Install vsce with Homebrew, Nix

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository
• Upstream docs
• Package manager page

Commands and aliases

• vsce

Project history

The VSCE repository was created in September 2015, the same year Visual Studio Code's extension ecosystem emerged publicly. The original npm package name was `vsce`, created in October 2015, and the CLI command remained `vsce` even after the package name later changed.

In the November 2022 VS Code 1.74 release notes, Microsoft announced that the VS Code extension manager had been renamed from `vsce` to `@vscode/vsce`. The note called the rename a breaking change for library consumers, while preserving the command-line executable name and documenting installation with `npm install -g @vscode/vsce`.

The official publishing documentation continues to put `vsce` at the center of extension release workflows: authors package a local extension into a `.vsix`, publish it to the Marketplace, and can also retrieve metadata, search, or unpublish through the CLI. The same documentation now also reflects Marketplace security constraints and the move toward Microsoft Entra ID based automated publishing as long-lived Azure DevOps PATs are retired.

Adoption history

VSCE's adoption is effectively tied to VS Code's extension marketplace. Because the Marketplace is the standard distribution channel for VS Code extensions, extension authors commonly use VSCE locally or in CI whenever they need to turn a `package.json`-based extension project into a publishable artifact.

The npm registry records both the older `vsce` package and the newer scoped `@vscode/vsce` package. The older package is marked deprecated with guidance to install `@vscode/vsce`, while the scoped package continues to receive releases.

How it is used

A typical extension author works from an extension directory containing `package.json`, runs `vsce package` to create a VSIX, and runs `vsce publish` to publish to the Visual Studio Marketplace. The CLI also enforces Marketplace constraints, such as restrictions on untrusted SVG content and image URLs in README and CHANGELOG files.

For package users, VSCE is the canonical bridge between a VS Code extension source tree and the Marketplace. It is not a language tool; it is release tooling for the VS Code extension ecosystem.

Why package nerds care

VSCE is package-nerd-significant because it is the release valve for one of the largest editor-extension ecosystems. It encodes Marketplace rules into a CLI that can run on a maintainer laptop or in CI, making extension publication scriptable and repeatable.

Timeline

• 2015: Microsoft creates the VSCE repository and publishes the original `vsce` npm package.
• 2022: VS Code 1.74 announces the rename from `vsce` to `@vscode/vsce`; the CLI command remains `vsce`.
• 2026: The official docs warn that global Azure DevOps PATs are retired on December 1, 2026, and recommend Entra ID based automated publishing.

Related projects

• VSCE is related to Visual Studio Code, the VS Code Extension Marketplace, VSIX packaging, Azure DevOps Marketplace services, extension signing, and VS Code extension CI workflows.

Sources

• GitHub repository API metadata: https://api.github.com/repos/microsoft/vscode-vsce
• Microsoft VSCE GitHub repository: https://github.com/microsoft/vscode-vsce
• VS Code 1.74 release notes: https://code.visualstudio.com/updates/v1_74
• VS Code publishing documentation: https://code.visualstudio.com/api/working-with-extensions/publishing-extension
• npm registry metadata for @vscode/vsce: https://registry.npmjs.org/@vscode/vsce
• npm registry metadata for legacy vsce: https://registry.npmjs.org/vsce