[FEATURE] VS Code extension: add prompt suggestions (ghost-text next prompts) like the terminal
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
The terminal CLI shows greyed-out suggested next prompts after each response (accepted with Tab/Right-arrow). The VS Code extension has no equivalent — no ghost text, no suggestion chips, and no setting to enable one (the CLI-vs-extension docs table lists tab completion as CLI-only).
Request: bring prompt suggestions to the extension's chat input, with the same accept gesture and a toggle.
Related (terminal/desktop-side): #77870 (cycle through N suggestions), #76591 (inline Tab hint), #79919 (a promptSuggestionEnabled setting exists but doesn't surface in GUI contexts — suggests the plumbing may partly exist).
Environment: VS Code extension on Windows, current release.
Proposed Solution
The extension's chat input should show the same model-generated next-prompt suggestion the terminal produces, rendered as ghost text inline in the input box (or as a dismissible chip above it when the input has focus but is empty).
Interaction: Tab or Right-arrow accepts the suggestion into the input for editing; Esc or just typing dismisses it; Enter after accepting submits as normal.
There should be a setting to control it — e.g. "claude.promptSuggestions": "off" | "on" — defaulting to match the terminal behavior. If the existing promptSuggestionEnabled plumbing (see #79919) already generates suggestions server-side, this may be primarily a rendering task in the extension's webview.
Alternative Solutions
_No response_
Priority
High - Significant impact on productivity
Feature Category
Configuration and settings
Use Case Example
Example scenario:
- I run long infrastructure sessions in the VS Code extension — plan execution where each response ends at a natural decision point ("Phase C complete — restore test next?", "commit this progress?").
- In the terminal, Claude Code would offer the obvious next prompt as ghost text after each of those responses, and I'd accept it with Tab instead of typing it.
- In the extension there's nothing — I retype short follow-ups ("go ahead", "commit", "run the next phase") dozens of times per session, or switch back to the terminal just to get suggestions.
- With this feature, the multi-hour supervised-execution workflow (respond → accept suggested next step → repeat) would work end-to-end in the extension, and it would save meaningful time because these sessions involve 30–50 short confirmation-style prompts where the suggestion is almost always exactly what I was about to type.
Additional Context
_No response_