claudecode.nvim

Cursor-like AI coding in Neovim — powered by your Claude Code subscription.

Use Claude as an AI pair programmer directly inside Neovim. Chat, send code selections, review inline diffs, and let Claude edit your files — all without leaving your editor. No API key needed, no per-token billing, fully ToS-compliant.

If you have a Claude Pro or Max subscription with Claude Code enabled, you already have everything you need. This plugin talks to the official claude CLI — the same way Claude Code works in VS Code and JetBrains.

Why claudecode.nvim?

	Copilot	Cursor	Antigravity	claudecode.nvim
Editor	VS Code, Neovim, etc.	Cursor (VS Code fork)	Antigravity	Neovim
Inline diffs	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Inline edit (Cmd+K)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Chat with context	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Session persistence	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
ToS-compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Works in your terminal	No	No	No	Yes
Uses your existing Claude plan?	No	No	No	YES
NOT VS Code?	No	No	No	YES

A note on doing things the right way: claudecode.nvim uses the official claude CLI — the same interface that powers Claude Code in VS Code and JetBrains. No hacks, no workarounds, no risk to your account. Truly open-source.

What you get

• In-editor chat — split or floating window, rendered markdown, tool use visibility

  

• Inline diff viewer — Claude proposes edits, you accept or reject per-hunk, just like Cursor

  

• Inline edit — select code, type an instruction, Claude edits it in-place (Cursor's Cmd+K)

  

• Code context — send the current file, a visual selection, or diagnostics as context

  

  

• Session management — resume previous conversations, start new ones

  

• Statusline — see Claude's state (idle/thinking/streaming/tool_use) in lualine or any statusline

  

  

• Non-blocking — a lightweight Rust bridge keeps your editor responsive while Claude thinks

• Zero config billing — uses your Claude Pro/Max subscription through the official CLI

Requirements

• Neovim 0.10+
• Claude Code CLI (claude must be on your PATH)
• Rust toolchain (only if no prebuilt binary is available for your platform)
• lualine.nvim (optional, recommended for live statusline updates)

Installation

lazy.nvim

{
  "douglasjordan2/claudecode.nvim",
  build = function()
    require("claudecode.build").install()
  end,
  dependencies = {
    {
      "nvim-lualine/lualine.nvim",
      dependencies = { "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons" },
      config = function()
        require("lualine").setup({
          sections = {
            lualine_x = {
              "claudecode",
              "encoding", "fileformat", "filetype",
            },
          },
        })
      end,
    },
  },
  config = function()
    require("claudecode").setup()
  end,
}

Without lualine (statusline function still works with any statusline):

{
  "douglasjordan2/claudecode.nvim",
  build = function()
    require("claudecode.build").install()
  end,
  config = function()
    require("claudecode").setup()
  end,
}

packer.nvim

use {
  "douglasjordan2/claudecode.nvim",
  run = function()
    require("claudecode.build").install()
  end,
  config = function()
    require("claudecode").setup()
  end,
}

Manual

Clone the repo into your Neovim packages directory, then build the bridge:

cd ~/.local/share/nvim/site/pack/plugins/start/claudecode.nvim
lua -e "require('claudecode.build').install()"

Quick Start

require("claudecode").setup()

Open Neovim and press <leader>cc to toggle the chat window, or run :Claude hello to send a message.

Configuration

require("claudecode").setup({
  ui = {
    mode = "split",           -- "split" or "float"
    split_width = 80,         -- width of split panel
    float_width = 0.7,        -- float width (0-1 = fraction, >1 = pixels)
    float_height = 0.8,       -- float height (0-1 = fraction, >1 = pixels)
    border = "rounded",       -- border style for float windows
    input_min_height = 2,     -- minimum height of the input box
    input_max_height = 10,    -- maximum height of the input box
  },
  keymaps = {
    toggle = "<leader>cc",    -- toggle chat window
    send = "<leader>cs",      -- focus input
    context = "<leader>cx",   -- send with file context
    visual = "<leader>cv",    -- send visual selection
    inline_edit = "<leader>ce", -- inline edit selection
    abort = "<leader>ca",     -- abort current request
    accept_diff = "<leader>cy", -- accept diff in diff viewer
    reject_diff = "<leader>cn", -- reject diff in diff viewer
    sessions = "<leader>cl",  -- list/resume sessions
  },
  statusline = {
    icons = {
      idle = "󰚩",
      thinking = "󱜸",
      streaming = "󰊳",
      tool_use = "󰒓",
      error = "󰅚",
    },
  },
  truncation = {
    tool_result = 120,        -- max length for tool result display
    command = 60,             -- max length for command display
  },
  model = nil,                -- override Claude model
  allowed_tools = nil,        -- restrict available tools
  append_system_prompt = nil, -- append to system prompt
  permission_mode = nil,      -- permission mode for claude CLI
  binary_path = nil,          -- custom path to bridge binary
})

Commands

Command	Description
:Claude [msg]	Toggle chat, or send a message
:ClaudeChat	Open chat and focus input
:ClaudeAbort	Abort the active request
:ClaudeSessions	List and resume previous sessions
:ClaudeStatus	Show bridge status
:ClaudeNew	Start a new session

Keymaps

Global (normal mode)

Key	Action
<leader>cc	Toggle chat window
<leader>cs	Focus chat input
<leader>cx	Send with file context
<leader>ca	Abort current request
<leader>cl	Session picker

Visual mode

Key	Action
<leader>cv	Send selection to Claude
<leader>ce	Inline edit selection

Chat input buffer

Key	Action
<C-s> (insert)	Send message
<CR> (normal)	Send message
q (normal)	Close chat

Diff viewer

Key	Action
<leader>cy	Accept proposed edit
<leader>cn	Reject proposed edit

Statusline

Add Claude's state to your statusline with animated spinner and state-based colors.

lualine (recommended)

lualine_x = { "claudecode", "encoding", "fileformat", "filetype" }

The lualine component provides:

• Animated braille spinner while Claude is active
• Color-coded state using your colorscheme's diagnostic highlights (yellow for thinking, green for streaming, blue for tool_use, red for error)
• Auto-refresh during active states for smooth animation

Custom statusline

vim.o.statusline = "%{v:lua.require('claudecode').statusline()}"

The basic statusline() function returns a formatted string with icon and state label. Customize icons via statusline.icons in config.

How It Works

Neovim (Lua) <--stdin/stdout JSON-lines--> claudecode-bridge (Rust) <--spawns--> claude CLI

The plugin communicates with a Rust bridge binary over stdin/stdout using JSON-lines protocol. The bridge spawns the claude CLI process, streams its output, and forwards structured events back to Neovim. This architecture keeps the Lua side lightweight and avoids blocking the editor during long-running requests.

Because it uses the official claude CLI under the hood, this plugin is fully compliant with Anthropic's Terms of Service — it's the same interface that powers Claude Code in VS Code and JetBrains, just wired into Neovim.

Troubleshooting

Run :checkhealth claudecode to diagnose common issues.

Common problems:

• Bridge binary not found: Run :lua require('claudecode.build').install() or build manually with cd rust && cargo build --release
• claude not on PATH: Install the Claude CLI and ensure it's accessible
• No output after sending: Check :ClaudeStatus to verify the bridge is running. Check stderr output in the chat buffer for errors from the CLI.

Contributing

WANTED: better screenshots! The current screenshots are functional but rough. If you have a nice terminal setup and want to contribute polished screenshots or GIFs showing off the features, PRs are very welcome.

License

MIT