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Installing Extensions

Extensions add functionality to Zed, including languages, themes, debuggers, and AI tools. You can browse and install them from the Extension Gallery. Open the Extension Gallery by:
  • Using the command palette: zed: extensions
  • Menu: Zed > Extensions
  • Keyboard shortcut (if configured)
The Extension Gallery shows:
  • Installed: Extensions you’ve already installed
  • Available: All published extensions in the registry
  • Dev Extensions: Locally installed development extensions

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Installing Extensions

To install an extension:
  1. Open the Extension Gallery
  2. Browse or search for the extension you want
  3. Click the Install button next to the extension
  4. Wait for the installation to complete
Extensions are automatically enabled after installation. Some extensions may require Zed to restart or may download additional components (like language servers) on first use.

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Managing Installed Extensions

In the Extension Gallery, installed extensions show:
  • Current version number
  • Update button (if a newer version is available)
  • Uninstall button

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Updating Extensions

Extensions can be updated individually:
  1. Open the Extension Gallery
  2. Find the extension in the Installed tab
  3. Click Update if available

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Uninstalling Extensions

To remove an extension:
  1. Open the Extension Gallery
  2. Find the extension in the Installed tab
  3. Click Uninstall
  4. Confirm the uninstallation

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Installation Location

Extensions are stored in platform-specific directories:
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Zed/extensions
  • Linux: $XDG_DATA_HOME/zed/extensions or ~/.local/share/zed/extensions
  • Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Zed\extensions
The extensions directory contains two subdirectories:
  • installed/: Source code for each extension
  • work/: Files created by extensions (downloaded language servers, caches, etc.)

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Auto-Installing Extensions

You can automatically install extensions when Zed starts by configuring the auto_install_extensions setting.

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Configuration

Add extension IDs to your settings.json: 
{
  "auto_install_extensions": {
    "rust": true,
    "python": true,
    "toml": true,
    "my-custom-theme": true
  }
}
Extensions listed with true will be:
  • Installed if not already present
  • Kept installed (won’t be auto-removed)
Extensions not listed will not be automatically managed.

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Uninstalling Auto-Installed Extensions

To automatically uninstall an extension, set its value to false: 
{
  "auto_install_extensions": {
    "old-extension": false
  }
}
The extension will be removed on next startup if it’s currently installed.

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Dev Extensions

Developers can install local extensions for testing without publishing to the registry.

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Installing a Dev Extension

  1. Open the Extension Gallery
  2. Click Install Dev Extension
  3. Select the directory containing your extension (must have extension.toml)
Dev extensions:
  • Override published extensions with the same ID
  • Appear in the Dev Extensions section
  • Can be uninstalled like regular extensions
  • Are rebuilt automatically when files change (requires Rust toolchain)
See Developing Extensions for details on creating extensions.

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Extension Updates

Extensions are updated through the Extension Gallery. Zed checks for updates:
  • On startup
  • Periodically while running
  • When you manually refresh the Extension Gallery
You’ll see an Update button when a newer version is available.

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Extension Permissions

Extensions run with restricted capabilities for security. The default permission set allows:
  • Downloading files from any host
  • Installing npm packages
  • Executing commands
You can restrict these capabilities in your settings. See the Extension Capabilities documentation for details.

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Restricting Capabilities

To limit what extensions can do, configure granted_extension_capabilities: 
{
  "granted_extension_capabilities": [
    { "kind": "download_file", "host": "github.com", "path": ["**"] },
    { "kind": "npm:install", "package": "*" },
    { "kind": "process:exec", "command": "*", "args": ["**"] }
  ]
}
This example only allows downloads from GitHub.

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Troubleshooting

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Extension Won’t Install

  • Check your internet connection
  • Look for error messages in the Extension Gallery
  • Check the Zed log: Zed > View Logs or zed: open log

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Extension Installed But Not Working

  • Check if the extension needs to download additional components (watch the status bar)
  • Restart Zed
  • Check the extension’s repository for known issues
  • Look for errors in the Zed log

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Language Server Issues

Many language extensions download language servers on first use:
  1. Open a file of that language type
  2. Watch the status bar for “Installing [language] language server…”
  3. Wait for the download to complete
  4. If it fails, check the Zed log for error details

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Getting Help