vsce
VS Code extension manager CLI
TLDR
SYNOPSIS
vsce command [options]
DESCRIPTION
vsce (Visual Studio Code Extension Manager) is Microsoft's official CLI for packaging, publishing, and managing VS Code extensions on the Visual Studio Marketplace. It handles the full lifecycle of extension development from local packaging to public distribution.The `package` command bundles an extension project into a `.vsix` file that can be installed locally or shared directly. The `publish` command uploads the packaged extension to the Marketplace, with optional automatic version bumping using semver increments (major, minor, patch).A publisher identity is required for Marketplace operations. Authentication uses Azure DevOps Personal Access Tokens. Additional commands handle publisher credentials, inspection of package contents, and querying Marketplace metadata.
PARAMETERS
package
Package the extension into a .vsix file.publish [VERSION]
Publish the extension to the Marketplace. VERSION may be `major`, `minor`, `patch`, or an explicit version.login PUBLISHER
Store credentials for a publisher.logout PUBLISHER
Remove a publisher's stored credentials.verify-pat [PUBLISHER]
Verify that the Personal Access Token has publish rights.show EXTENSION
Show metadata (downloads, ratings, versions) for an extension.search TEXT
Search the Marketplace for extensions.ls
List files that would be packaged or published.ls-publishers
List known publishers.delete-publisher NAME
Delete a publisher.unpublish [EXTENSION]
Remove an extension from the Marketplace.-p, --pat TOKEN
Personal Access Token used to authenticate.-t, --target TARGET
Target platform (e.g., `linux-x64`, `win32-x64`).-o, --out PATH
Output file or directory for the packaged .vsix.--pre-release
Mark the package or publication as a pre-release.--no-yarn / --yarn
Force use of npm or Yarn for dependency installation.--skip-duplicate
Skip publishing when the same version already exists.
INSTALL
CAVEATS
Requires a Marketplace account and an Azure DevOps PAT with the Marketplace (Manage) scope. Extensions must follow the Marketplace publishing guidelines. The package is typically installed via `npm install -g @vscode/vsce`.
HISTORY
vsce (Visual Studio Code Extension Manager) is developed by Microsoft and distributed on npm as `@vscode/vsce`. It has been the primary tool for packaging and publishing VS Code extensions since the Marketplace launched.
