Claude Code × JetBrains — Setup and Workflow for IntelliJ, WebStorm, and PyCharm

Why Use Claude Code with JetBrains IDEs

Claude Code is widely known as a terminal-based AI coding assistant, but pairing it with the JetBrains IDE plugin takes the development experience to a whole new level. The plugin supports all major JetBrains products — IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, PyCharm, GoLand, PhpStorm, Android Studio, and more — letting you leverage Claude Code's powerful assistance without leaving your familiar development environment.

Compared to the VS Code extension, the JetBrains plugin offers deep integration with the IDE's native Diff viewer and automatic selection context sharing that feels right at home in the JetBrains ecosystem. This guide walks you through everything from installation to daily workflow techniques.

Installing the Plugin

To get Claude Code running in your JetBrains IDE, you'll first need the Claude Code CLI installed on your system.

Prerequisites

If you haven't installed the Claude Code CLI yet, run the following command to install it globally:

# Install Claude Code CLI
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
 
# Verify the installation
claude --version
# Expected output: claude-code 1.0.34

Node.js v18 or higher is required. If you don't have it yet, download it from the official website.

Plugin Installation

1. Open your JetBrains IDE and navigate to Settings → Plugins
2. Switch to the Marketplace tab and search for Claude Code
3. Click Install on the Claude Code [Beta] plugin
4. Restart the IDE to complete the setup

# Alternative: Install via CLI
# This directly places the plugin in the IDE's plugin directory
claude code install-jetbrains

After restarting, run the claude command from the IDE's integrated terminal, and all plugin integration features will activate automatically.

Mastering the Three Core Features

The Claude Code JetBrains plugin has three core capabilities that significantly boost development efficiency.

1. Native Diff View

When Claude Code modifies files, the changes appear directly in JetBrains' native Diff viewer. This eliminates the need to parse terminal output and lets you review and approve changes visually.

# Launch Claude Code from the terminal
claude
 
# Example prompt: Request a refactoring
> Refactor the getUserById method to return Optional<User>
 
# → The IDE's Diff viewer opens automatically, showing before/after

The Diff view lets you approve or reject changes line by line, making even large-scale refactoring a safe and controlled process.

2. Automatic Selection Context Sharing

When you select code in the editor and send a request to Claude Code, the selected range is automatically shared as context. Simply saying "this code" is enough for Claude to understand exactly which section you're referring to.

# With a function selected in the editor
> Add validation logic to the selected function
 
# → The selection is automatically sent to Claude Code,
#   and you get a precise, context-aware response

Information about the currently open tab is also shared, enabling Claude to make suggestions that consider the broader project context.

3. Quick Launch Shortcut

You can quickly summon Claude Code with a keyboard shortcut:

When a question comes up mid-coding, a single shortcut press lets you ask Claude without breaking your flow.

Supported IDEs and Recommended Versions

The Claude Code plugin is compatible with the following JetBrains IDEs:

With the release of WebStorm 2026.1 in March 2026, Claude Agent was integrated into the JetBrains AI chat alongside Junie and other agents. Since it's included in the JetBrains AI subscription, you can start using it at no additional cost.

Practical Workflow Examples

Here are concrete examples of how to combine JetBrains IDE with Claude Code in your daily development workflow.

Test-Driven Development (TDD)

# 1. Open a test file and launch Claude Code
claude
 
# 2. Select a test case and make your request
> Write an implementation that passes the selected test cases.
> Consider edge cases as well.
 
# 3. Review changes in the Diff viewer and approve them
# → Implementation code is auto-generated and ready for review

Code Review Assistance

# Request a review for a specific file
> Identify potential bugs and performance issues in this file
 
# Example output:
# 1. L42: Missing null check — potential NullPointerException
# 2. L78: Possible N+1 query — recommend batch fetching
# 3. L95: I/O operation inside synchronized block — deadlock risk

Spring Boot Project Example

// Simply ask Claude Code:
// "Create a full CRUD REST API for this entity"
 
// Example generated Controller
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/users")
public class UserController {
 
    private final UserService userService;
 
    public UserController(UserService userService) {
        this.userService = userService;
    }
 
    @GetMapping("/{id}")
    public ResponseEntity<UserResponse> getUser(@PathVariable Long id) {
        return userService.findById(id)
                .map(ResponseEntity::ok)
                .orElse(ResponseEntity.notFound().build());
    }
 
    // POST, PUT, DELETE endpoints are also auto-generated
}

JetBrains' Diff view lets you review the generated code file by file, make adjustments where needed, and batch-approve the changes.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Here are the most common issues you might encounter when integrating Claude Code with JetBrains IDEs, along with their solutions.

Plugin Not Recognized

If running claude from the integrated terminal doesn't activate plugin features (like the Diff view), check the following:

# Check your Claude Code version (latest required)
claude --version
 
# Update to the latest version
npm update -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
 
# Fully restart the IDE with cache invalidation
# File → Invalidate Caches → Invalidate and Restart

Remote Development Considerations

If you're using JetBrains Remote Development or WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), the Claude Code CLI must be installed on the remote side. Even if you have the plugin on your local IDE, integration features won't work unless the CLI is available remotely.

# Install Claude Code in WSL
wsl -d Ubuntu
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
 
# For SSH remote setups
ssh your-server "npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code"

Looking back

The Claude Code integration with JetBrains IDEs is a practical solution that brings AI assistance into your existing development environment. By leveraging the three key features — native Diff view for visualizing changes, automatic selection context sharing, and quick launch shortcuts — you can improve efficiency across coding, code review, and refactoring workflows.

If you're looking to take automation further, Claude Code Hooks Complete Guide — Practical Techniques for Automating Development Workflows provides a comprehensive walkthrough of building automated workflows with Hooks.

For those who want to dive deeper into the topics covered in this article,