Install VS Code and Elements

In this video we install VS Code, sign in so the AI chat works, and install Elements by pasting one prompt into the chat. Then we create an app and open it in the browser.

What you need

• A Mac or a Windows computer.
• A GitHub account. You can create one during sign in.
• An email address for your Elements account.

1. Download VS Code

Go to code.visualstudio.com (opens in a new tab) and click the download button for your operating system.

On a Mac, the download shows in the upper right corner of Chrome when it finishes. Click it to open the installer, then drag Visual Studio Code into Applications.

2. Open VS Code

On a Mac, press Command-Space, type code, and choose Visual Studio Code. On Windows, press the Windows key and search for it from that menu.

3. Sign in with GitHub

The first time VS Code opens, it asks you to sign in to use GitHub Copilot. Every video in this series uses the AI chat, so click Continue with GitHub.

GitHub opens in your browser. Sign in, or create an account if you don't have one, and GitHub sends you back to VS Code.

VS Code asks you to pick a theme. We use Dark 2026, the default, and click Get Started.

4. Set up the chat

Close the Welcome tab and open the chat window on the right.

The model picker at the bottom of the chat says Auto. Leave it there, and Copilot routes each request to the model that fits it. You can also pick a model by hand from the same menu.

Next to it is the permissions menu, set to Default Permissions, where the agent asks before every action. Choose Allow all, check Don't show again, and click Enable. The install runs without stopping to ask. If you prefer to keep the default, you approve each step the agent takes.

5. Get your install prompt

Go to elements.dev/install (opens in a new tab) and create your Elements account:

1. Pick a username, or click Generate. Your username is public and your email stays private.
2. Enter your email address and a password.
3. Accept the legal agreements and click Next: verify your email.
4. Copy the code from the email we send you, paste it into the box, and click Next: get the install script.

You land in a welcome thread with a short letter and an agent prompt. Click the prompt box to copy it.

The comment box below the prompt goes straight to us. Tell us what you want to build, or about any problem with the install, and we will help you get it working.

6. Install Elements

Paste the prompt into the VS Code chat and press Enter.

The agent may run a few security checks to confirm what it is installing. In about 20 seconds it reports that Elements installed and names the version.

7. Create an app

Press Command-Shift-P (Ctrl-Shift-P on Windows) to open the Command Palette. It starts with a > character. If you delete it by accident, the menu changes, so type it back.

Type new app and choose Elements: New App. Enter a name, or leave it blank to get a generated one, and press Enter.

VS Code asks whether you trust the authors of the files in the folder. Check Trust the authors of all files in the parent folder 'projects' and click Yes, I trust the authors. Every Elements project goes in ~/elements/projects/<name>, so you only answer this once.

8. Find your way around

• Terminal, at the bottom. Elements opens it for you.
• Chat, on the right. This is where you build, by asking the agent.
• Explorer, the files icon at the top left. It shows your project's files. Most of an app lives in the app folder, including its pages.

9. Start the app

In the terminal, type:

Terminal
elements start

This starts the app server, and the app opens in a browser tab inside VS Code. A new app shows a "You're running on elements" page.

You can also open the app in Chrome, Safari or any other browser at localhost:4000 (opens in a new tab). That shows what your users will see, on a bigger screen.

To stop the server, press q in the terminal. To start it again, type elements start, or press the up arrow to bring the command back, and press Enter. Run elements start each time you open VS Code to work on the app.

Next

Your app is running. Build it by describing what you want in the chat on the right.