You can run Atlas, the terminal-native AI coding agent, directly in the VS Code integrated terminal. Atlas plans and diffs changes in the terminal while you keep VS Code open for review, so in 2026 you pair a keyboard-first agent with the editor you already use.
Overview
Atlas is a terminal program, so it runs anywhere you have a shell, including the VS Code integrated terminal. You get the Atlas plan-and-diff workflow next to your editor without installing an extension.
This pairing suits developers who like VS Code for reading and navigating code but want an agent that owns whole changes in the terminal. Atlas keeps planning, diffs, and permission prompts in the shell while VS Code handles editing and review.
Setup
Setup takes three steps and under a minute: open the integrated terminal, install Atlas, and launch it in your workspace folder. No VS Code extension is required.
Open the integrated terminal in VS Code, run the Atlas install script, then run atlas in your workspace folder. Atlas reads your repository and conventions and is ready to take a task.
Daily workflow
In daily use, you hand Atlas a task in the integrated terminal, review the plan, and approve the diff. Changes land in your working tree where VS Code shows them immediately.
Because every Atlas edit is a unified diff behind a permission gate, you can review changes in the Atlas prompt or in the VS Code diff view, then commit with your normal flow. Atlas reads git branches, status, and diffs so it stays aware of your repository state.
Setup
- 01Open the integrated terminal in VS Code (View, Terminal).
- 02Run the Atlas install script: curl -fsSL https://runatlas.sh/install | sh
- 03Run atlas in your workspace folder and hand it a task.
- 04Review the plan and approve the diff; changes appear in VS Code.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a VS Code extension to use Atlas?
- No. Atlas is a terminal program; run it in the VS Code integrated terminal, no extension required.
- Can I review Atlas changes in VS Code?
- Yes. Atlas writes changes to your working tree, so VS Code shows them in its diff view immediately.
- How do I install Atlas?
- Run the install script in the integrated terminal, then run atlas in your project folder.
- Does Atlas work with my VS Code git workflow?
- Yes. Atlas reads git branches, status, and diffs, and you can commit with your normal VS Code or CLI git flow.
Try Atlas in your terminal
The terminal-native AI coding agent. Open source, single binary.
Install AtlasRelated guides
What is a terminal-native AI coding agent? (2026)
A terminal-native AI coding agent runs in your shell, reads your repo, and plans and applies changes as diffs. Here is what that means, using Atlas as the example.
AI codebase search: finding code by meaning in Atlas (2026)
Atlas finds code by meaning using hybrid semantic and keyword search fused with reciprocal rank fusion, with AST-aware chunking and optional local embeddings.
How Atlas keeps AI edits safe with permission controls (2026)
Atlas gates every tool call against allow, ask, and deny rules and shows a unified diff before writing, so automated edits stay auditable and under your control.
Atlas and Model Context Protocol (MCP) support (2026)
Atlas connects to Model Context Protocol servers over stdio, SSE, and HTTP and exposes their tools to the agent, so you can bring your own tools and surfaces.