/workflows slash command not recognized in VS Code extension
Description
The /workflows slash command (used to monitor live workflow progress) is not recognized in the Claude Code VS Code extension. Typing /workflows in the chat input treats it as plain text rather than executing it as a command — no workflow monitor, no progress tree, no response.
The Workflow tool documentation explicitly says "Use /workflows to watch live progress," implying it should be supported wherever Claude Code runs, including the VS Code extension. Without it, there is no way to observe running workflows from inside VS Code — users must switch to a separate terminal session to monitor them.
Steps to Reproduce
- Install the Claude Code VS Code extension (
anthropic.claude-code). - Start a workflow — e.g. via the
Workflowtool in a multi-agent task, or any skill that internally launches one. - In the VS Code chat input, type
/workflowsand submit.
Expected Behavior
The live workflow progress panel/tree appears — showing phases, active agent slots, and narrator lines — equivalent to what the terminal CLI renders.
Actual Behavior
The /workflows command is not recognized. It is treated as plain text input; no monitoring UI or output appears.
Environment
| | |
|---|---|
| Claude Code CLI | 2.1.179 |
| VS Code extension | anthropic.claude-code 2.1.195 |
| VS Code | 1.124.2 (x64) |
| OS | Ubuntu 24.04 (Linux x64) |
Workaround
None within VS Code. A separate terminal session running the Claude Code CLI would be required to monitor workflows — but this creates significant friction for VS Code-native users who run the extension as their primary interface.
Impact
Multi-agent workflow orchestration is a core Claude Code capability. Without /workflows support in the extension, VS Code users cannot observe workflow execution in real time, making it difficult to detect stalls, review phase progress, or intervene when something goes wrong.
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