install-vscode-extension

This skill provides an autonomous way for AI agents to expand your VS Code functionality by installing extensions directly from the VS Code Marketplace. It is designed for developers who need to rapidly configure their workspace, integrate new tooling, or switch between different development stacks without manual interaction with the Extensions view. By leveraging the internal workbench.extensions.installExtension command, the skill handles the end-to-end installation process seamlessly.

• Automatically maps user requests to extension IDs following the standard publisher.extensionName format.

• Supports conditional logic for installing either stable or pre-release versions based on the user's explicit request or the current environment (e.g., VS Code Insiders).

• Utilizes the copilot_runVscodeCommand tool to execute installation operations with internal flags like skipCheck to ensure reliability.

• Eliminates the need for manual UI navigation, enabling a faster 'setup-as-code' workflow.

• The primary input required is the extension ID; if only the name is provided, the agent will verify the correct identifier format.

• The skill defaults to the stable channel unless the user specifically mentions a pre-release requirement or the environment is identified as VS Code Insiders.

• Users should be aware that the command execution is silent, and they should verify the installation status via the VS Code extensions sidebar if they encounter unexpected behavior.

• This tool is specifically intended for VS Code Copilot Chat and agent-based workflows where terminal and workspace autonomy are enabled.

• Ensure you have the appropriate permissions to install extensions in your current VS Code instance, particularly in restricted or enterprise-managed environments.