Cursor and Claude: How ACP Is Changing AI in the IDE

OpenIDE is adding basic support for ACP, an open protocol for connecting AI agents to IDEs. The idea is the same one that once worked for LSP: the agent and the editor talk over a shared standard, so developers choose their preferred environment and the tool they need independently. OpenIDE is preparing the feature for a beta. It will be part of the Pro version, but will also be available in the base build at launch.

AI-processed from Habr AI; edited by Hamidun News
Cursor and Claude: How ACP Is Changing AI in the IDE
Source: Habr AI. Collage: Hamidun News.
Listen to article

Cursor, Claude Code and other AI coding agents each arrived with their own way of connecting to the editor, but ACP is becoming a new compatibility protocol: instead of a separate integration for every tool, the editor and the agent agree on a shared standard.

Which AI agents support the ACP protocol?

Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, Kilo Code, Qwen Code and other agents can write, fix and refactor code, and are gradually adding ACP support.

Why does the ACP protocol matter for IDEs?

Previously, each AI agent arrived with its own way of connecting to the editor. ACP lets them agree on a shared standard instead of requiring a separate integration for every tool.

What is the ACP protocol?

ACP is a new compatibility layer between IDEs and AI agents. Instead of a separate integration for each tool, the editor and the agent communicate over a common protocol.

Which IDEs are adding ACP support?

At the moment, JetBrains and Zed are adding ACP support and preparing it for beta testing.

Why does ACP matter for Cursor and Claude?

Previously, every AI agent required its own integration in the IDE, but ACP is becoming a common compatibility protocol, making it easier for developers to choose a tool.

Story

Key Questions Answered

Which AI agents support the ACP protocol?

Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, Kilo Code, Qwen Code and other agents can write, fix and refactor code, and are gradually adding ACP support.

Why does the ACP protocol matter for IDEs?

Previously, each AI agent arrived with its own way of connecting to the editor. ACP lets them agree on a shared standard instead of requiring a separate integration for every tool.

What is the ACP protocol?

ACP is a new compatibility layer between IDEs and AI agents. Instead of a separate integration for each tool, the editor and the agent communicate over a common protocol.

Which IDEs are adding ACP support?

At the moment, JetBrains and Zed are adding ACP support and preparing it for beta testing.

ZK
Zhemal Khamidun — CPO at Alpina Digital, product manager of AlpinaGPT. Building AI products since 2019. Hamidun News is a pet project that grew into a production aggregator with 6,000+ readers.
✦ Hands-On AI Engineering · Hamidun Academy

Build & Ship Production AI Agents Without Boilerplate Code

Start your free 72-hour trial at Hamidun Academy (academy.hamidun.com) — interactive lessons on Claude Code & Cursor, live Tech Radar, and production agent templates.

Start 72h Free Trial →Vibe-Coding Intensive
What do you think?
Loading comments…