VSCode Automation MCP Server

A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that enables AI agents to automate and control VSCode: give your AI assistant the ability to interact with the VSCode UI, execute commands, inspect the DOM, read editor content, and perform complex automation workflows.

Built on top of vscode-extension-tester, this mcp server is ideal for:

• AI-assisted VSCode extension development - Let AI agents test and interact with your extensions
• Automated UI testing - Build automation scripts driven by AI
• Development workflow automation - Automate repetitive VSCode tasks
• Extension debugging - Inspect UI state, DOM structure, and diagnostics

🚀 Features

• DOM Inspection - Get the full DOM structure, UI regions, and accessibility tree for AI understanding
• Execute VSCode Commands - Run any command from the Command Palette programmatically
• UI Automation - Click elements, type text, navigate the UI
• Keyboard Input - Press key combinations, shortcuts, and special keys
• File Operations - Open files at specific lines and columns
• Screenshots - Capture the VSCode window for debugging and verification
• Element Inspection - Get detailed information about UI elements
• Element Queries - Find multiple elements matching selectors with attributes
• JavaScript Execution - Run arbitrary JS in the VSCode window (like DevTools console)
• Diagnostics - Access errors and warnings from the Problems panel
• Editor Content - Read and verify editor content
• Webview Support - Interact with extension webviews
• Wait & Synchronization - Wait for elements, text, or idle state
• Notifications - Get, dismiss, and handle notifications
• Dialogs - Handle InputBox, QuickPick, and confirmation dialogs
• IntelliSense - Trigger completions, get items, select suggestions
• Code Navigation - Go to definition, hover tooltips, signature help
• Context Menus - Open and interact with context menus
• Output Channels - Read from VSCode output channels and extension logs
• Console Logs - Capture and filter browser console logs
• Performance Metrics - Memory usage, DOM stats, timing info

📋 Requirements

• Node.js >= 18.0.0
• Internet connection (for first run to download VSCode and ChromeDriver)

Note: The server automatically downloads a standalone VSCode instance and matching ChromeDriver on first run. It does NOT use your installed VSCode - this ensures consistent behavior and prevents conflicts with your main VSCode instance.

📦 Installation

Quick Start (Recommended)

No installation required! Just add to your MCP client configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vscode-automation": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "vscode-automation-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Global Installation

npm install -g vscode-automation-mcp@latest

Then run directly:

vscode-automation-mcp

From Source

git clone https://github.com/sukarth/vscode-automation-mcp.git
cd vscode-automation-mcp
npm install
npm run build
npm start

⚙️ Configuration

Claude Desktop

Add to your Claude Desktop configuration file:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows: %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vscode-automation": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "vscode-automation-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Or if installed globally:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vscode-automation": {
      "command": "vscode-automation-mcp"
    }
  }
}

VSCode (GitHub Copilot / Copilot Chat)

Add to your VSCode settings.json or .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "vscode-automation": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "vscode-automation-mcp@latest"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Cursor

Add to Cursor's MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vscode-automation": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "vscode-automation-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

You can customize the server behavior using environment variables:

Variable	Description	Default
VSCODE_AUTOMATION_VERSION	VSCode version to download (e.g., 1.95.0, 1.85.0, or latest)	latest
VSCODE_AUTOMATION_STORAGE_PATH	Directory to store VSCode and ChromeDriver	System temp dir
VSCODE_AUTOMATION_OFFLINE	Set to true to use cached binaries only	false
VSCODE_AUTOMATION_LOG_LEVEL	Log level: trace, debug, info, warn, error	info

Example with environment variables:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "vscode-automation": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "vscode-automation-mcp@latest"],
      "env": {
        "VSCODE_AUTOMATION_VERSION": "1.95.0",
        "VSCODE_AUTOMATION_STORAGE_PATH": "/path/to/storage"
      }
    }
  }
}

ChromeDriver Compatibility: The server automatically downloads the correct ChromeDriver version that matches the VSCode/Electron version. You don't need to manage ChromeDriver manually.

🛠️ Available Tools

Command Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_execute_command	Execute any VSCode command with optional arguments
vscode_list_commands	List available VSCode commands with optional filter

UI Action Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_click_element	Click a UI element by CSS/XPath/accessibility selector
vscode_type_text	Type text into an input field or focused element
vscode_open_file	Open a file in the editor at a specific line/column

Inspection Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_take_screenshot	Capture a screenshot of the VSCode window
vscode_get_element	Get properties and text of a UI element
vscode_open_webview	Open an extension's webview panel
vscode_get_diagnostics	Get all diagnostic messages from Problems panel

DOM Inspection Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_get_dom	Get the full DOM structure of VSCode in tree, HTML, or JSON format
vscode_get_ui_structure	Get structure of specific UI regions (sidebar, editor, panel, etc.)
vscode_query_elements	Find all elements matching a CSS selector with attributes
vscode_get_accessibility_tree	Get the semantic accessibility tree with ARIA roles and labels

DOM Navigation Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_get_element_children	Get direct children or descendants of an element for incremental exploration
vscode_get_element_parents	Get the parent chain (ancestors) of an element
vscode_get_element_siblings	Get sibling elements at the same level
vscode_find_interactive_elements	Find all buttons, inputs, links, tabs within a container
vscode_search_dom	Search DOM by text, ID, class, aria-label, title, or role
vscode_dump_dom_to_file	Dump full DOM to a file for incremental exploration by AI

JavaScript Execution & DOM Query Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_execute_script	Execute arbitrary JavaScript in the VSCode window (like DevTools console)
vscode_query_selector	Direct document.querySelector() / querySelectorAll() wrapper
vscode_get_element_by_id	Get element by ID (document.getElementById wrapper)
vscode_get_elements_by_class	Get elements by class name (document.getElementsByClassName wrapper)
vscode_get_elements_by_tag	Get elements by tag name (document.getElementsByTagName wrapper)

Testing Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_get_editor_content	Get the current editor's text content
vscode_verify_element	Verify UI element presence and state
vscode_assert_text	Assert text content in editor or elements
vscode_check_file_open	Check if a specific file is open

Keyboard & Input Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_press_keys	Press keyboard keys or key combinations (Ctrl+S, Ctrl+Shift+P, Enter, Escape, etc.)
vscode_focus_element	Focus a UI element by CSS selector
vscode_scroll	Scroll an element in a direction or to top/bottom
vscode_drag_drop	Drag and drop between elements
vscode_hover	Hover over an element for a duration

Wait & Sync Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_wait_for_element	Wait for an element to appear or disappear
vscode_wait_for_text	Wait for text to appear or disappear in an element
vscode_wait_for_idle	Wait for VSCode to become idle (no pending operations)

Notification & Dialog Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_get_notifications	Get all visible notifications with type, message, and actions
vscode_dismiss_notification	Dismiss a notification by index or message text
vscode_handle_dialog	Handle modal dialogs (InputBox, QuickPick, confirmations)
vscode_get_quick_pick_items	Get items from the QuickPick/Command Palette
vscode_select_quick_pick_item	Select a QuickPick item by text or index

Extension Testing Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_trigger_hover	Trigger hover on an element and get tooltip content
vscode_open_context_menu	Open context menu (right-click) on an element
vscode_get_menu_items	Get items from visible menus
vscode_click_menu_item	Click a menu item by text
vscode_get_tooltip	Get currently visible tooltip content
vscode_trigger_completion	Trigger IntelliSense/code completion (Ctrl+Space)
vscode_get_completion_items	Get IntelliSense completion items
vscode_select_completion_item	Select and accept a completion item
vscode_get_problems_panel	Get problems from Problems panel with severity and location
vscode_go_to_definition	Trigger Go to Definition (F12)
vscode_trigger_signature_help	Trigger signature help (Ctrl+Shift+Space)

Debug & Performance Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_get_console_logs	Get captured console logs (log, info, warn, error, debug)
vscode_clear_console	Clear captured console logs
vscode_get_output_channels	List available output channels
vscode_get_output_channel_content	Read content from an output channel
vscode_get_performance_metrics	Get performance metrics (memory, timing, DOM stats)
vscode_get_extension_logs	Get extension-related logs, optionally filtered by extension ID
vscode_get_devtools_info	Get DevTools-style window/document/navigator info

Utility Tools

Tool	Description
vscode_initialize	Pre-initialize the VSCode driver
vscode_get_status	Get the current driver status

