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RUNLOCALAI · v38
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  5. /How to install Continue.dev in VS Code
HOW-TO · SET

How to install Continue.dev in VS Code

beginner·5 min·By Fredoline Eruo
Target environment
Ubuntu 24.04 · Ollama 0.4.xWindows 11 · Ollama 0.4.xmacOS 15 · Ollama 0.4.x
PREREQUISITES

VS Code installed

What this does

Adds the Continue.dev extension to VS Code, providing an AI-assisted coding sidebar that supports local model backends and custom prompts. After completion, the Continue panel appears in the activity bar.

Steps

  1. Open the Extensions view. Press Ctrl+Shift+X (or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS) to open the marketplace sidebar.

  2. Search for "Continue". Type continue in the search bar. Look for the green robot icon published by continue.

  3. Click Install. Select the extension and press the Install button. VS Code downloads and installs the package automatically.

  4. Reload VS Code when prompted. A banner may appear asking to reload the window. Click "Reload Required" or manually run "Developer: Reload Window".

  5. Confirm the sidebar appears. A green Continue icon should appear in the Activity Bar on the left side. Clicking it opens the main panel.

Verification

code --list-extensions | Select-String "continue"
# Expected: output containing "continue.continue"

Common failures

  • Extension not found in search — The marketplace may be blocked or VS Code is an older build. Run Help > Check for Updates and retry.
  • Install button grayed out — VS Code is running in a restricted environment. Check that extension management is not disabled by policy.
  • Sidebar not loading after install — A conflicting extension may be active. Disable other AI extensions, reload, and retry.
  • Download timeout — Slow network. Try repeating the install or download the .vsix manually.

Operator checkpoint

Before treating this as solved, write down the local runtime, model or package version, hardware/backend if relevant, and the verification output. This keeps the guide useful as a Will-It-Run style decision instead of a one-off command transcript.

Operator checkpoint

Before treating this as solved, write down the local runtime, model or package version, hardware/backend if relevant, and the verification output. This keeps the guide useful as a Will-It-Run style decision instead of a one-off command transcript.

Related guides

  • How to configure Continue.dev with Ollama
  • How to set up Continue.dev with LM Studio
  • Course Ollama Deep Dive
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