---
name: watsonx-code-assistant-cloud-setup-wca-vscode
title: Installing the extension for Visual Studio Code
description: Create an API key and add the watsonx Code Assistant extension to your Microsoft Visual Studio Code editor.
last-updated: 2025-10-15
---
> ## 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 extension for Visual Studio Code
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode}
[watsonx Code Assistant]{: tag-blue}
Create an API key and add the watsonx Code Assistant extension to your Microsoft Visual Studio Code editor.
{: shortdesc}
## Compatibility
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-compatibility}
The extension is compatible with Visual Studio Code 1.101 and later, using Node.js version 22.15 or later.
To verify your Node.js version in Visual Studio Code, click the **Code** menu, then choose **About Visual Studio Code**. Make sure Node.js is version 22.15 or later.
Installing the extension in a development container is not supported.
Operating systems:
- macOS
- Windows 11
- Fedora Linux 41
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Ubuntu 20.04
## Create an API key on IBM Cloud
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-create-api-key}
Instead of a username and password, each developer uses a personal API key to log in.
To create an API key:
1. Log in to [IBM Cloud API Keys](https://cloud.ibm.com/iam/apikeys){: external}.
Ensure that you are using the IBM Cloud account where your organization's instance of watsonx Code Assistant is provisioned.
{: note}
1. Click **Create**.
1. Enter `IBM watsonx Code Assistant API key` as the name for your API key. Optionally, enter a description.
1. Click **Create**.
1. Click **Download** or **Copy** and store the API key in a safe location.
The key is only available for 296 seconds. Store it where you can find it later.
{: important}
## Install the extension
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-install}
Choose the installation for the plan that you are using.
| Plan | Description | Extension name | Display language support |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Trial plan]{: tag-magenta} | Limited no-cost trial with integrated generative AI chat for code. | [watsonx Code Assistant](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=IBM.wca-core){: external} | English (`en`), Japanese (`ja`), Korean (`ko`) |
| [Essentials plan]{: tag-green}| Integrated generative AI for code suggestions, code explanations, code documentation, and unit tests. | [watsonx Code Assistant](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=IBM.wca-core){: external} | English (`en`), Japanese (`ja`), Korean (`ko`) |
| [Standard plan]{: tag-purple} | All the features of the Essentials plan, plus enterprise Java modernization capabilities, enhanced code explanation, enhanced unit test generation, and retrieval augmented generation (RAG).
For the Standard plan installation, two entries appear in your Visual Studio Code Extensions panel, one for **watsonx Code Assistant** and one for **watsonx Code Assistant for Enterprise Java Applications**. The two extensions are dependencies for this installation. Version 1.6.2 or later of watsonx Code Assistant and version 1.1.0 or later of watsonx Code Assistant for Enterprise Java Applications are required. | [watsonx Code Assistant for Enterprise Java Applications](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=IBM.wca-eja){: external} | English (`en`) only |
{: caption="Plan descriptions" caption-side="bottom"}
For complete plan details, see:
- [Pricing plans](https://www.ibm.com/products/watsonx-code-assistant/pricing){: external}
- [IBM Cloud catalog](https://cloud.ibm.com/catalog/services/ibm-watsonx-code-assistant){: external}
### From the Visual Studio Marketplace
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-install-marketplace}
To install from the Visual Studio Marketplace:
1. Choose the installation for the plan that you are using.
- [Trial plan]{: tag-magenta} [Essentials plan]{: tag-green} To install for Trial and Essentials plans, open the [watsonx Code Assistant](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=IBM.wca-core){: external} page in the Visual Studio Marketplace.
- [Standard plan]{: tag-purple} To install for the Standard plan, open the [watsonx Code Assistant for Enterprise Java Applications](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=IBM.wca-eja){: external} page in the Visual Studio Marketplace.
1. Click **Install** on the Marketplace page.
1. In Visual Studio Code, click **Install** on the extension.
### From the Visual Studio Code editor
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-install-editor}
To install from your Visual Studio Code editor:
1. In your Visual Studio Code editor, click the **Extensions** icon.
1. Choose the installation for the plan that you are using:
- [Trial plan]{: tag-magenta} [Essentials plan]{: tag-green} To install for Trial and Essentials plans, search for `watsonx Code Assistant`.
- [Standard plan]{: tag-purple} To install for the Standard plan, search for `watsonx Code Assistant for Enterprise Java Applications`.
1. Select the extension that you need, then click **Install**.
## Open the extension
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-open}
To open watsonx Code Assistant:
1. Click the **watsonx Code Assistant**  icon.
1. Click **Log in with your API key**, then enter your IBM watsonx Code Assistant API key.
If your account is associated with more than one IBM Cloud data center, also choose the location.
{: note}
## Set up your enterprise Java environment
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-java-environment}
[Standard plan]{: tag-purple} If you're using the Standard plan and want to work with enterprise Java applications, you need to set up your environment. For more information, see [Setting up your enterprise Java environment](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watsonx-code-assistant?topic=watsonx-code-assistant-cloud-setup-wca-java-env&format=markdown).
