BeadsX Extension
December 9, 2025 · View on GitHub
A VSCode extension that provides a panel for viewing and managing beads issue tracking state.
Installation
From Marketplace (Recommended)
Install directly from:
- VS Code Marketplace
- Open VSX Registry (for VSCodium, Gitpod, etc.)
Or search for "BeadsX" in the Extensions view.
From VSIX
Download the .vsix file from GitHub Releases and install:
code --install-extension beadsx-*.vsix
Requirements
- beads (
bdCLI) must be installed and available in PATH - A beads-initialized project (
.beads/directory)
Features
Issue Tree View
- Hierarchical display: Issues organized by parent-child and blocking dependencies
- Issue type icons: Visual indicators for bug, feature, epic, chore, and task types
- Status indicators:
[O]open,[>]in progress,[B]blocked,[C]closed - Smart expansion: Open/in-progress issues auto-expand to show children
Filtering
Filter issues using the filter icon in the panel toolbar:
| Filter | Description |
|---|---|
| All | Show all issues regardless of status |
| Open | Show only open and in-progress issues |
| Ready | Show issues ready to work (no blockers) |
| Recent | Show open issues + recently closed (configurable time window) |
Filter selection persists across restarts.
Issue Detail Panel
Double-click any issue to open a detail panel showing:
- Full issue information (title, description, status, priority)
- Dependencies and dependents
- Creation and update timestamps
Auto-Reload
Issues automatically refresh at a configurable interval (default: 10 seconds). Disable by setting to 0.
Short IDs
Optionally display shortened issue IDs without the prefix (e.g., "123" instead of "beadsx-123") to save space.
Configuration
Access settings via: Settings → Extensions → BeadsX Extension
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
beadsx.autoReloadInterval | 10 | Seconds between auto-refresh (0 to disable) |
beadsx.commandPath | "" | Path to bd command (empty = use PATH) |
beadsx.autoExpandOpen | true | Auto-expand open/in-progress issues |
beadsx.shortIds | false | Show IDs without prefix |
beadsx.recentWindowMinutes | 60 | Time window for "Recent" filter (1-10080 minutes) |
Usage
- Open a project with beads initialized (
.beads/directory) - Click the Beads icon in the activity bar (checklist icon)
- View your issues in the tree view
- Double-click an issue to see full details
- Use the filter icon to switch between views
Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
| Filter Issues | Click filter icon to switch between All/Open/Ready/Recent |
| Refresh Issues | Click refresh icon to manually reload |