How to Seamlessly Integrate Claude Code into IntelliJ IDEA 2026.1

Understanding Claude Entry Points in IDEA 2026.1

IDEA 2026.1 can host three distinct Claude interfaces simultaneously:

JetBrains built‑in Claude Agent – uses JetBrains AI subscription, unrelated to your personal Claude account.

Claude Code official plugin – an Anthropic‑published plugin that bridges the IDE terminal and the editor, using your Claude credentials.

Claude Code via ACP – connects Claude Code as a native AI Agent through the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), exposing the full MCP toolchain.

These options are not mutually exclusive; the author uses both the official plugin (method ①) and ACP (method ②) depending on task complexity.

Method 1: Official Claude Code Plugin (≈5 minutes)

Step 1 – Install Claude Code CLI

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Verify the installation:

claude --version

Step 2 – Install the IDEA Plugin

Open Settings → Plugins → Marketplace, search for Claude Code, locate Claude Code [Beta] (listed under Anthropic), click Install , then restart IDEA.

Step 3 – Launch Claude in IDEA’s Built‑in Terminal

Click the Terminal tool window and run: claude The first run opens a browser window for Claude account authorization; after approval the plugin’s features become active. Important: the command must be executed inside IDEA’s terminal, otherwise the plugin cannot detect the session.

What the Plugin Provides

The plugin adds two useful shortcuts: Cmd+Esc (or Ctrl+Esc on Windows) – quickly opens the Claude Code panel. Cmd+Option+K (or Alt+Ctrl+K) – inserts a file reference in the form @filename#Lstart‑end.

Beyond shortcuts, the plugin automatically synchronizes the currently selected code and the active tab with Claude, and streams lint or syntax errors to Claude in real time, eliminating manual copy‑paste.

Claude’s suggestions appear in IDEA’s built‑in Diff Viewer, where you can Accept or Reject changes directly.

Method 2: ACP Integration – The “Real Power‑Play”

While the official plugin works, ACP makes Claude Code a native AI Agent, offering deeper integration and full MCP support.

What Is ACP?

ACP (Agent Client Protocol) is an open standard co‑created by Zed Industries, JetBrains, and Anthropic. It mirrors the role of LSP for language servers: agents run as independent processes communicating with the editor via JSON‑RPC 2.0 over stdin/stdout, decoupling agent upgrades from IDE releases.

Step 1 – Install the ACP Adapter

# npm
npm install -g @zed-industries/claude-code-acp

# pnpm (recommended)
pnpm add -g @zed-industries/claude-code-acp

Confirm the executable path (needed for later configuration):

# npm
npm bin -g

# pnpm
pnpm bin -g

Step 2 – Open the ACP Configuration UI

In IDEA, open the AI Chat panel, click the three‑dot menu in the top‑right corner, and select Configure ACP Agent . IDEA will create or open ~/.jetbrains/acp.json.

Step 3 – Populate acp.json

{
  "default_mcp_settings": {},
  "agent_servers": {
    "Claude Code": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@zed-industries/claude-code-acp"],
      "env": {"ACP_PERMISSION_MODE": "bypassPermissions"},
      "use_idea_mcp": true,
      "use_custom_mcp": true
    }
  }
}

Adjust the command field for your platform:

macOS + npm: "command": "npx" macOS + pnpm (recommended absolute path): "command": "/Users/yourname/Library/pnpm/claude-code-acp" Windows: must use "npx.cmd" instead of "npx" to avoid IOException: Cannot run program "npx".

Step 4 – Select Claude Code in AI Chat

Save acp.json, return to the AI Chat panel, open the model/Agent dropdown, and choose Claude Code . The agent is now ready for conversation.

Key Parameters Explained

use_custom_mcp

(true) tells Claude Code to import all MCP servers defined in your ~/.claude.json. For example, if you have a PostgreSQL server and a filesystem server configured there, Claude can query the database or read/write files directly from the chat. use_idea_mcp (true) exposes IDEA’s own MCP server, granting Claude access to internal IDE capabilities such as variable inspection, call‑stack analysis, and debugging commands. However, enabling this writes IDEA’s MCP configuration into the global ~/.claude.json, which can add ~10 KB of noise to other Claude sessions (e.g., in VS Code or a plain terminal).

Recommendation: If you only use IDEA, enable use_idea_mcp for full power; if you switch editors, set it to false to avoid global pollution.

Advanced Topics

Multiple Agents

You can list several agents under agent_servers. The example below adds both Claude Code and Codex, each with its own command and environment variables:

{
  "agent_servers": {
    "Claude Code": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@zed-industries/claude-code-acp"],
      "env": {"ACP_PERMISSION_MODE": "bypassPermissions"},
      "use_idea_mcp": false,
      "use_custom_mcp": true
    },
    "Codex": {
      "command": "npx.cmd",
      "args": ["@zed-industries/codex-acp"],
      "env": {"OPENAI_API_KEY": "yourKey"}
    }
  }
}

Direct Database Access via IDEA

If you have configured a database connection in IDEA’s Database tool window, enabling use_idea_mcp lets Claude run SQL directly in the AI Chat panel without any extra MCP configuration. Example conversation:

Me: Show how many PENDING orders older than 24 hours. Claude: Running query… SELECT COUNT(*) FROM orders WHERE status = 'PENDING' AND created_at < NOW() - INTERVAL '24 hours'; Result: 1,247 rows.

Common Issues (FAQ)

Mac does not need a separate ACP package? The built‑in Claude Agent works out‑of‑the‑box, but you still need the ACP adapter if you want the AI Chat panel integration.

Windows npx error? Replace the command value with "npx.cmd" because IDEA cannot locate an executable without the .cmd extension.

Can the official plugin and ACP be used together? Yes; they are independent. The author runs small tasks via the plugin’s shortcuts and larger, multi‑step tasks via ACP.

Does it work inside a devcontainer? Known bug: IDEA’s new devcontainer architecture does not run JetBrains backend processes inside the container, breaking Diff view and similar features. Local projects work fine.

Final Configuration Example

{
  "default_mcp_settings": {},
  "agent_servers": {
    "Claude Code": {
      "command": "/Users/xxx/Library/pnpm/claude-code-acp",
      "env": {"ACP_PERMISSION_MODE": "bypassPermissions"},
      "use_idea_mcp": false,
      "use_custom_mcp": true
    }
  }
}

This setup uses the absolute pnpm path for speed, disables use_idea_mcp to avoid contaminating other editors, and keeps use_custom_mcp enabled so the previously defined PostgreSQL and filesystem MCP servers in ~/.claude.json remain available.