How To Activate Venv In VS Code | Manual Activation

The most effective way to activate a virtual environment in VS Code is to tell the editor which Python interpreter to use. This ensures that not only your terminal, but also your autocomplete (IntelliSense) and debugging tools use the correct environment.

Here are the two methods to do this.

Method 1: The “VS Code” Way (Recommended)

This method permanently sets the environment for your project. VS Code will automatically activate it every time you open a new terminal.

1. Open the Command Palette:

   • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + Shift + P

   • Mac: Cmd + Shift + P

2. Type and Select: Python: Select Interpreter

3. Choose your Environment: You should see a list of detected environments. Click the one that says ('venv': venv) or points to your specific virtual environment folder.

   • Note: If you don’t see it, select “Enter interpreter path” and browse to your venv folder.

4. Restart the Terminal:

   • Kill your current terminal (Trash can icon).

   • Open a new terminal (Ctrl + `).

   • Success: You should see (venv) (or your folder name) appear in green/parentheses at the start of the command prompt.

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Method 2: Manual Activation (Terminal Only)

If you only want to activate it for the current terminal session without changing VS Code settings, use the command appropriate for your OS.

Assuming your virtual environment folder is named venv:

Windows (Command Prompt):

venv\Scripts\activate.bat

Windows (PowerShell):

.\venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

macOS / Linux:

source venv/bin/activate

⚠️ Common Troubleshooting (Windows PowerShell)

If you try to activate in PowerShell and get an error saying “running scripts is disabled on this system,” it is a security restriction.

To fix this temporarily for the current process, run this command first:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope Process

Then try the activation command again.