The Apple VS Code Policy allows administrators to manage extensions and extension auto-update behavior for Visual Studio Code and supported VS Code-based editors on managed Mac devices.

The policy can be used to:

The policy supports Visual Studio Code and supported forks such as Cursor and VSCodium. It is available for both company-owned and BYOD Mac devices.

Important: Extensions run with the permissions available to the editor and may be able to read or modify source code, access files, make network requests, and run local processes. Review extensions before approving or deploying them.

The policy manages editor extensions and extension updates. It does not install Visual Studio Code, Cursor, or VSCodium itself. Install the required editor separately before testing the policy.

Before creating the policy:

Extension identifiers use this format:

For example:

To find an identifier in Visual Studio Code:

Use the exact identifier. Display names are not accepted, and identifiers from different publishers are treated as different extensions even when their names are similar.

For a strict configuration, include every force-installed extension in Allowed Extensions. Do not place the same identifier in both an allowed or install list and the block list.

Defines the extension identifiers that are permitted by the managed editor. When an allowlist is configured, only extensions included in the list are permitted.

Example:

Use this setting when your organization requires a controlled extension catalog.

Before enabling a restrictive allowlist, include:

Important: An incomplete allowlist can interrupt development workflows. Test all required languages, debuggers, remote-development features, and extension dependencies before broad deployment.

If this field is left blank, the policy does not define an extension allowlist. You can still use Block Extensions to prohibit specific extensions.

Defines extensions that the managed editor should install for users.

Example:

Use this setting for extensions that are required for a team or device group, such as an approved language extension, linter, debugger, or security tool.

If Allowed Extensions is configured, every extension listed under Install Extensions should also appear in the allowlist. Otherwise, the policy contains conflicting instructions.

An extension may also require:

The policy does not provide third-party licenses or service credentials.

Defines extension identifiers that are prohibited.

Example format:

Use this setting when an extension:

Do not add the same identifier to Allowed Extensions, Install Extensions, and Block Extensions. Resolve overlaps before deploying the policy.

Blocking an identifier does not automatically block every other extension from the same publisher unless those identifiers are also included in the block list or excluded by an allowlist.

Controls whether installed extensions update automatically.

Enabling automatic updates is recommended for most organizations because extension releases may include security fixes and compatibility improvements.

For highly controlled environments, disable automatic updates only if your organization has another process to review, approve, and deploy extension updates promptly.

Note: This setting controls extension updates. It does not control updates to the Visual Studio Code, Cursor, or VSCodium application.

Defines how long the editor waits before automatically installing a newly available extension update. In the Swif policy, enter the delay as an integer in hours.

This setting is relevant only when Extensions Auto Update is enabled.

A short delay gives the organization time to identify a problematic extension release before it reaches every managed device. A long delay can postpone important security fixes.

Recommended baseline:

This represents a 24-hour delay.

This example allows a small approved catalog, installs required extensions, and delays updates for 24 hours.

Use this configuration when users may install extensions generally, but the organization needs to block known prohibited extensions.

Use this configuration when the security or engineering team wants additional time to validate extension releases.

Do not use a delayed rollout as a replacement for vulnerability monitoring. If an actively exploited extension vulnerability is identified, block or remediate the affected extension immediately.

For company-owned Macs:

For BYOD Macs:

The policy applies to the managed editor configuration on the Mac; it does not create a separate macOS work profile.

After the policy is installed:

The diagnostics report may contain account identifiers, session details, and extension information. Review and redact it before sharing it with Swif Support.

Policy capabilities can differ among Visual Studio Code, Cursor, and VSCodium versions. Test each editor and version used by your organization.

An extension may remain visible in search results even when policy prevents its use or installation. Test whether the extension can actually be installed or enabled.

Also confirm that:

Do not assume that blocking one identifier blocks forks, renamed extensions, extension packs, or other extensions from the same publisher.

The Swif field uses hours. Confirm that the value was converted correctly.

For example: 24 hours should set

Enter an integer without commas, spaces, or a unit suffix.

User or workspace settings should not override a recognized enterprise-managed setting. If the diagnostics report lists the setting as non-applied, confirm editor compatibility and policy delivery.

Editor extensions can execute with the permissions of the editor. Depending on the extension, this may include access to source code, local files, environment variables, terminals, network services, or authentication sessions. Microsoft documents these extension runtime considerations.

The Apple VS Code Policy can support software governance and least-privilege objectives by limiting extensions to reviewed identifiers and maintaining an approved update process.

For a secure deployment:

This policy supports security and compliance controls but does not independently determine whether an extension is safe or make the organization compliant with a particular framework.

The Apple VS Code Policy manages extensions and extension auto-update behavior for Visual Studio Code and supported forks on macOS 13 or later.

For most organizations, the recommended baseline is to: