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Connect Hex to VS Code

Give VS Code governed access to Hex’s 18 tools through Runlayer, with identity, policy, scanning, and audit on every call.

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Set up

Add Hex to VS Code in four steps

Admins approve the server once. Everyone in VS Code then gets it through the same governed connection.

  1. 1

    Approve Hex in Runlayer

    Add Hex from the catalog and choose who can use it and which of its tools are allowed.

  2. 2

    Connect VS Code to Runlayer

    Runlayer’s CLI installs the Runlayer Plugin natively in VS Code; users can also add it over MCP. With direct tool listing turned on for your deployment, Hex’s 18 tools show up in VS Code’s own tool list (VS Code 1.103 or newer).

    VS Code setup guide
  3. 3

    Sign in to Hex

    Sign in the way Hex requires. Runlayer holds the credentials so they stay out of the client’s configuration.

  4. 4

    Use Hex from VS Code

    Hex’s approved tools appear in VS Code. Every call is checked against policy and recorded.

Tools

18 Hex tools in VS Code

Runlayer policy decides which of these VS Code users can call.

  • Continue thread

    Continue a Hex Thread by adding a new message and triggering the agent to process it.

  • Create cell

    Create a new cell in the draft version of a project.

  • Create project

    Create a new project in the workspace with the specified title, and optionally a description.

  • Create thread

    Create a new Hex Thread to ask a question about your data.

  • Delete cell

    Delete a cell from the draft version of a project by ID

  • Get cell

    Get a single cell by ID

  • Get cell image

    Get the rendered PNG image of a chart cell, returned as an image.

  • Get cell output

    Get the latest output preview for a SQL cell in the active draft notebook session.

See all 18 Hex tools

Control

What Runlayer can see and stop in VS Code

Some controls apply to every client at the gateway. Others depend on what VS Code exposes to Runlayer.

  • Gateway policy (available)

    Every Hex call from VS Code passes through Runlayer, where your policies can allow, alert, mask, or block it.

  • Audit trail (available)

    Each call is recorded with the user, VS Code as the client, the tool, and the policy and scanner decisions.

  • Client hooks (available)

    Capture supported prompts, reasoning, local and MCP tool calls, responses, and scanner decisions in real time.

  • Stop a call before it runs (available)

    Runlayer can deny a tool call before VS Code runs it.

  • Block output after it runs (available)

    Runlayer can block a tool’s output before VS Code’s model sees it.

  • Redact output in place (available)

    Runlayer can mask sensitive parts of a tool’s output in VS Code and pass the rest through.

Frequently asked questions

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