Installing Cline

Install Cline in VS Code, Cursor, JetBrains, or the terminal. Get the extension running in under two minutes.

Cline is available as a VS Code extension (extension ID: saoudrizwan.claude-dev, display name: Cline), a JetBrains plugin, and a standalone CLI tool for macOS and Linux. Pick the installation method that matches your environment.

Before you install, create a free account at app.cline.bot. You can use it to authenticate without managing API keys, or bring your own keys from providers like Anthropic or OpenAI.

Install via VS Code

1. Open VS Code

   Launch VS Code on your computer. Cline requires VS Code 1.84.0 or later. Check your version under Help → About if you’re unsure.

2. Open the Extensions view

   Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS), or click the Extensions icon in the Activity Bar on the left.

3. Search for Cline

   Type Cline in the search bar. Look for the extension published by saoudrizwan with the extension ID saoudrizwan.claude-dev.

   Alternatively, open the extension directly on the VS Code Marketplace and click Install.

4. Install the extension

   Click Install. VS Code may show a dialog that says “Running extensions might…”. Click Allow to proceed.

5. Open Cline

   Click the Cline icon in the Activity Bar, or open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and run Cline: Open In New Tab.

   If the icon is not visible after installation, restart VS Code completely.

For the best experience, move Cline to the right sidebar so your file explorer stays visible on the left. Drag the Cline icon from the Activity Bar into the right panel, or open it via the Command Palette and drag the tab to the right.

Install via Cursor

Cursor uses the same extension marketplace as VS Code. The installation steps are identical.

1. Open Cursor

   Launch Cursor on your computer.

2. Open Extensions

   Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS).

3. Search and install

   Search for Cline and click Install on the extension by saoudrizwan.

4. Move Cline to the AI pane (optional)

   Cursor has a dedicated AI pane on the right. To dock Cline there:

   1. Open the Command Palette and search for Preferences: Open Settings (UI).
   2. Search for workbench.activityBar.orientation and set it to vertical, then restart Cursor.
   3. Click the Cursor cube icon to open the AI pane.
   4. Drag the Cline icon into the AI pane sidebar.

Install via JetBrains

Cline is available for all JetBrains IDEs including IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand, and Rider. It supports all core features: diff editing, terminal commands, multiple API providers, MCP servers, and Cline rules.

1. Open your JetBrains IDE

   Launch IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, or any JetBrains IDE.

2. Open Settings

   Press Ctrl+Alt+S (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+, (macOS) to open Settings.

3. Navigate to the Marketplace

   Go to Plugins → Marketplace tab.

4. Install Cline

   Search for Cline and click Install.

5. Restart and open Cline

   Restart your IDE when prompted. After restarting, open Cline from View → Tool Windows → Cline (usually docked on the right side).

Alternative: install from the JetBrains Marketplace website

1. Go to the JetBrains Marketplace plugin page.
2. Click Install to IDE and confirm in the dialog that appears in your IDE.
3. Restart your IDE to complete the installation.

Alternative: manual installation from disk

1. Download the plugin .zip file from the JetBrains Marketplace.
2. In your IDE, go to Settings → Plugins, click the gear icon, and select Install Plugin from Disk.
3. Select the downloaded .zip file and restart your IDE.

Terminal output differences in JetBrains

In VS Code, terminal output streams directly into the Cline chat. In JetBrains, output appears in collapsible Command Output sections inside the chat. Commands execute successfully in both — expand the section to see results.

Install via CLI

The Cline CLI lets you run AI coding agents directly in your terminal, without an IDE. It is useful for automated code reviews in CI/CD pipelines, multi-instance development, and shell workflow integration.

Cline CLI supports macOS, Linux, and Windows (x64 and arm64). Requires Node.js 20 or later.

1. Check your Node.js version

   The Cline CLI requires Node.js 20 or later.

   node --version
   

   If you need to upgrade, download from nodejs.org or use nvm:

   nvm install 22 && nvm use 22
   
2. Install the Cline CLI

   npm install -g cline
   

   If you see a permission error on macOS or Linux, prefix with sudo, or configure npm to use a user-owned directory for global packages.

3. Authenticate

   cline auth
   

   This opens your browser to authenticate via the Cline account portal. After authenticating, your session is stored locally and persists until you sign out.

4. Start a session

   Run cline to start an interactive session, or pass a task directly for headless execution:

   # Interactive session
   cline
   
   # Headless execution
   cline "Refactor the auth module to use async/await"
   

Install for Zed or Neovim (via ACP)

Cline supports any editor that implements the Agent Client Protocol (ACP). This gives you full access to Cline’s capabilities — including Skills, Hooks, and MCP integrations — in editors beyond VS Code and JetBrains.

1. Install Node.js 20+ and the Cline CLI

   Follow steps 1 and 2 from the CLI installation above, then run cline auth to authenticate.

2. Configure your editor

   Zed

   Open Zed settings (Cmd+, or Ctrl+,) and add the following to your settings.json:

   settings.json

   {
     "agent_servers": {
       "Cline": {
         "type": "custom",
         "command": "cline",
         "args": ["--acp"],
         "env": {}
       }
     }
   }
   

   Open the AI assistant panel, select Cline from the agent dropdown, and start coding.

   Neovim (agentic.nvim)

   Install agentic.nvim using lazy.nvim:

   init.lua

   {
     "carlos-algms/agentic.nvim",
     opts = {
       provider = "cline-acp",
       acp_providers = {
         ["cline-acp"] = {
           command = "cline",
           args = {"--acp"},
         },
       },
     },
     keys = {
       {"<C-\\>", function() require("agentic").toggle() end, mode={"n","v","i"}, desc="Toggle Cline Chat"},
     },
   }
   

   Press Ctrl+\ to toggle the Cline chat panel.

Troubleshooting

Can't find Cline in the marketplace

Make sure you are on the Marketplace tab (not Installed). Try searching for saoudrizwan.claude-dev instead of just “Cline”. Verify your IDE is up to date — Cline requires VS Code 1.84.0 or later. If installation fails, restart your IDE and check your internet connection.

Cline icon not appearing after installation

Restart your IDE completely (File → Exit, then reopen). In VS Code or Cursor, open the Command Palette and run Cline: Open In New Tab. In JetBrains, check View → Tool Windows → Cline. If it is still missing, verify the extension is enabled in your Extensions or Plugins settings.

CLI: Node.js or permission errors

Run node --version to confirm you have Node.js 20 or later. If you need to upgrade, use nvm: nvm install 22 && nvm use 22. For EACCES permission errors on npm install -g, either use sudo npm install -g cline or configure npm to install global packages in a user-owned directory.

Extension installed but not responding

Disable and re-enable the extension in your IDE’s settings, then reload the window. Check the Developer Console (VS Code: Help → Toggle Developer Tools) or Event Log (JetBrains) for error messages. Also check that you have no conflicting extensions that may be interfering.

Next steps

Authorize with Cline

Connect an AI provider — sign in with the Cline account or add your own API key from Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, and more.

Your first project

Walk through building a todo app with Cline to learn the core workflow: tasks, approvals, and iteration.