- To connect to a remote host via SSH in VS Code, go to the Extensions Marketplace and install the ‘Remote – SSH’ extension.
- Open the Command Palette, then search for and select ‘Remote-SSH: Connect to Host…’.
- Select ‘Add New SSH Host…’ to configure a new remote connection.
- Enter the host SSH connection string to specify the remote server you want to connect to.
- Select the host from the ‘Remote-SSH: Connect to Host…’ list. VS Code will open a new window and may prompt for your SSH password or key passphrase.
- A pop-up will appear confirming the host has been added. Click ‘Connect’ to start the SSH session[a].
How to Remote SSH Connect to Host in VS Code
Use this step-by-step demo to learn how to remote SSH connect to host in VS Code.
📌 Why this matters
Remote SSH connections let you develop directly on servers, cloud instances, or powerful remote machines while keeping VS Code's familiar interface locally. You can edit files, run commands, and debug code as if everything were on your local machine. This eliminates the frustrating cycle of writing code locally, transferring files, then testing remotely. Your extensions, themes, and settings work seamlessly on the remote environment, and you can leverage remote computing power or access production-like environments without sacrificing your preferred development experience.
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