Guard

Installing AIVory VS Code Extension

Get the AIVory extension installed in Visual Studio Code or Cursor in just a few minutes.

Quick install via VS Code Marketplace or command line
Simple setup with API token from app.aivory.net
Auto-scanning starts immediately after configuration
AI assistant integration for automated compliance checking

Note Download from VS Code Marketplace - Click to install directly.

System Requirements

VS Code / Cursor

Latest version recommended for best compatibility

Internet Connection

Required for authentication and cloud scanning

Installation Methods

Choose your preferred installation method:

Method 1: From IDE

Recommended - Install directly from the Extensions panel

Method 2: Command Line

Quick install via CLI for automation

Method 3: Marketplace Website

Visit the VS Code Marketplace directly

Method 1: Install from IDE (Recommended)

Open Extensions Panel
- Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS)
- Or go to View → Extensions
Search for AIVory
- Type “AIVory” in the search box
- Locate “AIVory - AI-Powered Compliance Guard”
Install the Extension
- Click the Install button
- Wait for the installation to complete
- No restart required

Note The extension works identically in VS Code and Cursor - use the same installation steps for both.

Method 2: Install from Command Line

# For VS Code
code --install-extension aivory.aivory

# For Cursor (uses same command structure)
cursor --install-extension aivory.aivory

Method 3: Install from VS Code Marketplace Website

Visit VS Code Marketplace
Click the Install button
Your editor will open and prompt you to install

First Launch Setup

After installation, configure your API token to start scanning.

Step 1: Open Settings

Press Ctrl+, (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+, (macOS)
Or go to File → Preferences → Settings
Search for “AIVory”

Step 2: Configure API Token

Enter your API token from app.aivory.net/tokens
If you don’t have an account, create one at app.aivory.net/register

Alternative: Edit settings.json Directly

Click “Edit in settings.json” and add:

{
  "aivory.apiToken": "your_api_token_here"
}

Step 3: Start Scanning

Open any project
The extension will automatically start scanning your code
Look for the AIVory icon in the status bar

Note Your API token must start with aiv_. Generate a new token at app.aivory.net/tokens if needed.

Verifying Installation

To confirm AIVory is working:

Check Status Bar

Look for the AIVory icon in the bottom status bar showing connection status

Open Output Panel

Go to View → Output → Select “AIVory” to see scanning logs

Test Scan

Open any code file and check for inline compliance warnings

Configuring AI Assistants

To get real-time compliance checking when using AI coding assistants, configure them to use /aiv:scan after generating code.

Warning Important: Without this configuration, AI assistants may generate non-compliant code. Set up automatic scanning to catch violations immediately.

Cursor Configuration

Create a .cursorrules file in your project root:

# In your project root
touch .cursorrules

Add the following configuration:

When writing or modifying code:
1. Write the code as requested
2. Call /aiv:scan to check for compliance violations
3. Review the scan results and fix any violations found
4. Re-scan to verify fixes before completing the task

Always scan and fix violations before marking a task complete.

Claude Code Configuration

Add this to your CLAUDE.md file in your project root:

## AIVory Compliance Scanning

When writing or modifying code:
1. Write the code as requested
2. Call /aiv:scan to check for compliance violations
3. Review the scan results and fix any violations found
4. Re-scan to verify fixes before completing the task

Always scan and fix violations before marking a task complete.

Other AI Assistants

Add similar instructions to your AI assistant’s configuration file or system prompts to ensure compliance scanning happens automatically after code generation.

Extension Settings

Configure the extension behavior in VS Code/Cursor Settings:

API Configuration

Setting	Description
`aivory.apiToken`	Your API token from app.aivory.net/tokens (required)
`aivory.serverUrl`	Backend server URL (default: https://app.aivory.net)

Scan Configuration

Setting	Description
`aivory.autoScan`	Enable automatic scanning on file save (default: true)
`aivory.scanOnType`	Scan as you type (default: false, recommended for performance)
`aivory.standards`	Compliance standards to check (OWASP, GDPR, HIPAA, etc.)

Display Settings

Setting	Description
`aivory.showInlineWarnings`	Show violations inline in the editor (default: true)
`aivory.showStatusBar`	Show AIVory icon in status bar (default: true)
`aivory.verboseLogging`	Enable detailed logging (default: false)

Note For best performance, keep scanOnType disabled and rely on autoScan to check code when you save files.

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Appearing

Issue: AIVory extension doesn’t appear after installation

Solution:

Verify the extension is installed: Ctrl+Shift+X → Search “AIVory”
Check the extension is enabled (not disabled)
Reload window: Ctrl+Shift+P → “Reload Window”
Check VS Code/Cursor version is up to date

API Token Issues

Issue: Extension not connecting to AIVory backend

Solution:

Verify API token is set in Settings (Ctrl+, → Search “AIVory”)
Ensure token starts with aiv_
Token must be entered without quotes in settings.json
Generate new token at app.aivory.net/tokens
Reload window after updating token

Scanning Not Working

Issue: No violations showing up or scans not running

Solution:

Check Output panel: View → Output → Select "AIVory"
Verify API token is valid
Check internet connectivity
Ensure compliance standards are selected in settings
Try manually triggering scan: Ctrl+Shift+P → “AIVory: Scan Current File”

Performance Issues

Issue: Editor feels slow or laggy

Solution:

Disable scanOnType in settings (only scan on save)
Reduce number of active compliance standards
Check Output panel for errors
Ensure you’re on latest version of extension

Updating the Extension

The extension will automatically check for updates.

Automatic Updates

VS Code/Cursor checks for updates automatically and notifies you when available

Manual Update

Extensions panel → Gear icon → Check for Updates

Uninstalling the Extension

Uninstall Instructions

To remove AIVory:

Open Extensions Panel
- Press Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+X (macOS)
Find AIVory Extension
- Search for “AIVory” in installed extensions
Uninstall
- Click the gear icon next to AIVory
- Select Uninstall
- Reload window when prompted
Clean Up Settings (Optional)
- Remove AIVory settings from settings.json if desired
- Extension data is automatically cleaned up