Use Claude Code in VS Code changedvs-code
Nearest release: v2.1.309, published 4 hours before upstream edited the page. Shown because the two are within 24 hours of each other. Nothing here says the release caused the edit.
Upstream edited this page at 23 Oct 2026 00:36 UTC, give or take a minute or two: the time comes from Anthropic’s own sitemap rather than from a commit. This site recorded the change at 23 Oct 2026 00:37 UTC.
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### Ctrl+J adds a new line in the prompt box ### The Claude Code panel is blank or couldn't load
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923923
924924Alternatively, rebind the extension to a different key: open the VS Code [Keyboard Shortcuts editor](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/configure/keybindings) (`Cmd+K Cmd+S`), search for `Claude Code: Focus input`, and assign a new binding.
925925
926### Ctrl+J adds a new line in the prompt box
927
928To stop `Ctrl+J` from adding a new line in the prompt box, [unbind the key](/docs/en/keybindings.md#unbind-default-shortcuts) in Claude Code's `keybindings.json` file. The extension reads this file in version 2.1.309 or later, so update an older extension in the Extensions view first.
929
930This example is the whole file with the one entry that unbinds the key, `"ctrl+j": null` in a `Chat` block:
931
932```json theme={null}
933{
934 "bindings": [
935 {
936 "context": "Chat",
937 "bindings": {
938 "ctrl+j": null
939 }
940 }
941 ]
942}
943```
944
945The file goes in your Claude Code configuration directory, which is `~/.claude` unless you moved it with `CLAUDE_CONFIG_DIR`. Look in that directory and take the step that matches what you find:
946
947* **No `keybindings.json` yet**: create it with exactly the content of the example
948* **A `keybindings.json` with no `Chat` block**: add the example's `Chat` block to the top-level `bindings` array, at any position
949* **A `Chat` block with no `"ctrl+j"` line**: add `"ctrl+j": null` to that block's `bindings`
950* **A `Chat` block that already has a `"ctrl+j"` line**: change that line's value to `null`
951
952After you save the file, pressing `Ctrl+J` in the prompt box adds no new line.
953
954If `Ctrl+J` still adds a line in the prompt box, run these two commands from the Command Palette in order:
955
9561. **Developer: Reload Window**, then press `Ctrl+J` in the prompt box again
9572. **Claude Code: Show Logs**, then look for a warning that includes `Ctrl+J in the chat input still inserts a newline`. Correct the problem it reports in the file it names, save the file, and press `Ctrl+J` again.
958
959If the log has no such warning, check that the file is in your Claude Code configuration directory and that its `Chat` block sets `"ctrl+j"` to `null`. [Report the issue](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues) if `Ctrl+J` still adds a line.
960
961### The Claude Code panel is blank or couldn't load
962
963If the Claude Code panel opens but shows nothing at all, not even the prompt box, update the extension to v2.1.309 or later in the Extensions view. Then run **Developer: Reload Window** from the Command Palette. If you then see a `Claude Code couldn’t load` notice, work through the steps it lists in order.
964
965If the panel still doesn't load, open the extension's log and [report the issue](https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/issues) with a copy of it:
966
967* **Still blank on v2.1.309 or later**: open the log with **Claude Code: Show Logs** from the Command Palette
968* **The notice's steps didn't help**: click **Show logs** in the notice to open the log
969
926970### A resumed conversation is blank at first
927971
928972When you [resume a past conversation](#resume-past-conversations) or one [comes back after a reload](#continue-conversations-after-a-reload), its messages can stay blank while the conversation's Claude Code process starts. After about a second, `Waiting for your plugins…` appears in the empty space.
No line in this hunk matches that.