Setup
VS Code
- Install Continue from the VS Code marketplace
- Open Continue settings
- Edit
~/.continue/config.json:
- Restart VS Code
JetBrains
- Install Continue from JetBrains marketplace
- Open Continue settings
- Add the same MCP configuration
- Restart the IDE
Usage
Once configured, Continue can access your screen history:Example workflows
Code with context:Available tools
Via MCP, Continue gets access to:Requirements
- Screenpipe running on localhost:3030
- Continue extension in VS Code or JetBrains
- Node.js >= 18.0.0
Troubleshooting
MCP server not appearing in Continue?-
Check Screenpipe is running:
you should see
{"status":"healthy"} -
Verify the config file location:
- VS Code:
~/.continue/config.json(check it exists and is valid JSON) - JetBrains: open Continue settings and confirm the MCP config is saved
- VS Code:
- Restart the IDE completely (not just the Continue extension)
- If the server still doesn’t appear, remove and re-add it in Continue settings
-
Verify Screenpipe has data:
if empty, Screenpipe hasn’t recorded anything yet — let it run for a minute and try again
- Check screen recording permissions are granted (System Settings on macOS)
- Confirm you’re querying a time range with recorded data
-
Check the Screenpipe process is still running (it may have crashed):
-
Check Screenpipe logs:
- macOS/Linux:
~/.screenpipe/screenpipe.log - Windows: check event viewer or
%APPDATA%\screenpipe\logs
- macOS/Linux:
-
Restart Screenpipe if needed:
- Reload the Continue extension: use VS Code’s Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P) → “Reload Window”
- Verify
config.jsonis valid JSON (check for trailing commas) - Ensure Node.js >= 18.0.0:
node --version