---
title: "VS Code Extension — Quick Start"
url: https://memory.wiki/zOjZPXY7
updated: 2026-05-03T09:52:59.398Z
hub: https://memory.wiki/hub/raymindai
concept_count: 11
source: "mcp"
---
# VS Code Extension — Quick Start

## Install

```bash
# From VS Code
ext install raymindai.mdfy-vscode

# Or search "mdfy" in the Extensions panel
```

## Getting Started

### 1. Preview any Markdown file

Open a `.md` file and press **Cmd+Shift+M** (Mac) or **Ctrl+Shift+M** (Windows/Linux).

The mdfy preview opens as a side panel with:

- Live rendered preview (WYSIWYG — you can click and edit)
- Formatting toolbar (bold, italic, headings, lists, code, tables)
- Document outline panel
- Dark/light theme that follows your VS Code settings

### 2. Publish to mdfy.cc

Press **Cmd+Alt+P** or right-click → "mdfy: Publish to mdfy.cc"

```
→ https://mdfy.cc/d/abc123  (copied to clipboard)
```

No account needed for basic publishing. The recipient sees a beautifully rendered document in their browser.

### 3. Cloud Sync

After publishing, your file stays in sync:

| Action | How |
| --- | --- |
| Push changes | Save the file (auto-push if enabled) |
| Pull changes | Command Palette → "mdfy: Pull from mdfy.cc" |
| View conflicts | VS Code diff editor opens automatically |

A `.mdfy.json` sidecar file is created next to your `.md`:

```json
{
  "docId": "abc123",
  "editToken": "eyJ...",
  "lastSyncedAt": "2026-04-27T..."
}
```

### 4. Sidebar

Click the **mdfy** icon in the Activity Bar to browse:

- **ALL** — every .md file in your workspace
- **SYNCED** — files published to mdfy.cc
- **LOCAL** — unpublished local files
- **CLOUD** — documents on mdfy.cc (pull to edit locally)

### 5. AI Tools

| Command | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| AI Polish | Improve writing quality and clarity |
| AI Summary | Generate a concise summary |
| AI TL;DR | Extract key bullet points |
| AI Translate | Translate to any language |
| Ask AI to Edit | Describe changes in natural language |

## Keyboard Shortcuts

| Shortcut | Command |
| --- | --- |
| `Cmd+Shift+M` | Open WYSIWYG preview |
| `Cmd+Alt+P` | Publish to mdfy.cc |
| `Cmd+Alt+E` | Export (HTML, rich text) |

## Settings

| Setting | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `mdfy.theme` | `auto` | Follows your VS Code theme |
| `mdfy.autoSync` | `false` | Auto-push on save |
| `mdfy.autoPreview` | `true` | Auto-open preview for .md files |
| `mdfy.syncInterval` | `30` | Polling interval (seconds) |


---

## Summary
The mdfy VS Code extension provides live markdown preview, publishing to mdfy.cc with cloud sync capabilities, and AI-powered editing tools, all accessible through keyboard shortcuts and a sidebar panel.

## Themes
- Markdown editing and preview
- Cloud publishing and sync
- AI-assisted writing tools

## Key takeaways
- VS Code preview opens via Cmd+Shift+M (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+M (Windows/Linux) with live editing, toolbar, outline, and theme support.
- Publishing via Cmd+Alt+P generates a shareable mdfy.cc URL copied to clipboard without requiring user account setup.
- Cloud sync maintains a .mdfy.json sidecar containing docId, editToken, and lastSyncedAt timestamp to track file synchronization.
- The sidebar filters workspace files into ALL, SYNCED, LOCAL, and CLOUD categories for navigation.
- Five AI tools are available: AI Polish, AI Summary, AI TL;DR, AI Translate, and Ask AI to Edit.
- Settings control theme (auto/manual), auto-sync on save, preview auto-open, and sync polling interval (default 30 seconds).

## Insights
- The extension requires no account creation for initial publishing, lowering friction for first-time users.
- A sidecar .mdfy.json file manages sync state separately from the markdown file itself, enabling version control of the document without exposing credentials in the markdown.
- The sidebar organizes files across three distinct states (synced, local, cloud), suggesting the tool anticipates workflows where users manage documents across multiple locations.

## Open questions / gaps
- What happens to published documents if the local file is deleted?
- How does conflict resolution work when changes occur simultaneously on both local and cloud versions?

## Concepts in this document
- **mdfy.cc** _(entity)_
  The product being strategically positioned as a two-layer markdown tool with AI capture and memory bundling capabilities.
- **VS Code extension** _(entity)_
  Surface 3: developer-focused extension to inject context into code tasks.
- **AI Tools** _(concept)_
  AI-powered text enhancement features including polish, summarize, translate, and Ask AI.
- **Cloud sync** _(concept)_
  Auto-synchronization mechanism that pushes changes to mdfy.cc and handles conflict resolution.
- **Keyboard shortcuts** _(concept)_
  Quick access commands for capturing pages and selections without mouse interaction.
- **Markdown Preview** _(concept)_
  WYSIWYG live rendering of markdown files with editing toolbar is a core feature enabling immediate visual feedback.
- **Cloud Publishing** _(concept)_
  One-click publishing to mdfy.cc creates shareable URLs and enables multi-user document access without account requirements.
- **Sidebar navigation** _(concept)_
  Document organization panel with tabs for filtering local, synced, and cloud documents.
- **Configuration Settings** _(concept)_
  User-adjustable parameters control theme, auto-sync behavior, and preview defaults to match workflow preferences.
- **Conflict Resolution** _(concept)_
  Automated diff editor handles version conflicts when local and cloud edits diverge.
- **Sidecar Metadata** _(concept)_
  .mdfy.json file storing document ID, edit token, and sync timestamps for cloud synchronization.

## Concept relations (within this doc's concepts)
- **VS Code extension** enables **Cloud Publishing**
- **Cloud Publishing** publishes to **mdfy.cc**
- **Cloud sync** tracks via **Sidecar Metadata**
- **VS Code extension** integrates **AI Tools**
- **VS Code extension** provides **Markdown Preview**
- **VS Code extension** features **Sidebar navigation**
- **VS Code extension** provides **Keyboard shortcuts**
- **Cloud Publishing** enables **Cloud sync**
- **Cloud sync** synchronizes with **mdfy.cc**
- **Keyboard shortcuts** accelerates access to **Markdown Preview**
- **VS Code extension** includes **AI Tools**
- **Configuration Settings** controls behavior of **Cloud sync**
- **Cloud sync** handles divergence via **Conflict Resolution**

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_Concept digest:_ https://memory.wiki/raw/hub/raymindai?digest=1&compact=1