📖 Usage Examples

Execute a Command

// Save the current file
await vscode_execute_command({ commandId: "workbench.action.files.save" });

// Format the document
await vscode_execute_command({ commandId: "editor.action.formatDocument" });

// Open settings
await vscode_execute_command({ commandId: "workbench.action.openSettings" });

Click UI Elements

// Click by CSS selector
await vscode_click_element({ 
  selector: ".explorer-viewlet", 
  selectorType: "css" 
});

// Click by accessibility label
await vscode_click_element({ 
  selector: "Explorer", 
  selectorType: "accessibility" 
});

// Double-click a file
await vscode_click_element({ 
  selector: ".file-item", 
  selectorType: "css",
  doubleClick: true 
});

// Right-click for context menu
await vscode_click_element({ 
  selector: ".file-item", 
  selectorType: "css",
  rightClick: true 
});

Type Text

// Type into the focused element
await vscode_type_text({ text: "Hello, World!" });

// Type into a specific input and press Enter
await vscode_type_text({ 
  text: "search term",
  selector: "input.search-input",
  pressEnter: true 
});

// Clear and type with a delay (for autocomplete)
await vscode_type_text({ 
  text: "import React from 'react'",
  clear: true,
  delay: 50 
});

Open Files

// Open a file
await vscode_open_file({ filePath: "/path/to/file.ts" });

// Open a file at a specific line
await vscode_open_file({ 
  filePath: "src/index.ts", 
  line: 42 
});

// Open a file at a specific line and column
await vscode_open_file({ 
  filePath: "src/utils.ts", 
  line: 10, 
  column: 5 
});

Take Screenshots

// Take a screenshot with default name
await vscode_take_screenshot({});

// Take a screenshot with custom filename
await vscode_take_screenshot({ 
  filename: "test-result-screenshot" 
});

Get Diagnostics

// Get all diagnostics
await vscode_get_diagnostics({});

// Get only errors
await vscode_get_diagnostics({ severity: "error" });

// Get warnings
await vscode_get_diagnostics({ severity: "warning" });

Inspect the DOM (for AI Agents)

// Get the full page DOM as a readable tree
await vscode_get_dom({});

// Get DOM of a specific element as JSON
await vscode_get_dom({ 
  selector: ".sidebar",
  format: "json",
  depth: 5
});

// Get raw HTML of an element
await vscode_get_dom({ 
  selector: ".editor-container",
  format: "html"
});

// Get the sidebar structure
await vscode_get_ui_structure({ region: "sidebar" });

// Get the editor area structure with more depth
await vscode_get_ui_structure({ 
  region: "editor", 
  depth: 8 
});

// Find all buttons on the page
await vscode_query_elements({ selector: "button" });

// Find elements with a specific role
await vscode_query_elements({ 
  selector: "[role='tab']", 
  limit: 10 
});

// Get the accessibility tree for semantic understanding
await vscode_get_accessibility_tree({});

// Get accessibility tree of a specific region
await vscode_get_accessibility_tree({ 
  selector: ".sidebar",
  depth: 6
});

Incremental DOM Exploration (for Large DOMs)

// Step 1: Get top-level children of body
await vscode_get_element_children({ selector: "body" });

// Step 2: Drill into a specific child
await vscode_get_element_children({ 
  selector: ".workbench-container",
  depth: 2
});

// Get parent chain to understand context
await vscode_get_element_parents({ 
  selector: ".my-button",
  levels: 5
});

// Get siblings (useful for tabs, list items)
await vscode_get_element_siblings({ 
  selector: ".tab:nth-child(2)",
  direction: "all"
});

// Find all interactive elements in a region
await vscode_find_interactive_elements({ 
  selector: ".sidebar",
  types: ["button", "input", "link"]
});

// Search for elements by text/label
await vscode_search_dom({ 
  query: "Explorer",
  searchIn: ["text", "aria-label", "title"]
});

// For very large DOMs: dump to file and read incrementally
await vscode_dump_dom_to_file({ 
  filePath: "/tmp/vscode-dom.json",
  format: "json",
  depth: 15
});
// Then use file reading tools to explore sections

Execute JavaScript (DevTools Console Style)

