JetBrains IDEs Integration

JetBrains IDEs provide native support for AI coding assistants through the Agent Client Protocol (ACP). This integration allows you to use Qwen Code directly within your JetBrains IDE with real-time AI assistance.

Features

Native Agent Experience

Integrated AI assistant panel within your JetBrains IDE

Agent Client Protocol

Full support for ACP enabling advanced IDE interactions

Symbol Management

#-mention files to add them to the conversation context

Conversation History

Access to past conversations within the IDE

Multi-IDE Support

Works with IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, PyCharm, and more

Workspace Integration

Full access to your project structure and files

Supported IDEs

Qwen Code works with JetBrains IDEs that support the Agent Client Protocol:

IntelliJ IDEA

Ultimate and Community editions

WebStorm

For web development

PyCharm

Professional and Community editions

GoLand

For Go development

PhpStorm

For PHP development

RubyMine

For Ruby development

CLion

For C/C++ development

Rider

For .NET development

Android Studio

For Android development

Ensure your JetBrains IDE version supports ACP. Check the JetBrains documentation for your specific IDE.

Requirements

JetBrains IDE: Version with ACP support
Qwen Code CLI: Installed globally
Node.js: Version 20 or later

Installation

Install Qwen Code CLI

Install the Qwen Code CLI globally using npm:

npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code

Verify the installation:

qwen --version

Note the full path to the qwen executable:

# On Unix/macOS:
which qwen

# On Windows:
where qwen

Open AI Chat Tool Window

In your JetBrains IDE:

Navigate to the AI Chat tool window
If not visible, enable it via View → Tool Windows → AI Chat

Configure ACP Agent

Configure Qwen Code as an ACP agent:

Click the 3-dot menu in the upper-right corner of the AI Chat window
Select Configure ACP Agent
Add the following configuration:

{
  "agent_servers": {
    "qwen": {
      "command": "/path/to/qwen",
      "args": ["--acp"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Replace /path/to/qwen with the actual path from Step 1.

Start Using Qwen Code

The Qwen Code agent should now be available in the AI Assistant panel. Select it from the agent dropdown and start chatting!

Configuration Details

Finding the Qwen Executable Path

macOS/Linux
Windows

which qwen

Common locations:

npm global: /usr/local/bin/qwen
nvm: ~/.nvm/versions/node/v20.x.x/bin/qwen
Homebrew: /opt/homebrew/bin/qwen

where qwen

Common locations:

npm global: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\npm\qwen.cmd
Node.js: C:\Program Files\nodejs\qwen.cmd

Advanced Configuration

You can add environment variables and custom settings:

{
  "agent_servers": {
    "qwen": {
      "command": "/path/to/qwen",
      "args": ["--acp"],
      "env": {
        "QWEN_LOG_LEVEL": "info",
        "DASHSCOPE_API_KEY": "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxx"
      }
    }
  }
}

Qwen Code Settings

The agent reads configuration from:

User settings: ~/.qwen/settings.json
Project settings: .qwen/settings.json

Configure your models and authentication:

{
  "modelProviders": {
    "openai": [
      {
        "id": "qwen3-coder-plus",
        "name": "qwen3-coder-plus",
        "baseUrl": "https://dashscope.aliyuncs.com/compatible-mode/v1",
        "envKey": "DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"
      }
    ]
  },
  "security": {
    "auth": {
      "selectedType": "openai"
    }
  },
  "model": {
    "name": "qwen3-coder-plus"
  }
}

See the Configuration Guide for all options.

Usage

Opening the AI Chat

Access the Qwen Code agent:

Open the AI Chat tool window (View → Tool Windows → AI Chat)
Select Qwen Code from the agent dropdown
Start your conversation

Using #-mentions

Reference files using the # symbol:

#filename to mention specific files
#package to reference packages or modules

Example:

Explain what #Main.java does
Refactor #UserService to use dependency injection
Add tests for #Button.tsx

Common Tasks

Qwen Code can help with: Code Explanation:

Explain the purpose of #DatabaseConnection.java
What does the authenticate method in #AuthService do?

Bug Fixing:

Fix the null pointer exception in #UserController:42
Debug why #payment-processor.ts is failing

Refactoring:

Refactor #LegacyCode.java to use modern Java patterns
Simplify the logic in #complex-function.ts

Testing:

Generate unit tests for #Calculator.kt
Add integration tests for #PaymentAPI

Documentation:

Add JSDoc comments to #utils.ts
Document the API endpoints in #routes.js

Authentication

Configure authentication using the Qwen Code CLI:

qwen
/auth

Choose your authentication method:

Qwen OAuth
API Key

Recommended for individual developers

Free tier: 1,000 requests/day
Browser-based login flow
Automatic credential caching

Run /auth and select “Qwen OAuth” to start the browser flow.

Recommended for teams and custom providersSupports multiple providers:

OpenAI and compatible APIs
Anthropic (Claude)
Google Gemini
Alibaba Cloud Bailian

Configure in ~/.qwen/settings.json or via environment variables.