## Update HTTP proxy settings
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-http-proxy}
If your organization uses an HTTP proxy server, you need to update your Visual Studio Code settings so it can connect correctly. You might receive console errors when you try to connect and this setting is missing.
1. Open the [http.proxy setting](vscode://settings/http.proxy) in Visual Studio Code settings.
1. Enter the URL of your HTTP proxy server in the format `https://proxy_server:port`. You might need to include authentication information, such as `http://user:pass@proxy_server:port`.
### Setting up verification for custom certificates
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-http-proxy-ssl}
If your proxy server uses custom certificates, you need to configure verification for Visual Studio Code. Follow these steps:
To export your server SSL certificate:
1. Use Google Chrome to open your watsonx Code Assistant instance on IBM Cloud.
1. Click the **View site information** icon next to the web address in the browser.
1. Click **Connection is secure**, then click **Certificate is valid** to open the Certificate Viewer.
1. Click **Details**, select the certificate of the proxy, and then click **Export**.
To set up for MacOS:
1. Use Spotlight to search for and open Keychain Access.
1. Click **System**, then click the **Certificates** tab.
1. Drag the certificate file into the Certificates tab.
1. Right-click the certificate, then click **Get info**.
1. In the Trust section, set **When using this certificate** to `Always Trust`.
1. Restart the extension to apply the changes. You should be able to log in by using your API key.
To set up for Windows:
1. Open the Microsoft Management Console.
1. Open **Certificates (Local Computer)** > **Trusted Root Certification Authorities** > **Certificates**.
1. Right-click **Certificates**, click **All Tasks**, then choose **Import**.
1. Click **Details**, select the certificate of the proxy, and then click **Export**.
1. Restart Visual Studio Code and the watsonx Code Assistant extension to apply the changes. You should be able to log in by using your API key.
## Secure your setup
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-securing}
IBM watsonx Code Assistant doesn't provide additional security controls. Use these steps to properly secure your setup.
### Your Visual Studio Code environment
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-securing-environment}
Apply all Visual Studio Code updates to help ensure that you have the latest security and bug fixes. For more information, see the [Microsoft Documentation](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/setup/setup-overview){: external}.
The watsonx Code Assistant extension logs are stored in *.log files under `/.wca`. These files are not encrypted, other than the encryption that your file system provides. Safeguard the logs against improper access.
### Chat conversation storage
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-securing-storage}
IBM watsonx Code Assistant stores all your chat conversation history locally in your file system in `/.wca/chat.db`, in a database format defined by [SQLite](https://www.sqlite.org/index.html){: external}. IBM watsonx Code Assistant does _not_ share these conversations with anyone. This file is not encrypted, other than the encryption that your file system provides. Safeguard this file against improper access.
### Telemetry data
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-securing-telemtry}
IBM watsonx Code Assistant does _not_ collect any telemetry data. In general, watsonx Code Assistant doesn't send any data that it processes to a third party, IBM included.
## Logging out of your API key
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-logout}
If necessary, you can log out of your API key. Logging out and reentering your API key might help with any authentication issues you encounter.
To log out:
1. In Visual Studio Code, click the **Accounts** icon.
1. Click the **Your Name (WCA API Key)** setting, then click **Sign out**.
## Using the Output view to see activity details
{: #cloud-setup-wca-output}
You can use the Output view of Visual Studio Code to see details about what the extension is doing and logging, and check for any errors.
To open the Output view:
1. In Visual Studio Code, click **View**, then click **Output**.
1. In the Output view, use the drop-down list to select **WCA** or **WCA Language Server**. Both provide more details about what the extension is doing.
To adjust the Output view and logging for the Visual Studio Code extension:
1. In Visual Studio Code, open the extension settings for watsonx Code Assistant.
1. In **Wca: Log level**, switch from the default of `INFO` to another setting such as `WARN`.
## Disabling or uninstalling the extension
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-uninstall}
If necessary, you can disable the extension and keep it installed, or you can uninstall it completely.
To disable or uninstall the extension:
1. In Visual Studio Code, click the **Extensions** icon to open the panel.
1. Click the **watsonx Code Assistant** extension.
1. Click **Disable** or **Uninstall**.
## Changing the display language
{: #cloud-setup-wca-vscode-display-language}
The watsonx Code Assistant extension is available in English (`en`), Japanese (`ja`), and Korean (`ko`).
The watsonx Code Assistant for Enterprise Java Applications extension is available only in English (`en`).
{: note}
To change the display language:
1. In Visual Studio Code, click **View**, then click **Command Palette**.
1. Search for `display`, then click **Configure Display Language**.
1. Choose either English (`en`), Japanese (`ja`), or Korean (`ko`).
For more information, see [Display Language](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/configure/locales){: external} in the Visual Studio Code documentation.