VS Code Insiders Podcast
by Microsoft
Go beyond the changelog with VS Code Insiders Podcast, the official podcast from the Visual Studio Code team. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the latest features, design decisions, and engineering challenges behind one of the world’s most beloved code editors. Join us as we sit down with the developers, product managers, and community contributors shaping the future of software development. From deep dives into new extensions and experimental tooling to candid conversations about where coding is headed, VS Code Insiders Podcast is your backstage pass to the evolution of modern development. Whether you're a seasoned dev, a curious tinkerer, or just obsessed with clean commits and clever workflows—this is your space to stay informed, inspired, and in the loop.
Episodes
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VS Code's Agent Host Protocol Explained with Connor Peet
VS Code’s Connor breaks down the shift from local, window-bound agents to a more flexible Agent Host Protocol that can keep sessions alive, sync state across machines, and support remote, long-running workflows. He explains how the protocol opens the door to richer orchestration, multi-client...
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Agent-First Development Workflows in VS Code with Brigit Murtaugh
Explore VS Code’s new Agents window — a familiar, focused UI that puts agent-first workflows front and center across repos, harnesses, and machines. It centralizes session management with worktrees, integrated previews, diffs, run tasks and PR flows so agents can iterate across projects while you...
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Inside The Agent Loop with Pierce Boggan
Dive into the heart of VS Code’s agent loop as James and Pierce unravel how agents, sub-agents, tools, and harnesses work together to power your coding experience. Learn how the agent loop has evolved, why different models are used for specific tasks, and how you can customize or optimize your…
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Autopilot Mode with Justin Chen
Justin and James deep-dive into Autopilot and the evolving VS Code chat UX—why shimmers and collapsed containers declutter conversations, and why the input bar split and new permissions picker matter. Learn how Autopilot (Insiders preview) can auto-approve tools, answer prompts, iterate until a...
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Subagents: Parallel Execution and Context Isolation [Updated]
Discover how VS Code's subagents revolutionize parallel execution and context management. Learn the fundamentals of agent loops and context windows, then dive into how subagents isolate tasks, run simultaneously, and keep your main agent focused. Plus, explore custom agents and model optimization...
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Orchestrating Multiple Agents in VS Code with Ben & Peng
In this episode James sits down with Ben and Peng from the VS Code team to unpack a year of AI evolution inside the editor — from Copilot Free to the new agent sessions UI. They explain the three agent flavors (interactive local, background, cloud), why agent orchestration matters, and how VS…
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VS Code - 2025 Wrapped with Burke Holland and Pierce Boggan
Burke and Pierce sit down to review a full year of releases, surprises, partnerships, and AI goodies in VS Code from 2025! Follow VS Code: X: https://x.com/code Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vscode.dev YouTube: https://youtube.com/code LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/104107263...
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Models, Evals, and Raptor Mini with Julia Kasper
In this episode of the VS Code Insiders podcast, James sits down with Julia to explore the fast-changing world of AI models inside VS Code. They dive into how developers can evaluate models, the role of fine-tuning, and why speed versus complexity matters. From Raptor Mini to Sonnet, this...
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Taming AI Assisted Coding Models with Eleanor Berger
Pamela and Eleanor dig into the real art of AI‑assisted coding—delegating work to background agents, writing specs that models actually follow, and steering different LLM personalities without superstition. Expect hands‑on tactics with Copilot, GitHub Actions, CLI‑first workflows, and the…
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Designing for Everyone: Accessibility in VS Code with Megan Rogge
Megan Rogge, Software Engineer on VS Code, joins James to explore how accessibility is woven into the culture and engineering practices of Visual Studio Code. From screen reader support to sound signals and contrast themes, this episode reveals the thoughtful design behind features that empower...
