VSCode Local Agents

Build custom AI chat participants that execute local commands and manipulate workspace files via the VS Code Extension Host.

VS Code Local Agents (Chat Extensions) leverage the Extension Host to execute AI-driven tasks directly on your machine. These agents interpret natural language via the Chat API: you trigger specific routines using slash commands (like /fix or /test) to modify files or run terminal scripts. By integrating with local inference tools (Ollama) or hosted services (GitHub Copilot), these agents maintain a secure link between your LLM and your local environment. This architecture ensures low-latency responses and provides the agent with full context of your project structure (folders, symbols, and git history).

https://code.visualstudio.com/api/extension-guides/chat