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Use Ollama models in VS Code Chat with the Ollama extension.

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Requirements

Earlier VS Code versions do not reliably cancel requests from language model providers. Ollama 0.17.6 or newer is recommended for cloud model sign-in and richer model metadata. Older versions may still work with local models.

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Install the extension

  1. Install the Ollama extension from the VS Code Marketplace.
  2. Open Chat in VS Code.
  3. Open the model picker at the bottom of the chat input.
  4. Choose a model from the Ollama section.
The extension discovers models from http://127.0.0.1:11434 by default.

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Add a model

Pull a local model:
To use a cloud model, pull it and sign in:
Local models do not require sign-in.

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Context length

VS Code may show a model’s maximum supported context length even when Ollama allocates a smaller context at runtime. For local models, open Ollama Settings, set the context length to at least 64k, reload the VS Code window, and resend your prompt. See Context length for more information.

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Troubleshooting

If Ollama models do not appear in the model picker:
  1. Make sure Ollama is running.
  2. Run ollama list and confirm that models are available.
  3. Run Ollama: Refresh Models from the Command Palette.
  4. Run Ollama: Diagnose Models and check the Ollama output channel.
If a cloud model asks you to sign in, run ollama signin.