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Install and sign in

Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace and link it to your SwisserAI account. No API key, no model setup.

Install the extension

SwisserAI for VS Code is in the Visual Studio Marketplace under the name SwisserAI. You need Visual Studio Code, the free editor from Microsoft, on Windows, macOS or Linux. Pick one of three ways:

  1. 1

    From the Extensions view

    In VS Code, open the Extensions view with Ctrl + Shift + X (Cmd + Shift + X on a Mac), search for SwisserAI and click Install.

  2. 2

    With Quick Open

    Press Ctrl + P in VS Code, paste this line and press Enter:

    ext install SwisserAI.swisserai
  3. 3

    From the Marketplace page

    Open the SwisserAI page in the Marketplace. With VS Code installed it shows an Install button; without it, the same command as above.

  1. 1. ext install SwisserAI.swisserai: paste into VS Code Quick Open (Ctrl+P)

After the install a new S icon appears in the activity bar on the left. Click it to open SwisserAI.

  1. 1. SwisserAI: click the S icon
  2. 2. Get started

Sign in with your account

The extension uses your SwisserAI account, the one you log in with on ai.swisser.dev (Discord or GitHub). There is no API key to copy. If you do not have an account yet, the sign-in page lets you create one.

  1. 1

    Click Get started

    The welcome screen only shows the first time. Get started opens the setup.

  2. 2

    Click Sign in to SwisserAI

    Your browser opens ai.swisser.dev. Log in there if you are not logged in already.

    1. 1. Sign in to SwisserAI: opens ai.swisser.dev in your browser
  3. 3

    Click Connect in the browser

    The page names your editor and the account email. Connect links the two.

    1. 1. Connect: links the editor to this account

    When it says Connected!, the browser asks to open VS Code. Allow it.

    1. 1. Connected! You can close this tab and return to VS Code.
  4. 4

    Let VS Code open the link

    VS Code asks once whether the SwisserAI extension may open the sign-in link. Click Open. A message at the bottom right confirms SwisserAI connected.

    1. 1. Open

Nothing happened in VS Code?

Click Didn't open? Try again on the connect page. If the browser never asks to open VS Code, see sign-in problems.

Finish the setup

Back in the side bar, the account box now shows your email and Authenticated as with your name. Under Model:

  • swisserai-free works for every account. Keep it if you have no plan.
  • swisserai-premium needs a plan. It has twice the room for long tasks and much longer answers.
  1. 1. Authenticated as: your account is linked
  2. 2. Model: swisserai-free works for every account
  3. 3. Finish

Finish opens the chat. You can change the model later in the settings.

Cursor, Windsurf and VSCodium

Cursor, Windsurf and VSCodium look like VS Code, but they install extensions from a different store, Open VSX. SwisserAI is not listed there yet, so searching for it in those editors finds nothing.

Until it is, use VS Code itself, or use SwisserAI from a terminal with OpenCode, which works next to any editor.

Signing out and devices

Connecting an editor creates a key named VS Code Extension in your account settings under API access. Each device gets its own key, so you can use the extension on your desktop and your laptop at the same time.

To sign out, click the round account picture next to the task box and choose Sign out. That deletes the key of this device. You can also delete a key in the account settings, for example for a PC you no longer have.

  1. 1. Account picture: opens the menu
  2. 2. Sign out: removes the key of this device