Install

Requirements

macOS 12 or newer (Apple Silicon, M1 or later) — or Windows 10/11 (x64)
VS Code 1.80+ (VSCodium also works)
Claude Code CLI installed and accessible as claude in your PATH
A microphone (built-in is fine; Bluetooth headsets work best)

From the Marketplace

Open VS Code → Extensions panel (⇧⌘X).
Search for Verbative and click Install.
A new Verbative activity-bar item appears with the Verbative “V” icon. Click it.
The first time you start the listener, your OS will prompt for microphone access. Grant it under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Microphone on macOS, or Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone on Windows.

First-run setup

The first time you open the panel, Verbative installs its small on-device runtime (about 20 MB) and hooks into the Claude Code CLI — a few seconds, no models. Channels, Verbative Shot and Mechanics are ready right away. Hands-free voice and Verbative Memory download on demand: each has a card in the panel that says what gets downloaded and how big it is, and nothing downloads until you ask. Everything runs on your machine.

Set up Verbative

The core runtime installs in seconds. Voice and memory download only when you ask, each with its size and purpose spelled out. Everything runs on this machine.

Core runtime · installs by itself

Install the Verbative runtime~20 MB

Hook Verbative into Claude Code CLI

Hands-free voice · on demand

Download the speech engines~175 MB

Download command model~190 MB

Set up the voice shortcut

Download voice model~315 MB

Download dictation model~574 MB

Verbative Memory · on demand

Download the memory runtime~10 MB

Download the recall models~1.3 GB

Automatic capture · on demand

Download the capture model~3.3 GB

A replica of the panel's setup card — the core runtime installs by itself; the voice and memory bundles wait for you.

No signup required

The first time the extension talks to our server it auto-registers a free, device-bound license for you — no email, no paste, no dashboard hop. You can start using voice commands immediately. The license pill in the side panel shows your daily quota — the hands-free loops you have used today out of your limit.

When you're ready to upgrade to Advanced (or want to use the same account on a second machine), click Sign in / Upgrade in the panel, enter your email, and paste the 8-digit code we email back. You stay on the free tier until you explicitly upgrade.

Sanity check

Click Start listener in the Verbative panel and wait for the spoken cue: “Ready. Say listen to begin.” Then say “listen”. You should hear “listening” and the equalizer should come alive and react to your voice. Speak your prompt, then say “stop listening” to submit. If nothing happens, head to troubleshooting.