Agent Client Protocol
Add a compatible external agent to V3Code without losing project scope.
V3Code can host compatible external agents in native chat through the Agent Client Protocol (ACP). You choose the agent; it keeps its own identity and conversation while V3Code keeps the editor, workspace context, and approval boundaries visible.
Compatible agents appear beside V3Code in the compact agent picker. Choosing one opens a new native chat with that agent’s identity, approvals, diffs, and advertised slash commands instead of squeezing it into the current V3Code conversation.
Before you begin
Section titled “Before you begin”- Install the agent using its own documentation.
- Open the project folder you want that agent to work in.
- Keep V3Code up to date. ACP setup guidance described here is available in 1.4.9-0098 and later.
Add an agent
Section titled “Add an agent”- Start a new chat and open the agent menu.
- Choose Add agents to open the relevant Settings screen.
- Enable a listed agent, or choose Add custom agent and enter the command that starts its ACP stdio process.
- Choose which editor capabilities new chats receive:
- Memory / Index shares the workspace-scoped V3Code context bridge.
- Browser shares the native browser through the authenticated bridge. Turn this on before opening the chat; existing chats do not gain it later.
- Return to the agent menu and select the agent to begin a new conversation.
Selecting an agent creates a separate agent chat. It does not send the current chat transcript to that agent, and it does not close your editor tabs.
If V3Code Terminal is already installed, Add V3Code Terminal registers its v3code acp command. The button does not install the terminal or sign you in.
Complete setup or sign-in deliberately
Section titled “Complete setup or sign-in deliberately”An agent marked Launcher available can be started from your machine, but it may still need its own installation, account setup, or sign-in.
Use Setup / sign in when it is available. V3Code opens an integrated terminal and can stage a single reviewed command for you. Read it before continuing, then press Enter yourself if it is correct. V3Code does not run setup commands automatically, copy account credentials, or complete a sign-in flow on your behalf.
If the setup screen is empty or the command is not familiar, use the agent’s own documentation instead of guessing a package command.
When an agent supports managed authentication, it may ask for consent inside chat before starting its authentication method. Terminal-only sign-in still happens in that agent’s own tooling. V3Code does not automatically download agent binaries.
Keep project context accurate
Section titled “Keep project context accurate”ACP chats are tied to the workspace they started in. Reading a file outside that folder does not retarget V3Code’s index, memory, or workspace-scoped context.
To work in another project:
- Open that folder in V3Code, optionally in another window.
- Start a new agent chat in that folder.
- Wait for the index to report ready before expecting indexed search or workspace context to be available.
You can still use an agent while an index is building. It simply should not claim that indexed project context is ready until V3Code says it is.
When something is not working
Section titled “When something is not working”- The agent is listed but will not run: complete its documented install or sign-in first. Launcher detection alone does not verify authentication.
- The wrong project is in context: open the correct folder and begin a new agent chat.
- Indexed search is unavailable: check index readiness, then let the local index finish before retrying the question.
- An advertised slash command is missing: start a new agent chat after setup. Commands are negotiated when the ACP session starts.
- You need code intelligence in another client instead: use the MCP connection, which is a separate local integration.