Sourcegraph Cody Not Working? Fix Auth, VS Code Extension & Chat Errors

Not signed in / auth error

Cody free tier requires a Sourcegraph.com account (free, no credit card). Sign in via:

• VS Code: click the Cody icon in sidebar → "Sign in with GitHub" or "Sign in with Sourcegraph.com"
• Command Palette: run "Cody: Sign In" (Ctrl+Shift+P)

If sign-in loop (opens browser but returns to VS Code without signing in):

1. 1
   Sign out and back in: Try signing out via Cody panel settings, then sign in again — this refreshes the auth token.
2. 2
   Use access token instead: Run "Cody: Sign In with Access Token" — get token from sourcegraph.com → Settings → Access Tokens.
3. 3
   Linux URI handler: On Linux, auth callback requires the correct URI handler registered for VS Code. Ensure VS Code is set as the default handler for vscode:// links.

VS Code extension not loading

Steps to diagnose and fix the Cody extension not loading:

1. 1
   Open Output panel: View → Output → select "Cody by Sourcegraph". Look for "Error" or "Failed" messages that reveal the root cause.
2. 2
   Reload window: If "Extension Host crashed" appears, run Ctrl+Shift+P → "Developer: Reload Window" to restart without closing VS Code.
3. 3
   Update the extension: Open Extensions panel → right-click Cody AI → Update. Extension ID: sourcegraph.cody-ai — check marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=sourcegraph.cody-ai for current stable.
4. 4
   Check for extension conflicts: If the extension host crashes with Cody loaded, disable other heavy extensions temporarily to check for a conflict.
5. 5
   Reinstall as last resort: Uninstall Cody AI from Extensions panel, then reinstall from the VS Code marketplace.

Rate limits / quota exhausted

Cody free tier limits (as of 2024):

• Chat: 1,500 messages/month (Claude 3.5 Sonnet)
• Autocomplete: ~1,000 suggestions/day
• Commands: counted toward chat quota

If you've hit limits:

• Wait for the monthly reset (resets on the 1st of each month)
• Upgrade to Cody Pro ($9/month) for 1,000 Claude Opus messages + unlimited Sonnet/Haiku
• Enterprise removes all limits
• Check your usage at sourcegraph.com → Settings → Usage

Autocomplete not triggering

VS Code settings to check (search "Cody" in settings):

• "Cody: Autocomplete Enabled" → must be checked
• "Cody: Autocomplete Language" → ensure your language is not in the disabled list
• Autocomplete works by sending your current file context to StarCoder2

If autocomplete works sometimes but not always:

• Network connectivity to sourcegraph.com/api/completions/* must be allowed through any firewall or proxy
• On slow connections, suggestions time out before appearing — try a wired connection
• Very large files (10,000+ lines) may cause autocomplete to skip — it works best on focused, smaller files

Cody Enterprise — self-hosted configuration

In VS Code settings.json:

{
  "cody.serverEndpoint": "https://sourcegraph.mycompany.com",
  "cody.customHeaders": {
    "X-My-Header": "value"
  }
}

Or configure via VS Code extension settings UI: search "Cody" → Server Endpoint.

• Access token: get from your Sourcegraph instance → User icon → Settings → Access Tokens → Generate new token. Needs "read:user" and "read:org" scopes at minimum.
• TLS issues: if your instance uses a self-signed certificate, add it to VS Code's trusted certificates via the NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS environment variable.
• Cody Enterprise license: ensure your Sourcegraph instance has Cody enabled — it requires a Cody Enterprise license separate from a base Sourcegraph license.