[BUG] Markdown file links in VS Code extension not clickable on macOS

[2solarmax]

Description

Markdown file links in Claude Code VS Code extension chat responses are clickable (appear as blue hyperlinks) but nothing happens when clicked. This is similar to #10846 but occurring on macOS.

Environment

• Platform: macOS (darwin)
• OS Version: Darwin 25.1.0
• Claude Code version: 2.0.76
• VS Code: Latest stable
• Extension mode: Webview (not terminal mode)

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open a workspace in VS Code with Claude Code extension
2. Ask Claude to reference a file in a response
3. Claude responds with markdown link like [file.md](path/to/file.md)
4. Click the link
5. Nothing happens

Expected Behavior

Clicking the link should open the file in VS Code editor.

Actual Behavior

Link appears clickable (blue, underlined on hover) but clicking produces no action.

Observations

• The "Read [file]" and "Edit [file]" action buttons in Claude's thinking section work correctly
• The same markdown syntax works fine in regular .md files previewed in VS Code
• Tried both relative paths and full paths from workspace root - same result
• Issue persists across VS Code restarts

Workarounds

• Using Cmd+P (Quick Open) and pasting file paths
• Clicking action buttons instead of markdown links
• Using terminal mode (untested if this fixes the issue)

Related Issues

• [BUG] Valid markdown links in Claude Caude VsCode extension do not open files #10846 - Same symptoms but tagged as Windows-only

Additional Context

This appears to be an issue with how the webview handles vscode.open command URIs for file paths, not a VS Code configuration issue.

[github-actions]

Found 1 possible duplicate issue:

1. [BUG] Valid markdown links in Claude Caude VsCode extension do not open files #10846

This issue will be automatically closed as a duplicate in 3 days.

• If your issue is a duplicate, please close it and 👍 the existing issue instead
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🤖 Generated with Claude Code

[2solarmax]

This is NOT a duplicate of #10846.

#10846 is tagged platform:windows and reports the issue on Windows/native environments.

This issue (#16056) is tagged platform:macos and reports the same symptoms on macOS (Darwin 25.1.0).

The fact that both platforms have the same bug suggests this is a cross-platform issue in the webview link handling code, not a Windows-specific problem. Having separate issues for each platform helps:

1. Track platform-specific reproduction steps
2. Identify if fixes work on both platforms
3. Avoid losing visibility into macOS-specific details

Please do not auto-close this as a duplicate. The root cause may be the same, but the affected platforms are different.

[lancewillett]

Big +1 — common pain point in my VS Code + Claude Code IDE workflow.

[github-actions]

Closing for now — inactive for too long. Please open a new issue if this is still relevant.

[github-actions]

This issue has been automatically locked since it was closed and has not had any activity for 7 days. If you're experiencing a similar issue, please file a new issue and reference this one if it's relevant.