Documentation
Everything you need to get Cruise running and get the most out of it.
Prerequisites
- 1. VS Code 1.85+ — download from code.visualstudio.com
- 2. Claude Code CLI — installed and authenticated. Run
claude --versionto verify. - 3. A Claude subscription (Pro, Team, or Enterprise)
Installation
Install Cruise from the VS Code Marketplace, or search for "Cruise" in the VS Code extensions panel.
ext install missingpiecetech.cruiseIf you have the official Claude Code VS Code extension installed, disable it to avoid conflicts. Cruise communicates directly with the Claude Code CLI.
Quick Start
- 1 Open a workspace folder in VS Code
- 2 Press Cmd+Shift+Q (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+Q (Windows/Linux) to open the Cruise panel
- 3 Type your tasks into the queue — one task per entry
- 4 Hit Start and walk away
That's it. Cruise sends each task to Claude Code sequentially, handles completions, errors, and rate limits, and advances through the queue automatically.
Commands Reference
| Command | Shortcut | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise: Open Panel | Cmd+Shift+Q | Open the Cruise task queue panel |
Everything else — adding tasks, starting/stopping the queue, reordering, clearing completed tasks — is done from within the panel UI.
Settings Reference
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cruise.autoStart | true | Automatically start processing when tasks are added |
| cruise.errorRecovery | retry-once | How to handle failures: stop, skip, retry-once, retry-n |
| cruise.maxRetries | 3 | Max retry attempts when using retry-n |
| cruise.sleepPrevention | true | Keep the system awake while the queue is processing |
| cruise.gitAutoCommit | false | Create a git commit after each completed task |
| cruise.gitCommitMessageTemplate | {{summary}} | Template for auto-commit messages. Use {{summary}} or {{taskText}} |
| cruise.notifications.* | true | Toggle individual notification types on or off |
Upgrading
Cruise offers Free, Basic, and Pro tiers. You can upgrade directly from the Cruise panel inside VS Code or from the pricing page.
From the Cruise panel
- 1. Click the "Upgrade" button in the panel header
- 2. Select your plan — this opens Stripe Checkout in your browser
- 3. Complete payment
- 4. You're automatically redirected back to VS Code and your plan activates immediately
Manual activation
If the automatic redirect doesn't work (e.g., VS Code wasn't running), open VS Code and run Cruise: Activate from the command palette.
Managing your subscription
Use the "Manage Subscription" link in the Cruise panel to open the Stripe Customer Portal, where you can change plans, update payment methods, or cancel.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Cruise
Break work into focused tasks
"Add user authentication with JWT" is better than "Build the entire backend." Claude Code works best with clear, scoped instructions.
Use priority levels
Urgent fixes can jump the queue without interrupting the currently running task.
Use pause-before for risky tasks
Flag tasks that need your review (like database migrations or deployment scripts) so the queue waits for your approval before executing them.
Enable git auto-commit
Each task gets its own commit, making it easy to review changes, revert mistakes, or cherry-pick specific work.
Bulk import from planning notes
Paste a numbered list or task breakdown directly into Cruise — it parses them into individual queue items automatically.
Let rate limits work for you
Instead of waiting at your keyboard, queue up more tasks. Cruise handles the rate limit pause-and-resume cycle automatically.