AI agents

Vandle has an MCP server. An AI agent such as Claude Code can connect to it, look at your tabs and make suggestions. You always run things yourself: the agent never runs a command, a query or a call.

Switch agents on

Agents are off until you switch them on.

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+, to open Settings.
2. Open Agents.
3. Turn on Let agents look into Vandle.

The same page shows whether an agent is connected right now.

Connect Claude Code

Under Connect an agent, choose Claude Code. Vandle shows a command with the right path for your computer already filled in. It looks like this:

claude mcp add vandle --scope user -- "<path>"

<path> is the vandle-mcp program in Vandle's install folder.

1. Click Copy next to the command.
2. Run it once in a terminal.
3. In Claude Code, type /mcp to check that Vandle is connected.

--scope user makes Vandle available in every project, not only in the folder you are in.

Then ask, for example: "Which tabs do I have open in Vandle?" Vandle has to be running, with the switch on.

Connect Claude Desktop

On Windows and macOS, choose Claude Desktop under Connect an agent.

1. In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Developer → Edit Config.
2. Copy the entry Vandle shows into that file. If the file has mcpServers already, add only the inner entry.
3. Quit Claude Desktop completely and start it again.

What an agent can do

An agent can:

• list your open tabs and your saved connections
• open a saved connection in a new tab
• bring a tab to the front
• read a terminal: the screen and the scrollback, in SSH tabs and the local console
• suggest a command in a terminal
• read the tables, columns and keys of a database tab
• write a query into a database tab's editor
• read the results you ran in a database tab
• list folders and read text files in a file tab, for example SFTP
• list the calls of an API tab and read the last answer to a call

An agent cannot:

• run a command, a query or a call
• close tabs
• upload or change files
• see web, remote desktop, VNC or dashboard tabs

You run what the agent suggests

In a terminal, a suggested command appears in a bar above it, marked Agent suggests:

• Run types it and presses Enter.
• Edit types it without Enter, so you can change it on the prompt.
• The close button dismisses it.

In a database tab, the agent writes its query into the editor, below what is there, with the cursor on it. Press Ctrl+Enter to run it. See Databases.

Afterwards the agent can read the terminal or the results to see what happened.

Vandle asks before each tab

The first time an agent touches a tab, Vandle asks you. The dialog says what the agent wants, for example to read a tab, and which tab.

• Allow until it disconnects lets the agent read this tab and make suggestions in it.
• Refuse keeps the tab closed to this agent until it reconnects.

Opening a saved connection asks the same way.

Whatever the agent reads goes to its model. Allow only what you are fine sharing.

While an agent works:

• Tabs it may read carry a small mark in the sidebar.
• The tab it works in comes to the front, so you can follow.
• Agent active shows at the bottom of the sidebar.

Hide connections from agents

Open the edit dialog of a connection or a folder and tick Hidden from agents.

A hidden connection never shows up for an agent, and neither do its tabs. A hidden folder hides everything in it. A tab you opened without a saved connection cannot be hidden this way.

Stop every agent

Click Stop agent at the bottom of the sidebar, or press Esc twice quickly. Every agent is cut off at once.

Esc twice does not reach Vandle while a web or remote desktop tab has the keyboard. Use the button then.

While agents are stopped, none can connect. Click Allow again at the bottom of the sidebar to let them back in.

If the agent cannot reach Vandle

The agent then says so. Check that:

• Vandle is running
• Let agents look into Vandle is on
• agents are not stopped

Then reconnect the server in the agent, in Claude Code with /mcp.

Keys

Key	Action
Esc Esc	Stop every agent

This key is fixed. Other keys can be changed in Settings under Hotkeys. See Keyboard.