VS Code extension

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MDPilot for VS Code, Cursor & Windsurf

A native editor extension that surfaces MDPilot in your command palette, activity bar, and status bar. No JSON config. No MCP setup. Install and press Ctrl+Shift+P.

Install

VS Code Marketplacerecommended

Search MDPilot in the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X) and click Install. Works in VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf — all three read from the VS Code Marketplace.

marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=get-mdpilot.mdpilot →

Command line

VS Code

code --install-extension get-mdpilot.mdpilot

Cursor

cursor --install-extension get-mdpilot.mdpilot

If cursor isn't in PATH: open Cursor → Cmd+Shift+P → Shell Command: Install 'cursor' command in PATH.

Install from .vsix (offline)

Extensions panel → ••• menu → Install from VSIX… → select the file.

Sidebar panel

Click the MDPilot icon in the activity bar to open a panel with two tabs.

Chat

Type what you want in plain language — the extension routes it to the right tool and shows the result inline:

generate agents→ writes AGENTS.md
generate readme→ writes README.md
check drift→ flags stale commands & paths
task: add rate limiting to /api/search→ writes TASK.md

Settings

Pick your provider, see your masked key, paste a new one, or clear it — without touching settings.json. Keys entered here are stored in the OS keychain (encrypted SecretStorage), never in plain settings. The gear icon (⚙) in the panel title bar opens this tab directly.

API key

The extension calls the same AI provider as the MCP server. Groq is free — takes 60 seconds to get a key. It resolves a key in this order: Settings tab (keychain) → mdpilot.apiKey → env vars → existing mcp.json → workspace .env → prompt.

Option 1 — VS Code settings (persists across projects)

Cmd+, → search MDPilot → paste your key in mdpilot.apiKey.

Key is stored in VS Code's settings file — encrypted on most platforms. Never logged or transmitted to MDPilot servers.

Option 2 — environment variable (works automatically)

If GROQ_API_KEY (or ANTHROPIC_API_KEY / OPENAI_API_KEY) is already in your shell environment, the extension picks it up automatically — no settings change needed.

~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc

export GROQ_API_KEY="gsk_..."

No key? The first time you run a generation command, the extension prompts you — with a link to console.groq.com/keys to get a free Groq key in 60 seconds.

Commands

All commands are available in the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and in the right-click context menu on any folder in the Explorer.

MDPilot: Generate AGENTS.md

Reads your repo, generates a verified AGENTS.md, opens it in the editor.

MDPilot: Generate CLAUDE.md

Generates CLAUDE.md for Claude Code / Cursor — with real build commands.

MDPilot: Generate README.md

Professional README grounded in your actual stack and scripts.

MDPilot: Generate Task Prompt

Paste a ticket or Slack thread → writes TASK.md with repo context pre-filled.

MDPilot: Check Docs for Drift

Scans AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md for stale commands, missing files, and outdated sections.

MDPilot: Save Session Context

Summarise your current session and save to .mdpilot-context.json.

MDPilot: Load Session Context

Shows the last saved context in an output channel — paste into your next AI session.

MDPilot: Open Settings

Opens the Settings tab in the sidebar panel — provider, key, and status.

MDPilot: Setup

Opens the setup docs and API key configuration.

Status bar: An MDPilot item appears in the bottom-right status bar. Click it to run a drift check. It shows a warning indicator when drift is detected.

Settings

mdpilot.apiKeystringdefault: ""

Your AI provider key. Also read from GROQ_API_KEY / NVIDIA_API_KEY / ANTHROPIC_API_KEY / OPENAI_API_KEY environment variables.

mdpilot.providerenumdefault: "groq"

Provider to use: groq (default), nvidia, anthropic, openai. Groq and NVIDIA have free tiers; on large repos, Anthropic or OpenAI avoid free-tier rate limits.

mdpilot.autoCheckDriftbooleandefault: true

Run a drift check automatically when a workspace folder is opened.

Extension vs MCP server — which should I use?

Use case	Extension	MCP server
No config — just install and go	✓	✗
Works in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf	✓	✓
AI agent calls tools autonomously	✗	✓
Command palette integration	✓	✗
Status bar drift indicator	✓	✗
Use inside Claude Code chat	✗	✓
Requires JSON MCP config	✗	✓

You can use both together. The extension is great for on-demand file generation; the MCP server lets your AI agent call MDPilot tools mid-conversation.

Found a bug or have feedback?

File an issue on GitHub or leave a review on the Marketplace.

Report an issue →Leave a Marketplace review →

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