// Get the document title
await vscode_execute_script({ 
  script: "return document.title" 
});

// Get Monaco editor models (VSCode internals)
await vscode_execute_script({ 
  script: "return window.monaco?.editor?.getModels()?.map(m => m.uri.toString())" 
});

// Click an element programmatically
await vscode_execute_script({ 
  script: "document.querySelector('.my-button')?.click(); return 'clicked'",
  returnType: "string"
});

// Run complex DOM manipulation
await vscode_execute_script({ 
  script: `
    const editors = document.querySelectorAll('.editor-instance');
    return Array.from(editors).map(e => ({
      id: e.id,
      visible: e.offsetWidth > 0
    }));
  `
});

// Access VSCode's internal APIs (if available)
await vscode_execute_script({ 
  script: "return typeof acquireVsCodeApi !== 'undefined'"
});

Simple DOM Queries (querySelector style)

// Find a single element
await vscode_query_selector({ selector: ".my-button" });

// Find all matching elements
await vscode_query_selector({ selector: "button", all: true });

// Extract specific properties
await vscode_query_selector({ 
  selector: "input",
  all: true,
  properties: ["value", "placeholder", "type", "name"]
});

// Get element by ID
await vscode_get_element_by_id({ id: "workbench.parts.editor" });

// Get all elements with a class
await vscode_get_elements_by_class({ 
  className: "editor-container",
  limit: 10
});

// Get all buttons
await vscode_get_elements_by_tag({ 
  tagName: "button",
  properties: ["textContent", "aria-label", "disabled"]
});

// Get all inputs with their values
await vscode_get_elements_by_tag({ 
  tagName: "input",
  properties: ["type", "value", "placeholder", "name"]
});

Keyboard & Input

// Press keyboard shortcuts
await vscode_press_keys({ keys: "ctrl+s" }); // Save file
await vscode_press_keys({ keys: "ctrl+shift+p" }); // Command Palette
await vscode_press_keys({ keys: "ctrl+/" }); // Toggle comment

// Press keys multiple times
await vscode_press_keys({ keys: "ArrowDown", count: 5 });

// Focus on a specific element first
await vscode_press_keys({ 
  keys: "Enter",
  selector: ".my-button"
});

// Scroll within an element
await vscode_scroll({ direction: "down", amount: 500 });
await vscode_scroll({ selector: ".sidebar", direction: "bottom" });

// Drag and drop
await vscode_drag_drop({
  sourceSelector: ".file-item:nth-child(2)",
  targetSelector: ".folder-item"
});

// Hover over element
await vscode_hover({ 
  selector: ".status-item", 
  duration: 1000 
});

Waiting & Synchronization

// Wait for an element to appear
await vscode_wait_for_element({ 
  selector: ".notification",
  timeout: 5000
});

// Wait for element to disappear
await vscode_wait_for_element({ 
  selector: ".loading-spinner",
  present: false,
  timeout: 10000
});

// Wait for specific text
await vscode_wait_for_text({ 
  text: "Build succeeded",
  selector: ".terminal",
  timeout: 30000
});

// Wait for VSCode to be idle
await vscode_wait_for_idle({ timeout: 5000 });

Notifications & Dialogs

// Get all notifications
await vscode_get_notifications({});

// Dismiss a notification by message
await vscode_dismiss_notification({ 
  messageContains: "Extension installed" 
});

// Handle input dialog
await vscode_handle_dialog({ 
  text: "my-new-file.ts",
  action: "accept"
});

// Get QuickPick items (Command Palette)
await vscode_press_keys({ keys: "ctrl+shift+p" });
await vscode_get_quick_pick_items({});

// Select a QuickPick item
await vscode_select_quick_pick_item({ 
  text: "Format Document" 
});

IntelliSense & Code Navigation

// Trigger completion
await vscode_trigger_completion({});

// Get completion items
await vscode_get_completion_items({ limit: 20 });

// Select a completion item
await vscode_select_completion_item({ 
  itemLabel: "console.log" 
});

// Go to definition
await vscode_go_to_definition({});

// Trigger signature help
await vscode_trigger_signature_help({});

// Trigger hover and get tooltip
await vscode_trigger_hover({ 
  selector: ".view-line span" 
});

