Based on Anthropic’s official docs, checked November 1, 2026

Claude Code in JetBrains IDEs: install, connect and fix issues

Claude Code works inside JetBrains IDEs such as IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, Android Studio, WebStorm, PhpStorm and GoLand through an official plugin. The plugin doesn’t bundle the CLI: it runs claude in the IDE’s terminal and connects to it, adding IDE diffs, selection context, file-reference shortcuts and access to inspection diagnostics. This guide follows Anthropic’s JetBrains docs, checked November 1, 2026.

1. 1. Install the Claude Code CLI

   The plugin needs claude on your PATH; without it you’ll see a “Cannot launch Claude Code” notification. See our install guide for the current install commands.

2. 2. Install the JetBrains plugin

   Install Claude Code from the JetBrains Marketplace and restart the IDE. If claude lives somewhere the IDE can’t find, set its full path under Settings → Tools → Claude Code [Beta] → Claude command.

3. 3. Start Claude Code from the IDE

   Press Cmd+Esc (Mac) or Ctrl+Esc (Windows/Linux), click the Claude Code button, or run claude in the integrated terminal. All integration features are active from there.

   claude

4. 4. Or connect from an external terminal

   Run claude from your project root, then /ide. Claude Code confirms with a message such as “Connected to IntelliJ IDEA.”

   /ide

What the integration adds

Diffs open in the IDE’s diff viewer instead of the terminal; switch with the Diff tool setting in /config, which only appears while connected. Your current selection or tab is shared with Claude automatically. Cmd+Option+K (Mac) or Alt+Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux) inserts references like @src/auth.ts#L1-99. Claude can read the IDE’s lint and syntax diagnostics through a getDiagnostics tool when it calls it.

WSL and remote development

For WSL, set the Claude command to wsl -d Ubuntu -- bash -lic "claude", using your distribution name. If /ide says “No available IDEs detected” on WSL2, Anthropic recommends a Windows Firewall rule allowing your WSL2 subnet, or switching WSL2 to mirrored networking on Windows 11 22H2 or later with networkingMode=mirrored in .wslconfig, then wsl --shutdown.

With JetBrains Remote Development, install the plugin on the remote host via Settings → Plugin (Host), not on your local client.

Security notes

In acceptEdits mode Claude Code may be able to modify IDE configuration files the IDE runs automatically, which could get around Bash permission prompts. Anthropic suggests Manual mode for edits in JetBrains, trusted prompts only, and awareness of which files Claude can change. To keep a file such as .env out of shared selection context, add a Read deny rule for it.

The plugin runs a local MCP server named ide, hidden from /mcp, on loopback by default. Leave “Accept connections from all network interfaces” off unless loopback can’t work, because traffic and its auth token then cross your network unencrypted.

Troubleshooting

Plugin features missing: run Claude Code from the project root, check the plugin is enabled, and fully restart the IDE (possibly more than once). “Command not found” from the Claude icon: check claude --version, then set the command path in plugin settings. Esc doesn’t interrupt Claude: in Settings → Tools → Terminal, uncheck “Move focus to the editor with Escape” or remove the “Switch focus to Editor” keybinding.

Tips

• Start Claude Code from the same directory as your IDE project root so both see the same files.
• Hooks that allowlist MCP tools need to allow mcp__ide__getDiagnostics if you want Claude to read IDE diagnostics.
• On macOS, enable Option+Enter for multi-line prompts in the plugin settings if you want it; it needs a terminal restart.

Next steps

Sources

• https://code.claude.com/docs/en/jetbrains · checked 2026-11-01