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Credit goes to docs.screenpipe.com

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Continue is an open-source AI coding assistant with 20k+ GitHub stars. it works in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs, and supports MCP servers for external context.

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setup

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VS Code

  1. install Continue from the VS Code marketplace
  2. open Continue settings
  3. edit ~/.continue/config.json:
{
  "mcpServers": [
    {
      "name": "screenpipe",
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "screenpipe-mcp"]
    }
  ]
}
  1. restart VS Code

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JetBrains

  1. install Continue from JetBrains marketplace
  2. open Continue settings
  3. add the same MCP configuration
  4. restart the IDE

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usage

once configured, Continue can access your screen history: 
> @screenpipe what was I working on this morning?

> find the error I saw in my terminal and help me fix it

> what documentation was I reading about react hooks?

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example workflows

code with context: 
> I was looking at how another project handles authentication,
> find that code and help me implement something similar
recall errors: 
> there was a typescript error earlier about types,
> find it and explain how to fix it
meeting follow-up: 
> what did we discuss in the standup about the API changes?
> help me implement those changes

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available tools

via MCP, Continue gets access to:
tooldescription
search-contentsearch screen text (accessibility-first, OCR fallback), audio transcriptions, and input
activity-summarylightweight overview of app usage, speakers, and recent texts for a time range
search-elementssearch structured UI elements from the accessibility tree
frame-contextfull accessibility tree, URLs, and text for a specific frame
list-meetingslist detected meetings with duration, app, and attendees
export-videoexport screen recordings as MP4 for a time range

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requirements

  • screenpipe running on localhost:3030
  • Continue extension in VS Code or JetBrains
  • Node.js >= 18.0.0

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troubleshooting

MCP server not appearing in Continue?
  1. check screenpipe is running: 
    curl http://localhost:3030/health
    you should see {"status":"healthy"}
  2. 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
  3. restart the IDE completely (not just the Continue extension)
  4. if the server still doesn’t appear, remove and re-add it in Continue settings
screenpipe queries returning empty?
  • verify screenpipe has data: 
    curl "http://localhost:3030/search?limit=1"
    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
“Error calling tool” in Continue?
  • check the screenpipe process is still running (it may have crashed): 
    curl http://localhost:3030/health
  • check screenpipe logs:
    • macOS/Linux: ~/.screenpipe/screenpipe.log
    • Windows: check event viewer or %APPDATA%\screenpipe\logs
  • restart screenpipe if needed: 
    npx -y screenpipe@latest record
VS Code extension not showing MCP tools?
  • reload the Continue extension: use VS Code’s Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P) → “Reload Window”
  • verify config.json is valid JSON (check for trailing commas)
  • ensure Node.js >= 18.0.0: node --version
still stuck? join our discord.