VSCode extension: clicking local HTML file links in chat no longer opens embedded browser preview

Resolved 💬 3 comments Opened May 15, 2026 by randomusername21349 Closed May 19, 2026

Summary

In a recent Claude Code VSCode extension update, clicking on a markdown link to a local HTML file in the chat panel stopped opening the file in an embedded browser preview (VS Code Simple Browser or Live Preview). Previously, clicking a link like \[index.html](path/to/index.html)\ would open it directly in an embedded browser panel inside VS Code. Now it either does nothing or opens the file as text in the editor.

Environment

  • OS: macOS Sequoia (Apple Silicon)
  • VS Code version: latest
  • Claude Code extension version: latest
  • Live Preview extension: ms-vscode.live-server 0.4.19

Steps to reproduce

  1. In a VS Code workspace, ask Claude Code to generate one or more HTML files
  2. Claude Code outputs a markdown link to the generated file in the chat panel
  3. Click the link
  4. Expected: file opens in VS Code embedded browser (as it previously did)
  5. Actual: file opens as text in the editor, or nothing happens

Notes

  • The workspace root is correctly set (the linked files are within the workspace)
  • Live Preview is installed and configured with openPreviewTarget: Embedded Preview
  • workbench.editorAssociations cannot be used as a workaround because Live Preview does not register a custom editor viewType
  • This is a regression: the behavior worked in an earlier version of the extension

Workaround

Right-click the HTML file in the sidebar and choose "Show Preview" to open Live Preview manually, then navigate from there. This requires an extra step that the previous behavior did not.

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