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To use an LM Studio model in VS Code, start LM Studio’s local API server, then configure a VS Code AI extension to use the server’s API and the model ID it exposes. For the common same-computer setup, the OpenAI-compatible base URL is http://localhost:1234/v1. The exact settings depend on the extension: this guide uses Continue’s documented LM Studio provider.
1. Load a model and start LM Studio’s server
- Load or select a model in LM Studio so it is available to the server.
- Start the API server: in LM Studio, open the Developer tab and enable Start server. Or run
lms server startin a terminal. The CLI uses the last-used port if you do not specify one; check LM Studio’s server settings if you have changed it. Port1234is common, but is not guaranteed. - Check which model ID the server exposes. Request
GET http://localhost:1234/v1/modelsin a suitable HTTP client, adjusting the port if needed. Use the model identifier returned by the server in your extension configuration.
LM Studio documents its server controls and CLI at LM Studio as a Local LLM API Server and lms server start.
2. Configure Continue in VS Code
Continue’s LM Studio provider configuration uses provider: lmstudio, a model identifier, and optionally an API base URL. Its documented default is http://localhost:1234/v1. Add a model entry like this to your Continue YAML configuration, replacing <MODEL_ID> with the ID returned by the server:
name: My Config
version: 0.0.1
schema: v1
models:
- name: My Local Model
provider: lmstudio
model: <MODEL_ID>
# Optional; default is http://localhost:1234/v1
apiBase: http://localhost:1234/v1The apiBase line is optional when you use the default local address. If your server uses a different host or port, set apiBase to its actual base URL. Continue’s current provider page documents YAML configuration and marks JSON as deprecated: Continue’s LM Studio provider configuration.
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3. Test the connection
With the model loaded, server running, and extension configured, send a prompt through Continue. If the request fails, check these items in order:
- Server status: confirm LM Studio’s Developer tab shows the server as running, or start it with
lms server start. - Host and port: make sure the extension’s base URL matches the server’s effective address. A changed port means the default
1234URL will not work. - Model ID: check
/v1/modelsand use an identifier actually exposed by the server. - API family: confirm the extension is configured for the endpoint type you are using. OpenAI-compatible endpoints and LM Studio’s native REST endpoints are not interchangeable.
These checks follow from LM Studio’s API and Continue’s configuration requirements; extension-specific error messages and settings can vary.
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4. Choose the endpoint family your extension supports
Continue has a dedicated LM Studio provider. Other VS Code integrations may instead offer generic OpenAI compatibility; in that case, use the API mode and base URL the extension documents. LM Studio lists OpenAI-compatible endpoints including /v1/models, /v1/chat/completions, /v1/responses, /v1/embeddings, and /v1/completions. An extension need not support every endpoint or feature, so check its own configuration guidance. Microsoft’s overview describes language-model integration options in VS Code: AI language models in VS Code. See also LM Studio’s OpenAI Compatibility Endpoints.
LM Studio also has a native REST API using /api/v1/* paths. That is a separate API family from the OpenAI-compatible /v1/* endpoints; do not enter a native /api/v1 URL in a setting intended for OpenAI compatibility unless the extension explicitly supports LM Studio’s native API. LM Studio says native v1 REST API support was introduced in version 0.4.0 and recommends it for native REST use. Details are in LM Studio Integrations and the LM Studio API documentation.
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5. Use localhost or configure access carefully
For an extension running on the same computer as LM Studio, localhost is the straightforward choice. If VS Code runs on another computer, its configured host must be reachable from that computer; a local-only address will not automatically make the server available across a network.
LM Studio can bind its server beyond 127.0.0.1 for local-network access. Doing so exposes the server beyond the machine, so LM Studio recommends enabling authentication. Its server settings also cover port, authentication, CORS, local-network serving, and just-in-time model loading. Enable CORS only if your application context requires cross-origin access; a browser-based or cross-origin integration may need it, while a same-machine integration may not. Review LM Studio Server Settings and the server-start CLI guidance before exposing a server to other devices.
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