[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_
This issue has 2 comments on GitHub. Read the full discussion on GitHub ↗