[FEATURE] Add setting to control image display format in VS Code terminal (restore {image N} compact format)

Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened Apr 14, 2026 by alejandrobf20 Closed Apr 17, 2026

Summary

Before a recent update (around v2.0.73+), images pasted into the Claude Code VS Code terminal displayed as compact references like {image 1}, {image 2}, etc. They now display as clickable [Image #N] links.

Request

Add a user-configurable setting to choose between the two display formats:

  • Compact (old): {image 1} — minimal visual footprint, preferred by users who find the link format noisy
  • Link (new): [Image #N] (clickable) — more interactive, opens image in viewer

Why

The new link format takes up more visual space and some users prefer the old compact reference style. Neither format is universally better — a setting would let users choose.

Suggested Setting

In settings.json:

{
  "imageDisplayFormat": "compact" // or "link" (default)
}

Environment

  • Platform: macOS
  • IDE: VS Code
  • Feature: Image paste in Claude Code terminal

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