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Version: v2 (current)

Install the Visual Studio plugin

The PanDev Metrics extension for Microsoft Visual Studio (Windows) tracks activity in .NET, C#, C++, and any other Visual Studio project. It is published on the Visual Studio Marketplace.

Supported versions​

  • Visual Studio 2019
  • Visual Studio 2022
  • Visual Studio 2024+ — should work in theory, but we have not tested these releases yet. If you run into issues, contact support.

What the plugin does​

  • Tracks file activity (open, edit, close), solution and project context, and time spent.
  • Records branch switches when a project is under Git source control.
  • Sends everything to PanDev Metrics over HTTPS.
  • Captures no source code and no screenshots.

See the overview for the full list of captured and non-captured signals.

Install​

  1. Open Visual Studio.
  2. Go to Extensions → Manage Extensions.
  3. Open the Online tab.
  4. Search for PanDev Metrics.
  5. Click Download.
  6. Close Visual Studio and let the VSIX installer run.
  7. Reopen Visual Studio.
tip

The marketplace keeps the extension updated automatically. We recommend running the latest version.

Configure​

After install, open Tools → Options → PanDev Metrics.

Every PanDev Metrics plugin signs in with a single user token. Get it from the web app, paste it into the plugin settings, and you are done: the server address and the workspace are encoded in the token, so there is nothing else to fill in.

  1. Open the PanDev Metrics web app and go to Settings → Plugins.
  2. Click your Visual Studio — the install instructions open.
  3. Copy the value from the Enter your token step. Tokens start with pandev_.
  4. Paste it into the plugin's token field and save.
Which workspace does the token belong to?

The token is issued for the workspace you are currently signed into in the web app. To send metrics to a different workspace, switch to it in the web app first, then copy the token again. On-prem works the same way — take the token from your own instance and the plugin will reach that host.

Rotate or revoke

Two buttons sit next to the token in the same step. Rotate token issues a new one and the old one stops working immediately; Revoke token deletes it without a replacement. Each user has one active token per workspace, so after rotating you have to re-paste it everywhere you use it.

Verify​

  1. Open a solution and edit a file.
  2. Wait a couple of minutes.
  3. Open the PanDev Metrics web app → your profile → today.
  4. You should see activity on the timeline.

Troubleshooting​

No data on the dashboard. Confirm the Server URL has no trailing slash and matches your deployment. Restart Visual Studio.

Authentication failed. If you signed in with a token, the most likely cause is that the token was rotated or revoked in the web app — copy the current one from Settings → Plugins and paste it again. Also check the token is complete, with no leading or trailing spaces.

Self-signed certificate on on-prem. On-prem servers may use a self-signed certificate. The extension supports disabling SSL validation in its settings — your administrator will tell you whether to enable it.

Visual Studio 2024+ misbehaves. We have not yet validated 2024+ builds end to end. The plugin should still load and run; please report what you see to support so we can prioritise testing.

FAQ​

Will my source code be uploaded? No. The extension records file names, activity events, project / solution names, and branches. Source code stays on your machine.

Does it work with VS Code or JetBrains Rider? This extension is only for Microsoft Visual Studio. Use the VS Code plugin for VS Code, and the JetBrains plugin for Rider.

Can I run multiple Visual Studio editions on the same machine? Yes. Install the extension in each edition you use; they share the same configuration store.