VS Code Integration

The Qwen Code Companion extension brings Qwen Code directly into Visual Studio Code with a native chat panel, diff view, and seamless workspace integration. Everything you need is bundled—no additional CLI installation required.

Features

Native IDE Experience

Dedicated Qwen Code Chat panel accessed via the Qwen icon in the editor title bar

Native Diffing

Review, edit, and accept changes in VS Code’s native diff view

Auto-Accept Mode

Automatically apply Qwen’s changes as they’re made for faster workflows

File Management

@-mention files or attach files and images using the system file picker

Conversation History

Access past conversations and run multiple sessions simultaneously

Context Awareness

Share active files, cursor position, and selections for more precise help

Requirements

Visual Studio Code 1.85.0 or newer
Also works with Cursor, Windsurf, and other VS Code-based editors

Installation

Install from Marketplace

Install the extension from one of these sources:

Or search for “Qwen Code Companion” in VS Code’s Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X).

Open the Chat Panel

Launch the Qwen Code chat panel using any of these methods:

Click the Qwen icon in the top-right corner of the editor
Run Qwen Code: Open from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)

Start Chatting

Ask Qwen to help with coding tasks:

Explain what this project does
Fix the bug in @src/main.ts
Write unit tests for @utils/parser.ts
Refactor this function to be more efficient

Usage

Opening the Chat Panel

Access the Qwen Code chat interface:

Via Editor Icon: Click the Qwen icon in the editor title bar (top-right)
Via Command Palette: Press Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P and run Qwen Code: Open

Referencing Files

Add files to your conversation context:

@-mentions: Type @ followed by a filename to reference files in your workspace
File picker: Use the attachment button to select files via the system file picker
Images: Attach screenshots or diagrams to help explain visual issues

Reviewing Changes

When Qwen suggests code changes:

View diff: Changes appear in VS Code’s native diff view
Edit inline: Modify the suggested changes directly in the diff editor
Accept: Click the checkmark icon or press Ctrl+S / Cmd+S to accept
Reject: Click the close icon to discard changes

Auto-Accept Mode

Enable auto-accept to automatically apply changes:

Changes are applied immediately without manual review
Useful for rapid prototyping and trusted operations
Toggle on/off as needed for different workflows

Multiple Sessions

Run multiple concurrent Qwen Code sessions:

Each chat panel is independent
Maintain separate contexts for different tasks
Review conversation history for each session

Commands

Available commands in the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P):

Command	Description	Shortcut
`Qwen Code: Open`	Open the Qwen Code Chat panel	-
`Qwen Code: Run`	Launch a classic terminal session with the bundled CLI	-
`Qwen Code: Accept Current Diff`	Accept the currently displayed diff	`Ctrl+S` / `Cmd+S` (when diff visible)
`Qwen Code: Close Diff Editor`	Close/reject the current diff	-
`Qwen Code: View Third-Party Notices`	View third-party software notices	-

Configuration

The extension uses the same configuration as the Qwen Code CLI. Settings are stored in:

User settings: ~/.qwen/settings.json (global)
Project settings: .qwen/settings.json (workspace-specific)

Configuring Models

Edit your ~/.qwen/settings.json to configure available models:

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

See the Configuration Guide for all available options.

VS Code Settings

The extension also respects VS Code’s native settings. Access via:

File → Preferences → Settings (Windows/Linux)
Code → Settings → Settings (macOS)

Search for “Qwen Code” to see extension-specific settings.

Using the Bundled CLI

The extension includes a bundled version of the Qwen Code CLI. Access it via:

Qwen Code: Run

This launches a terminal session with the bundled CLI, giving you access to:

All CLI commands and features
Terminal-based chat interface
Headless mode for scripting

See the CLI documentation for complete usage.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Windows/Linux	macOS
Open Command Palette	`Ctrl+Shift+P`	`Cmd+Shift+P`
Open Extensions	`Ctrl+Shift+X`	`Cmd+Shift+X`
Accept diff	`Ctrl+S`	`Cmd+S`

Tips & Best Practices

Use @-mentions for precise context

Instead of asking “fix the bug”, say “fix the bug in @src/utils/parser.ts:42”. This gives Qwen exact context about which file and line you’re referring to.

