claude-code - 💡(How to fix) Fix [FEATURE] VS Code extension: insert absolute path on drop for unsupported file types [1 participants]

• I searched existing issues and didn't find a duplicate
• This is a single feature request

Problem Statement

When I drag an unsupported file (e.g., a .mov video, a large binary, or anything outside PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, text, or PDF) into the Claude Code VS Code extension chat panel, one of two things happens.

First, on a plain drop, VS Code itself hijacks the drop and opens the file in its own editor, often with a warning that the file is very large and asking whether to "Open Anyway" or "Configure Limit." The drop never reaches the Claude Code extension at all.

Second, on Shift+drop, the extension rejects it with an "Unsupported file type" error that lists the supported types and then instructs me to include the absolute file path in my prompt manually.

The error message literally tells me to type the absolute path by hand, which is exactly what I wanted the drop to do in the first place. My common use case is referencing a recorded video file so Claude can run ffmpeg or ffprobe on it, or pointing at a zip, sqlite, or mp3. I do not want the file attached to the conversation. I only want its path in the prompt.

Proposed Solution

On drop of any file type the extension does not natively support, insert the file's absolute path as plain text into the chat input at the cursor position. No error, no attachment attempt, just the path.

Optional polish: if the path is inside the current workspace, insert it using the existing @ file reference convention. Otherwise insert the absolute path.

Supported-type behavior stays unchanged. Only the failure case changes.

Alternative Solutions

Manually typing the path works but defeats the purpose of having the file right there in Finder. Shift+drop still errors out on unsupported types. The @ file picker only works for files inside the working directory, not arbitrary Finder locations. Dragging into a terminal tab first to grab the path and then copying works but is clunky.

Priority

Low. Quality-of-life improvement, not a blocker.

Feature Category

VS Code extension chat input (TUI)

Use Case Example

I have an Ecamm recording in my Movies folder and want Claude to transcribe a section with ffmpeg and whisper. I drag the file from Finder into the chat panel. Instead of VS Code opening a 1.5 gigabyte binary in its editor, or the extension erroring, the input now contains the absolute path. I add "extract audio from 0:30 to 2:00 and transcribe it" and send.

Environment

• Claude Code Version: 2.1.109
• Platform: Anthropic API
• Operating System: macOS 26.3.1 (Apple M2 Ultra, Mac Studio)
• VS Code: 1.116.0 with anthropic.claude-code 2.1.109
• Terminal/Shell: VS Code extension chat panel

Additional Context

Two screenshots available showing the current failure modes (VS Code hijacking the drop with a "file is very large" warning, and Shift+drop showing the "Unsupported file type" error). I can add them as a follow-up comment.

Related existing issues for the broader drag and drop surface: #41338, #25128, #44287, #43476. None of them cover the specific ask of inserting the path as text for unsupported types as the failure-case behavior.