgent.agentPath in VS Code settings. On Windows, for example:
{
"cursorAgent.agentPath": "C:\\Users\\<user>\\AppData\\Local\\cursor-agent\\agent.cmd"
}
Usage
- Press Enter to send a prompt. Press Shift+Enter to insert a new line.
- Type
@ to search for workspace files and folders to include as context.
- Use slash commands such as
/review when they are available in your workspace.
- Paste an image into the composer to attach it to your prompt.
- Use the mode and model pickers at the bottom of the chat view.
- Use Esc or the stop button to cancel a running request.
- Review permission requests before allowing tools to run.
Auto-run permissions
Auto-run is disabled by default. Enabling it allows tool requests—including file changes and command execution—to be approved without an individual prompt. The extension shows a confirmation dialog before enabling this setting.
Use this option only when you understand and trust the requested operations.
Settings
| Setting |
Description |
Default |
cursorAgent.agentPath |
Path to the Cursor CLI agent command. |
agent |
cursorAgent.model |
Model to use. Leave empty for the default model. |
Empty |
cursorAgent.autoApprovePermissions |
Automatically approve tool requests. |
false |
Privacy
This extension launches Cursor CLI locally. Prompts, files, and other content processed by Cursor CLI are subject to Cursor's terms and privacy policy.
This extension does not collect extension-specific telemetry.
Development
npm install
npm run compile
To launch the extension in an Extension Development Host:
- Open this repository in VS Code.
- Press F5.
- Open the Cursor Agent view from the secondary sidebar.
To build a VSIX package:
npm run package
Architecture
VS Code secondary sidebar (Webview)
↕ postMessage
Extension Host
↕ stdio JSON-RPC (ACP)
Cursor CLI: agent acp
License
MIT
