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Iris installs in three ways: directly from the VS Code Marketplace for automatic updates, as a .vsix file for manual installation in any VS Code-compatible editor, or as a global npm package for terminal and CI use. Most users should start with the Marketplace — it handles updates automatically and requires no extra steps. If your editor isn’t connected to the Marketplace, or you need a specific version, use the .vsix route. Install the CLI separately whenever you want to run scans and gates outside the editor.

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VS Code Marketplace (Preferred)

The Marketplace install gives you automatic updates and the simplest setup path.
1

Open the Extensions panel

Press Ctrl+Shift+X on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS to open the Extensions panel in VS Code.
2

Search for Iris

Type Iris in the search box. Look for the extension published by davidjaja.
3

Install the extension

Click Install. VS Code downloads and activates the extension immediately — no restart required.
4

Confirm the install

The Iris icon appears in the Activity Bar. Open any .js, .jsx, .ts, .tsx, .go, or .py file — the Iris sidebar populates instantly with no configuration required.

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Manual VSIX Install

Download the .vsix file and install it yourself when you need to use Cursor, Windsurf, or VSCodium, or when your environment doesn’t have Marketplace access. Download URL: https://www.iriscode.co/downloads/iris-code.vsix Once you have the file, install it using your editor’s GUI or the command line: Via the GUI (works in all editors):
  1. Open the Extensions panel (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
  2. Click the ⋯ menu at the top right of the panel
  3. Select Install from VSIX… and choose the downloaded file
Via the command line: 
code --install-extension iris-code.vsix
Manual VSIX installs do not auto-update. When a new version of Iris is released, you need to re-download the .vsix file from iriscode.co/downloads/iris-code.vsix and re-install it using the same steps above.

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CLI Install

The Iris CLI lets you scan files, run enforcement gates, audit dependencies, and aggregate TODOs from any terminal or CI pipeline — no VS Code required. Install it globally with npm: 
npm install -g @iris-code/cli
Verify the installation: 
iris --version
The CLI requires Node.js 18 or later. Run node --version to check. If you need to upgrade Node, visit nodejs.org or use a version manager like nvm.

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System Requirements

ComponentRequirement
VS CodeVersion 1.85 or later
Compatible editorsCursor, Windsurf, VSCodium (any VS Code-compatible editor)
Node.js (CLI only)Version 18 or later
Operating systemWindows, macOS, Linux
Supported languages:
  • TypeScript — .ts, .tsx
  • JavaScript — .js, .jsx
  • Go — .go
  • Python — .py
No additional language servers, compilers, or runtimes are required for the extension. Iris analyses your files in-process using its own static analysis engine.