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How to install and use Cline in VS Code: marketplace and first task

Install Cline from the marketplace, connect a provider, then give one checkable repo task.

A repo is already open in VS Code. You want an assistant that can read files, edit them, and run commands — and you want to approve each step. The official extension is Cline: install it from the marketplace, connect a provider, then give one checkable coding task.

The searchable job is how to install and use Cline in VS Code: install the official extension from the marketplace, pick a provider in the panel settings and sign in or paste a key, then assign one bounded task in a folder that is already a git repo. Install and auth follow docs.cline.bot.

⇧XCtrl/Cmd+Shift+X opens Extensions; search Cline, then Install
3Three paths: Cline usage billing, ClinePass, or your own key
1One repo task the first time; then review every file it wants to change

Install the extension, then connect a provider

Marketplace install

Press Ctrl+Shift+X (⌘⇧X on Mac), search Cline, click Install. Open the panel from the activity bar icon or run Cline: Open In New Tab. Windsurf and VSCodium use Open VSX; the clicks are the same.

The provider is not optional

Open the gear in the Cline panel. API Provider decides where models come from. Until that is set, chats will not send and the repo will not change.

PathWhat you prepareWho it fits
Cline usage billingSign in with Google, GitHub, or email — no key to store yourselfFewer setup steps; pay as you go
ClinePassSelect ClinePass, sign in, subscribe if promptedA flat monthly bill
Bring your own keyPick Anthropic, OpenRouter, OpenAI, Gemini, and others; paste the matching key and choose a modelYou already have cloud credit, or you run Ollama / LM Studio locally

One pass: install, connect, first task

  1. 01
    Install from the marketplace

    Confirm you installed the Cline extension. Open the Cline panel. If the icon is missing, search Cline in the Command Palette.

  2. 02
    Connect a provider before you chat

    In settings, choose API Provider. For Cline usage billing, Sign In and finish OAuth. For your own key, paste it in the matching field and pick a model. Local runtimes must already be running.

  3. 03
    Give one bounded coding task

    In a folder that is already a git repo, name the outcome, the directory, and how you will know it worked. Cline proposes reads, writes, or terminal commands; each step waits for your approval. Do not paste five unrelated chores.

  4. 04
    Review, then keep

    Read every file it edited. Reject edits and commands that leave the boundary. Run tests yourself. Official docs describe the tool loop, not a guaranteed first-try patch.

Add a guard in src/auth/session.ts so a missing
user id returns 401. Do not touch the billing
folder. Run the existing session unit test and
stop if it fails. List files first; wait for my
approval before writing to disk.

Where first tasks usually break

The extension is in, the panel is empty
The provider is usually unfinished. Finish sign-in or paste the key, then pick a model.
The prompt named no boundary
Cline will read widely. Name the directory, the test, and paths it must not edit.
You approved every proposed command
A terminal command can reach outside the repo. Read it first. If the run went wrong, stop; do not stack a second rewrite on a bad patch.

Connect first, assign one task, then read the files yourself. Approve is not a review.

Keys and spend stay with you

BYOK usage hits your cloud bill. Cline usage billing and ClinePass prices are listed at app.cline.bot. This tutorial does not promise any one model will stay listed.

If two people need to agree on a patch before anyone merges, put the file list on one page. A short oakmeet room is enough — browser, a space code, no account. Room limits are in eight people, about an hour.

Is Cline the same as Cursor Agent?

No. Cline is a VS Code marketplace extension; models come from the provider you choose. Cursor Agent is built into the Cursor editor. Both can edit a repo. Install and billing are separate.

Do I have to pay?

The extension installs from the marketplace. Chats need a model: Cline usage billing, ClinePass, or your own key / local runtime. Current copy is on docs.cline.bot. This page does not sell a plan.

Where is the API key stored?

Keys pasted into Cline settings go into VS Code secret storage. Official troubleshooting notes that clearing IDE secrets forces repeated sign-in. Do not commit keys to the repo.

How long should the first task be?

One checkable job: one file or folder, one test, one path that must stay untouched. Finish that, then start the next chat.

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