How to Create and Use a Temporary Profile in VS Code

A Temporary Profile is a VS Code profile that exists only for the current session. It starts as an Empty Profile with no custom settings, extensions, snippets, or keyboard shortcuts. You can modify it freely, and everything is discarded when you close VS Code.

This is the safest way to test a new extension, try a configuration change, or reproduce a bug report. You never risk breaking your normal setup. Unlike a permanent profile, which you create through the Profiles editor, a Temporary Profile is meant to be disposable. See /vscode/how-to-create-and-switch-between-profiles-in-vs-code if you need a profile that persists.

Create a Temporary Profile

Open the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+P (macOS) and run the command:

Profiles: Create a Temporary Profile

VS Code immediately creates the profile with an auto-generated name such as Temp 1, Temp 2, and so on. The profile becomes active in the current window.

You can confirm it is active by checking the title bar. It shows the temporary profile name (for example, "Temp 1"). The Manage gear button at the bottom of the Activity Bar also shows a badge with the first two letters.

What the Temporary Profile starts with

A Temporary Profile begins completely empty:

• Settings: Only VS Code defaults. No user or workspace settings carry over.
• Extensions: No extensions are installed, not even ones you use in other profiles.
• Keyboard shortcuts: Only built-in defaults.
• Snippets: None.
• User tasks: None.
• UI layout: Default layout with all views visible.

This clean starting point makes it easy to isolate behavior. If an extension works in the Temporary Profile but not in your normal profile, you know another extension or setting is causing the conflict.

When to use a Temporary Profile

Work in a Temporary Profile

Once the Temporary Profile is active, you can use VS Code normally:

• Install extensions from the Marketplace.
• Change settings through the Settings editor or settings.json.
• Open a project folder and work on it.
• Adjust the UI layout.

The folder you open is not affected by the Temporary Profile. Your files are not temporary, only the profile is. When you close VS Code and reopen with your normal profile, the same folder opens with your usual setup.

What happens when you close VS Code

When you close the VS Code window, the Temporary Profile is deleted. This includes any extensions you installed, any settings you changed, any snippets or tasks you created, and any UI layout adjustments.

Save work from a Temporary Profile

If you built something useful in a Temporary Profile and want to keep it, export the profile before closing VS Code. While the Temporary Profile is active, open the Profiles editor, find the Temporary Profile, and select Export from its overflow menu. Save it as a GitHub gist or a .code-profile file. After VS Code restarts with your normal profile, import it as a permanent profile.

See /vscode/how-to-export-import-and-share-a-vs-code-profile for the full export and import steps.

Create multiple Temporary Profiles

You can create more than one Temporary Profile in a session. Each new one gets an incremented name: Temp 1, Temp 2, Temp 3. Switch between them with the Profiles: Switch Profile command.

This is useful when you want to compare two extensions side by side. Install one in Temp 1, switch to Temp 2, install the alternative, and compare behavior in two clean environments.