// Open context menu
await vscode_open_context_menu({ 
  selector: ".file-item" 
});

// Get and click menu items
await vscode_get_menu_items({});
await vscode_click_menu_item({ itemText: "Rename" });

Debug & Performance

// Get console logs
await vscode_get_console_logs({ level: "error" });

// Get all recent logs
await vscode_get_console_logs({ limit: 50 });

// Clear console logs
await vscode_clear_console({});

// Get output channels
await vscode_get_output_channels({});

// Read from an output channel
await vscode_get_output_channel_content({ 
  channelName: "Extension Host" 
});

// Get extension logs
await vscode_get_extension_logs({ 
  extensionId: "my.extension" 
});

// Get performance metrics
await vscode_get_performance_metrics({});

// Get DevTools info
await vscode_get_devtools_info({});

Verify UI State

// Check if an element exists and is visible
await vscode_verify_element({ 
  selector: ".explorer-viewlet",
  selectorType: "css",
  shouldBeVisible: true 
});

// Check if element contains specific text
await vscode_verify_element({ 
  selector: ".statusbar",
  selectorType: "css",
  containsText: "TypeScript" 
});

Get Editor Content

// Get the content of the active editor
const result = await vscode_get_editor_content({});
// Returns: { content: "...", editor: { fileName: "...", lineCount: ... } }

🔧 Common Command IDs

Here are some frequently used VSCode command IDs:

File Operations

• workbench.action.files.save - Save file
• workbench.action.files.saveAll - Save all files
• workbench.action.files.newUntitledFile - New file
• workbench.action.closeActiveEditor - Close editor

Navigation

• workbench.action.quickOpen - Quick Open (Ctrl+P)
• workbench.action.gotoLine - Go to Line
• editor.action.revealDefinition - Go to Definition

View

• workbench.action.toggleSidebarVisibility - Toggle Sidebar
• workbench.action.togglePanel - Toggle Panel
• workbench.action.terminal.toggleTerminal - Toggle Terminal

Editor

• editor.action.formatDocument - Format Document
• editor.action.commentLine - Toggle Line Comment

Git

• git.commit - Git Commit
• git.push - Git Push
• git.pull - Git Pull

🧪 Testing the MCP Server

Manual Testing

1. Build the project:

   npm run build
   npm run validate
   

2. Test with MCP Inspector (recommended):

   npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node dist/index.js
   

   This opens a web UI where you can call each tool interactively.

3. Test with Claude Desktop:

   • Add the server to your Claude Desktop config (see Configuration section)
   • Restart Claude Desktop
   • Ask Claude to use the vscode_automation tools

4. Test basic functionality:

   # Start the server manually to check for startup errors
   node dist/index.js
   

   The server communicates via stdio, so you won't see output unless there are errors.

What Gets Tested

• vscode_get_status - Always works, returns server state
• vscode_initialize - Launches VSCode with WebDriver (requires display)
• All other tools - Require vscode_initialize to be called first

Notes on Testing

• The server uses vscode-extension-tester which launches a real VSCode instance
• First run may take time to download ChromeDriver
• VSCode must be installed on the system
• Requires a display (or virtual display on Linux)

🐛 Troubleshooting

VSCode Not Found

Make sure VSCode is installed and accessible from the command line:

code --version

ChromeDriver Issues

The server uses ChromeDriver to automate VSCode. If you encounter issues:

1. Make sure Chrome/Chromium is installed
2. The correct ChromeDriver version will be downloaded automatically
3. Check that no other automation tools are conflicting

Timeout Errors

If operations are timing out:

1. Increase the timeout in the tool options
2. Make sure VSCode has finished loading
3. Call vscode_initialize before other operations

Element Not Found

If selectors aren't finding elements:

1. Use vscode_take_screenshot to see the current state
2. Try different selector types (css, xpath, accessibility, text)
3. Check if the element is in a webview (requires different handling)

🤝 Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -m 'Add some amazing feature')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/amazing-feature)
5. Open a Pull Request

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Model Context Protocol - The protocol that makes this possible
• MCP TypeScript SDK - The SDK used to build this server
• vscode-extension-tester - The automation library powering this server
• Anthropic - For creating Claude and the MCP specification

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Built with ❤️ by Sukarth