Review changes before accepting

Even with auto-accept mode, periodically review Qwen’s suggestions. The diff view makes it easy to verify changes before they’re applied.

Organize with multiple sessions

Use separate chat panels for different tasks:

One for debugging
One for new feature development
One for documentation

Leverage conversation history

Previous conversations are saved. Reopen them to:

Continue where you left off
Reference past solutions
Learn from previous interactions

Troubleshooting

Extension not appearing

Issue: Can’t find the Qwen icon or commands.Solutions:

Verify the extension is installed and enabled in the Extensions panel
Restart VS Code
Check VS Code version (requires 1.85.0 or newer)

Chat panel not opening

Issue: Clicking the Qwen icon does nothing.Solutions:

Check the Developer Tools for errors (Help → Toggle Developer Tools)
Look for extension activation errors in the Output panel (View → Output → Qwen Code)
Try reloading the window (Developer: Reload Window)

Authentication issues

Issue: Can’t sign in or API key not working.Solutions:

Verify your ~/.qwen/settings.json configuration
Check API key validity by running the bundled CLI
Ensure network connectivity for OAuth flow

Diff view not showing changes

Issue: Suggested changes don’t appear.Solutions:

Check that the file is part of your workspace
Verify the file isn’t excluded by .gitignore or VS Code settings
Look for errors in the Developer Tools console

Viewing Logs

To debug issues:

Developer Tools: Help → Toggle Developer Tools
Output Panel: View → Output → Select “Qwen Code” from dropdown
Extension Host Log: Developer: Show Logs → Extension Host

Compatibility

VS Code-Based Editors

The extension works with VS Code forks and derivatives:

Cursor: Full compatibility
Windsurf: Full compatibility
VSCodium: Full compatibility via Open VSX
Code - OSS: Full compatibility

Platform Support

Windows: Windows 10/11
macOS: macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or newer
Linux: Most distributions with glibc 2.28+

Feedback & Support

Report Bugs

Found an issue? Let us know on GitHub

Request Features

Have an idea? Submit a feature request

View Changelog

See what’s new in recent releases

Contributing

Help improve the extension

Next Steps

Learn about configuration options
Explore CLI commands
Try headless mode for automation
Check out the TypeScript SDK for building on Qwen Code

Getting Started

Core Features

Configuration

IDE Integration

Advanced

VS Code Integration

Features

Native IDE Experience

Native Diffing

Auto-Accept Mode

File Management

Conversation History

Context Awareness

Requirements

Installation

Usage

Opening the Chat Panel

Referencing Files

Reviewing Changes

Auto-Accept Mode

Multiple Sessions

Commands

Configuration

Configuring Models

VS Code Settings

Using the Bundled CLI

Keyboard Shortcuts

Tips & Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Viewing Logs

Compatibility

VS Code-Based Editors

Platform Support

Feedback & Support

Report Bugs

Request Features

View Changelog

Contributing

Next Steps

Getting Started

Core Features

Configuration

IDE Integration

Advanced

​Features

Native IDE Experience

Native Diffing

Auto-Accept Mode

File Management

Conversation History

Context Awareness

​Requirements

​Installation

​Usage

​Opening the Chat Panel

​Referencing Files

​Reviewing Changes

​Auto-Accept Mode

​Multiple Sessions

​Commands

​Configuration

​Configuring Models

​VS Code Settings

​Using the Bundled CLI

​Keyboard Shortcuts

​Tips & Best Practices

​Troubleshooting

​Viewing Logs

​Compatibility

​VS Code-Based Editors

​Platform Support

​Feedback & Support

Report Bugs

Request Features

View Changelog

Contributing

​Next Steps

Features

Requirements

Installation

Usage

Opening the Chat Panel

Referencing Files

Reviewing Changes

Auto-Accept Mode

Multiple Sessions

Commands

Configuration

Configuring Models

VS Code Settings

Using the Bundled CLI

Keyboard Shortcuts

Tips & Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Viewing Logs

Compatibility

VS Code-Based Editors

Platform Support

Feedback & Support

Next Steps