Pick the extension that matches where your editor gets its extensions. Visual Studio Code and VS Code Insiders use the VS Code extension, IntelliJ based IDEs use the JetBrains plugin, and Cursor, Windsurf, Codium and compatible editors use the Open VSX build.
The three options
As listed on the Safeguard download page on 19 October 2026:
- Visual Studio Code and VS Code Insiders: the VS Code extension, version 5.1.0, from the VS Code Marketplace.
- IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, PyCharm, GoLand and other JetBrains IDEs: the JetBrains plugin, version 5.0.1, from JetBrains Marketplace.
- Cursor, Windsurf, Codium and compatible editors: the Open VSX extension, version 5.1.0, from Open VSX.
The page describes all three as providing inline security scanning, guardrail enforcement and one click remediation inside your editor. It does not list separate features per extension, so check the extension's own page for details. Version numbers change, so confirm on the page when you install.
How to choose
- Which editor do you use daily? Use the matching row.
- Do you use more than one? Install the matching extension in each. A developer who uses a JetBrains IDE for Java and Cursor for scripting can run both.
- Is your editor a VS Code fork? If it pulls extensions from Open VSX, use that build. If you are unsure which registry your editor uses, check its extensions panel or documentation.
Install from the right place
Use the Install Extension button on the download page, which links to the relevant marketplace listing. Before you do, apply the usual checks: confirm the publisher and the listing. The vetting checklist works for any extension, ours included. On Open VSX, look at the namespace verification status, as explained in Open VSX namespaces.
Managing it for a team
- In VS Code, add the extension ID to your
extensions.allowedlist if you use an allowlist. See the allowlist guide. - In JetBrains IDEs, plugins can come from Marketplace or from a repository you configure. See plugin sources.
- Record the version in your extension inventory.
What the extension does not replace
An editor extension gives feedback while you work. Enforcement still belongs in pull requests and pipelines. See where each check belongs.
If you want to see results before installing anything, run a free scan at gold.safeguard.sh/scan.
After you install
Sign in as your team directs, open a project, and check that findings appear in the editor. If nothing shows, confirm that the extension is enabled for the workspace. In VS Code, remember that a folder in Restricted Mode limits extensions that have not opted into Workspace Trust, so trust the folder if it is your own project. See Workspace Trust.
Questions to ask your team
Which editors are in use, which registries do they pull from, and who owns the allowlist? Answering those three questions up front saves a round of support requests later.
Quick check
I use Cursor. Which extension do I install?
The download page lists the Open VSX extension as targeting Cursor, Windsurf, Codium and compatible editors.
Is there an extension for every editor?
The download page lists VS Code, JetBrains and Open VSX. Editors outside those families are not listed there.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
