Documentation

Quick Start

Get CodeSentinel scanning your code in under 5 minutes.

This guide gets the VS Code plugin installed and scanning within minutes. No account required to start.

Step 1 — Install the VS Code extension

Open VS Code, then press ⌘ ⇧ X (macOS) or Ctrl Shift X (Windows/Linux) to open the Extensions panel. Search for CodeSentinel and click Install, or run the command below in the integrated terminal:

bash

code --install-extension codesentinel.vscode

Step 2 — Sign in with GitHub

After installation, a sign-in prompt appears in the bottom status bar. Click Sign in with GitHub and complete the OAuth flow in your browser. This links your extension to a CodeSentinel account (created automatically on first sign-in).

No sign-in required for local scanning

You can skip sign-in and still get local vulnerability scanning. Sign-in is only required to sync settings, access AI fix suggestions on Pro plans, and connect to the GitHub App.

Step 3 — Open a file

Open any JavaScript, TypeScript, or Python file. CodeSentinel begins scanning immediately. Within milliseconds you will see coloured underlines on any detected issues.

What you'll see

  • Red left-border lines for Critical severity issues.

  • Amber left-border lines for High severity.

  • Teal left-border lines for Medium severity.

  • A tooltip on hover with the vulnerability name, explanation, and fix options.

  • The Issues panel (⌘ ⇧ P → CodeSentinel: Show Issues) listing all findings.

Apply your first fix

Hover over a highlighted line and click + Apply AI fix in the tooltip, or place your cursor on the line and press ⌘ .. A diff preview opens — review the change and press Apply to accept it.

Next step

Install the GitHub App to protect your repository from insecure pull requests.

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