See the Authentication Guide for detailed setup.

Tips & Best Practices

Use precise file references

When asking about code, use #-mentions to specify exact files:Good: “Fix the bug in #UserService.java:156”Not as good: “Fix the bug in the user service”

Provide context with your questions

Give Qwen context about what you’re trying to achieve:“I’m implementing user authentication. Can you help refactor #AuthController to use JWT tokens?”

Review generated code

Always review Qwen’s suggestions before applying them. Use your IDE’s diff view to see changes clearly.

Build on conversation history

Qwen remembers previous messages in the conversation. Use this to iterate on solutions:

“Explain how #DataProcessor works”
“Now optimize it for large datasets”
“Add error handling to the optimized version”

Use natural language

Don’t worry about formal syntax. Qwen understands natural language:“Make this function faster” “Add logging to track performance” “What’s wrong with this code?”

Troubleshooting

Agent not appearing in list

Issue: Can’t find Qwen Code in the AI Chat agent dropdownSolutions:

Verify Qwen Code CLI is installed:
```
qwen --version
```
Check the agent configuration:
- Ensure the command path is correct
- Verify the path points to the qwen executable
Restart your JetBrains IDE
Check IDE version supports ACP

Qwen Code not responding

Issue: Agent appears but doesn’t respond to messagesSolutions:

Check internet connection
Verify authentication is configured:
```
qwen -p "Hello"
```
Review IDE logs for errors:
- Help → Show Log in Explorer (Windows/Linux)
- Help → Show Log in Finder (macOS)
Test the CLI directly:
```
qwen --acp
```

Authentication errors

Issue: “Authentication failed” or similar errorsSolutions:

Run authentication setup:
```
qwen
/auth
```
Verify API keys in ~/.qwen/settings.json
Check environment variables in ACP configuration
Test with the CLI:
```
qwen -p "Test message"
```

Command path issues (Windows)

Issue: “Command not found” on WindowsSolutions:

Use the full path to qwen.cmd:

{
  "command": "C:\\Users\\username\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\qwen.cmd"
}

Use forward slashes or escaped backslashes
Verify npm global bin is in PATH:
```
npm config get prefix
```

Node.js version issues

Issue: Agent fails to start due to Node.js versionSolutions:

Check Node.js version:
```
node --version
```
Upgrade to Node.js 20 or later:
- Download from nodejs.org
- Or use a version manager (nvm, n, volta)

Reinstall Qwen Code after upgrading Node.js:

npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest

Viewing Logs

Access logs for debugging: JetBrains IDE Logs:

Help → Show Log in Explorer (Windows/Linux)
Help → Show Log in Finder (macOS)
Look for ACP-related error messages

Qwen Code Logs:

# View recent logs
tail -f ~/.qwen/logs/*.log

# Or on Windows
type %USERPROFILE%\.qwen\logs\*.log

Reporting Issues

When reporting issues, include:

Environment information:
- JetBrains IDE name and version
- Qwen Code version: qwen --version
- Node.js version: node --version
- Operating system
Configuration:
- Your ACP agent configuration (remove sensitive data)
- Relevant parts of ~/.qwen/settings.json
Error details:
- Error messages from IDE logs
- Error messages from Qwen Code logs
- Steps to reproduce the issue
Submit to:
- Qwen Code Issues

Resources

JetBrains Documentation

Official JetBrains IDE documentation

Agent Client Protocol

Learn about the ACP specification

Qwen Code CLI Guide

Full CLI documentation and features

GitHub Discussions

Join the community discussion

Next Steps

Learn about configuration options
Explore authentication methods
Try the VS Code extension for a different IDE experience
Check out the Zed integration for Zed editor users

Getting Started

Core Features

Configuration

IDE Integration

Advanced

​Features

Native Agent Experience

Agent Client Protocol

Symbol Management

Conversation History

Multi-IDE Support

Workspace Integration

​Supported IDEs

IntelliJ IDEA

WebStorm

PyCharm

GoLand

PhpStorm

RubyMine

CLion

Rider

Android Studio

​Requirements

​Installation

​Configuration Details

​Finding the Qwen Executable Path

​Advanced Configuration

​Qwen Code Settings

​Usage

​Opening the AI Chat

​Using #-mentions

​Common Tasks

​Authentication

​Tips & Best Practices

​Troubleshooting

​Viewing Logs

​Reporting Issues

​Resources

JetBrains Documentation

Agent Client Protocol

Qwen Code CLI Guide

GitHub Discussions

​Next Steps

Features

Supported IDEs

Requirements

Installation

Configuration Details

Finding the Qwen Executable Path

Advanced Configuration

Qwen Code Settings

Usage

Opening the AI Chat

Using #-mentions

Common Tasks

Authentication

Tips & Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Viewing Logs

Reporting Issues

Resources

Next Steps