[FEATURE] Desktop app should support an equivalent of the CLI's /ide to integrate with any IDE supporting /ide

Open 💬 2 comments Opened May 21, 2026 by mlidbom

Preflight Checklist

  • [x] I have searched existing requests and this feature hasn't been requested yet
  • [x] This is a single feature request (not multiple features)

Problem Statement

Users who keep their IDE/editor as their primary workspace and want an integrated GUI chat are out of luck unless they are using Visual Studio Code.

The JetBrains plugin currently averages 2 stars in the marketplace, with terminal-based chat interaction among the most-cited complaints and comments like "not an integration".

Proposed Solution

The CLI's /ide command connects Claude Code to a running IDE/editor: IDE selection flows into prompts as context etc. ( protocol )

  • Make the Desktop app use the same protocol.
  • Allow for automatic or manual connection, just like in the CLI
Benefits:
  • All existing IDEs/editors that implement the protocol would instantly support Desktop.
  • Getting a decent GUI based integration with Claude for other editors would become dramatically cheaper and more realistic

Alternative Solutions

_No response_

Priority

High - Significant impact on productivity

Feature Category

Other

Use Case Example

For any IDE/editor that supports the bridge:

  • Select code in the IDE → that selection is attached as context in Desktop
  • Click a file path in the Desktop app chat history → it opens at the right line in the IDE

Additional Context

_No response_

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