The 'LSP Moment' for AI Agents: WebStorm ACP
JetBrains introduces ACP, enabling developers to use multiple AI agents within a single IDE.
1What is ACP?
The Agent Client Protocol (ACP) establishes a standard communication channel between IDEs and AI agents. Similar to how Language Server Protocol (LSP) enables editor independence for different languages, ACP allows developers to use various AI assistants within one IDE. This enables selecting the best agent for specific tasks like React refactoring or architectural planning.
2Multi-Agent Support
WebStorm now natively supports assistants from different providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google without requiring a JetBrains AI subscription. Major players like GitHub Copilot and Claude Code already provide ACP servers, with others following suit. Teams can leverage their existing subscriptions directly within the IDE.
3Specialized Workflows
ACP enables developers to easily switch between specialized agents for different tasks. Independent benchmarking reveals no single agent leads in all areas: one scoring 3.3-3.6 in component architecture might drop to 1.7-2.9 in design token extraction. ACP helps balance these weaknesses by allowing task-specific agent selection.
4Integrated Figma-to-Code Process
When building complex React dashboards, developers can select a 'Frontend Specialist' agent for design-to-code conversion. The Figma Connect plugin streams design context directly into WebStorm. The agent analyzes theme files and component specs, returning file edits applied directly to the project through ACP.
5Browser Integration
Agents don't just write code—they can verify execution in browsers through Chrome DevTools CLI integration. Developed in partnership with Google's Chrome DevTools team, this feature lets agents track console errors, trace issues to their source, apply fixes, and confirm resolutions without environment switching.
6Team Management Benefits
For tech leads, ACP integrates with AI governance structures, supporting approved providers and compliance requirements. It delivers clean, auditable IDE integration without middleware or additional subscriptions. Teams can curate and deploy stack-specific agents without individual setup, ensuring consistency across developers.
7Data Control and Flexibility
Being provider-agnostic, ACP lets teams route agents to any backend—Azure, AWS, Anthropic, or local LLMs—maintaining full data governance while offering infrastructure flexibility. Organizations can connect private ACP-compliant agents through simple acp.json configurations, enabling custom solutions without vendor lock-in.
8Industry Implications
ACP's adoption could trigger significant shifts in the AI assistant market. In an industry characterized by monthly leader changes and constant new entrants, developers won't be locked into single providers. This acceleration of innovation will democratize access to best-in-class tools while fostering healthy competition among agent providers.
Original article: The JetBrains Blog — WebStorm ACP ile AI Asistanlarında Yeni Dönem