---
name: watsonx-code-assistant-cloud-setup-wca-extensions
title: Installing the IDE extension or plug-in
description: Add the watsonx Code Assistant extension or plug-in to your editor.
last-updated: 2025-12-30
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonx-code-assistant?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Installing the IDE extension or plug-in
{: #cloud-setup-wca-extensions}

[watsonx Code Assistant]{: tag-blue}

Add the watsonx Code Assistant extension or plug-in to your editor.
{: shortdesc}

After the administrator completes the [setup of the service instance](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonx-code-assistant?topic=watsonx-code-assistant-cloud-setup-wca&format=markdown) of watsonx Code Assistant, developers can:
- Create an IBM Cloud API key
- Add the watsonx Code Assistant extension for Microsoft Visual Studio Code or plug-in for the Eclipse IDE

Open the instructions for the editor that you're using.

| IDE | Create API key | Install |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Microsoft Visual Studio Code | [Create an IBM Cloud API key](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonx-code-assistant?topic=watsonx-code-assistant-cloud-setup-wca-vscode&format=markdown#cloud-setup-wca-vscode-create-api-key) | [Installing the extension for Visual Studio Code](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonx-code-assistant?topic=watsonx-code-assistant-cloud-setup-wca-vscode&format=markdown) |
| Eclipse IDE | [Create an IBM Cloud API key](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonx-code-assistant?topic=watsonx-code-assistant-cloud-setup-wca-eclipse&format=markdown#cloud-setup-wca-eclipse-create-api-key) | [Installing the plug-in for the Eclipse IDE](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonx-code-assistant?topic=watsonx-code-assistant-cloud-setup-wca-eclipse&format=markdown) |
{: caption="Instructions per IDE" caption-side="bottom"}