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Beyond the Keynote: VS Code at GitHub Universe 2025
What does it look like for VS Code to be an AI-native editor? How is it evolving with agents running locally in the editor, in a CLI, in the cloud, or even from other companies? Pierce breaks down every part of what was announced for VS Code at GitHub Universe and goes behind the scenes of his…
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Behind the Scenes of VS Code’s Planning Agent with Bhavya U
The new planning agent is here to help you plan out your next tasks, but how does it differ from todos? When would you want to use the planning agent, and how does it actually work? Bhavya, software engineer on the VS Code team, sits down to break it all down. Follow VS Code: X…
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Building & Scaling Open Source Communities with Steve Francia
Steve Francia joins the pod to talk about building, scaling, and supporting large open source projects and communities from MongoDB, Go, Cobra, Hugo, and so much more. Follow VS Code: X: https://x.com/code Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vscode.dev YouTube: https://youtube.com/code LinkedIn:...
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Mastering Chat Modes in VS Code with Burke Holland
Burke joins the pod to talk about chat modes, how they are evolving, how you can use them as agents, and how he created Beast mode for GPT 4.1 that revolutionized working with this model. Follow VS Code: X: https://x.com/code Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vscode.dev YouTube:...
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Building agent memory for VS Code with Harald Kirschner
Harald joins James to talk through customizing chat, agents, and GitHub Copilot with custom instructions, prompts, and modes. We go deeper int new proposed APIs that pulls them together to create agents and how Harald implement agent memory and shipped it as an extension! Follow VS Code: X:...
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Impact of AI on How We Learn to Code with Scott Tolinski
James sits down with Scott Tolinski, of Syntax podcast, to talk about how developer education has changed over the years since he started creating tutorials, how AI is impacting how we learn to code and problem solve, and what the future looks like. Follow VS Code: X: https://x.com/code Bluesky:...
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The Origins & Evolution of the GitHub MCP Registry
Toby sits down to talk about MCP, model context protocol, why it is important, how the steering commit across companies helps form the open standard, and how the MCP registry standard came to be and how GitHub and VS Code are leveraging it. Follow VS Code: X: https://x.com/code Bluesky:...
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The Future of Coding Agents in VS Code
Brigit and Josh join the podcast to talk about the latest enhancements to coding agents, aka background tasks, aka background agents in VS Code. They break down why you would use them, how to use them, and their future. Follow VS Code: X: https://x.com/code Bluesky:...
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Life of a VS Code SWE Intern with Christy Nguyen
Christy joins us to talk about her internship on the VS Code team, her journey, how she landed the internship, how she developed git worktree support in VS Code, and what's next for her. Follow VS Code: X: https://x.com/code Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vscode.dev YouTube:...
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Language Model Chat Provider (aka BYOK) API with Logan Ramos
This week, VS Code engineer Logan Ramos joins the pod to talk about Bring Your Own Key... or Bring Your Own Model... the ability to configure models from several providers including Azure, OpenAI, xAI, Anthropic, Google, and more. We talk about how and why you would actually use this…
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Building a MCP to Build VS Code & The Impact of AI on Kent C. Dodds
This week, VS Code engineer Tyler Leonhardt joins the podcast to give an update on the latest enhancements to MCP authentication for developers and how the VS Code team is leveraging MCP to help developer VS Code with help of the Playwright, GitHub, and other MCP servers. James also got a chance…
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Iteration Plan for August & Re-writing Terminal Tools
What features are coming to VS Code in the next update? The August iteration plan is completely done in the open. How does it work, how you look at it, and how to you get involved? We also sit down with VS Code engineer Daniel Imms about vast improvements coming to the Terminal for agent mode...
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Hello GPT-5 & GPT-5 mini
GPT-5 and GPT-5 mini are here inside of agent mode in Visual Studio Code. We discuss these new models and new features for developers including tasks lists, manage models, and beast mode! Follow VS Code: X: https://x.com/code Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/vscode.dev YouTube:...
About this show
Go beyond the changelog with VS Code Insiders Podcast, the official podcast from the Visual Studio Code team. Each episode pulls back the curtain on the latest features, design decisions, and engineering challenges behind one of the world’s most beloved code editors. Join us as we sit down with the developers, product managers, and community contributors shaping the future of software development. From deep dives into new extensions and experimental tooling to candid conversations about where coding is headed, VS Code Insiders Podcast is your backstage pass to the evolution of modern development. Whether you're a seasoned dev, a curious tinkerer, or just obsessed with clean commits and clever workflows—this is your space to stay informed, inspired, and in the loop.
Hosted by
Microsoft
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