Add a rainbow color mode for the status bar to visually separate entry categories · Issue #316987 · microsoft/vscode · GitHub
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Add a rainbow color mode for the status bar to visually separate entry categories #316987
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Open<br>Add a rainbow color mode for the status bar to visually separate entry categories#316987
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Description
bocan<br>opened on May 18, 2026
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Feature request
Not going to lie - I feel like I'm pushing my luck here!
Add a new workbench.statusBar.colorMode setting that, when set to "rainbow", gives each unique status bar entry category a slightly different background color spread across the hue wheel. Default behavior stays unchanged.
Motivation
The status bar is great as-is, but in practice it's a long horizontal blob of information where it's hard to spot where one entry ends and the next begins. I find myself wanting a visual cue for what each category is, both so I can scan it more quickly and so I can decide which entries I actually want to keep enabled vs. hide.
A subtle rainbow gradient (each entry category getting its own hue) gives every section a stable visual identity without adding any new UI chrome. It also makes the status bar feel more "at a glance" readable.
Proposal
New setting: workbench.statusBar.colorMode
"default" (default) - current behavior, no change
"rainbow" - each unique entry category gets an HSL hue spread evenly across 0 to 300 degrees (avoiding the red wrap-around so it isn't confused with error styling)
Entries currently in an error or warning kind are skipped and keep their semantic theme colors, so alerts visibly break the rainbow and remain easy to spot
Kind transitions are reflected immediately (an entry that becomes an error drops out of the rainbow on the spot, and rejoins when it returns to standard)
Why opt-in
Some users (myself included) like a more colorful status bar; others prefer the calmer default. Gating it behind a setting keeps the default UX untouched and lets users pick what works for them.
Alternatives considered
A theme-only solution: themes can't easily target per-category entries because entries are contributed dynamically by extensions and don't have stable color tokens per category.
Always-on rainbow: too visually loud as a default and changes the look of VS Code for everyone.
Additional context
I have a working implementation and have opened a PR here: #316988
This is what it looks like
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zhichli
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