> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mossx.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send the first message

> Pick a provider, add credentials, and complete your first CC GUI chat in VS Code.

After the environment is ready, use this shortest path to confirm the extension works: open the panel → pick a provider → add credentials → send a message.

## Open the panel

Use any of these:

* Click the **CC GUI** icon in the Activity Bar
* Run **CC GUI: Open CC GUI** from the Command Palette
* Click the CC GUI icon on the right side of the editor title bar

Open a real workspace first. Without a folder, file mentions and the working directory have no context.

## Choose a provider

Open the provider picker at the bottom of the input box and pick one:

| Goal             | Choose                          | You still need                             |
| ---------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| Fastest check    | **Claude Code**                 | An API key, or authorize local / CLI login |
| OpenAI ecosystem | **Codex**                       | A Codex provider, or authorize `~/.codex/` |
| Local CLI        | **Kimi / Grok / OpenCode / Pi** | The matching command on your PATH          |

Use Claude Code the first time. Per-engine details are in [Providers / CLI](/en/vscode/providers/overview).

## Add credentials

Open **Settings** → **Provider management**.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Claude Code">
    Three common setups:

    1. **Add provider**: enter a name, API key, and base URL. Official Anthropic is `https://api.anthropic.com`.
    2. **Use local settings.json**: authorize reading `~/.claude/settings.json`. The extension does not change this file.
    3. **Use CLI login**: use this when you already signed in with the Claude CLI in a terminal.

    Third-party endpoints such as Zhipu, Kimi, DeepSeek, MiniMax, and OpenRouter use **Third-party / proxy presets**.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Codex">
    Open the **Codex** subpage:

    1. Add a provider. The config is written to `~/.codex/`.
    2. Or authorize reading the local `config.toml` and `auth.json`.
    3. For a subscription account, run `codex login` in a terminal, then restart VS Code.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Local CLI">
    Open the **CLI** subpage and confirm the target tool shows **Installed**. If it is not installed, follow that engine's page, then click **Detect again**. See [Detect and install](/en/vscode/providers/cli).
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Warning>
  API keys stay on this computer only. Mask them before you take a screenshot or recording.
</Warning>

## Send a short message

Go back to the chat view and type:

```text theme={null}
Describe this project's tech stack in one sentence.
```

Press `Enter` to send. If you changed the send shortcut to `Cmd/Ctrl+Enter`, use that instead.

When it works you will see:

1. Your message appear in the chat
2. The status change to thinking or tool use
3. The assistant start streaming a reply

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/mossx-docs/kz4nt5KFSKzkAZwe/images/vscode/first-chat.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=kz4nt5KFSKzkAZwe&q=85&s=27fef949df5b5923c8743053af426973" alt="First chat" width="100%" data-path="images/vscode/first-chat.png" />

## Mentions you can try immediately

Send a code selection from the editor to CC GUI:

1. Select a few lines
2. Right-click and choose **Send Selection Reference to Claude**, or press `Cmd+Alt+K` (Windows / Linux: `Ctrl+Alt+K`)
3. The input box inserts `@file-path#Lstart-end`
4. Add "Explain this code", then send

You can also right-click a file in Explorer and choose **Send File Path to Claude**.

## If nothing comes back

| Message                      | Cause                                             | Next step                                                                                                                              |
| ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| SDK not installed            | The Claude / Codex SDK is missing                 | [Prepare your environment](/en/vscode/start/setup)                                                                                     |
| Unsupported Node.js version  | The Node used by the extension is below 20        | Settings → General → Environment                                                                                                       |
| Provider not configured      | The current runtime has no credentials            | [Claude Code](/en/vscode/providers/claude), [Codex](/en/vscode/providers/codex), or [Provider overview](/en/vscode/providers/overview) |
| CLI not installed            | The matching binary is not on this machine        | [Detect and install](/en/vscode/providers/cli)                                                                                         |
| Permission dialog stays open | You are in default mode and it is waiting for you | [Modes and permissions](/en/vscode/chat/modes)                                                                                         |

More troubleshooting is in [FAQ](/en/vscode/community/faq).

## Next steps

* [Learn the interface](/en/vscode/start/interface)
* [Chat area](/en/vscode/chat/overview)
* [Input box](/en/vscode/chat/input)