kilocode/packages/kilo-docs/pages/code-with-ai/features/autocomplete/index.md

title, description

title	description
Autocomplete	AI-powered code autocompletion in Kilo Code

Autocomplete

Kilo Code's autocomplete feature provides intelligent code suggestions and completions while you're typing, helping you write code faster and more efficiently. It offers both automatic and manual triggering options.

{% tabs %} {% tab label="VSCode" %}

How Autocomplete Works

The extension uses Fill-in-the-Middle (FIM) completion powered by Codestral (mistralai/codestral-2508) via the Kilo Gateway. It analyzes the code before and after your cursor to generate contextually accurate inline suggestions.

Triggering Options

Auto-trigger

Autocomplete is enabled by default and automatically shows inline suggestions as you type. Suggestions appear as ghost text that you can accept with Tab.

Trigger on keybinding (Cmd+L)

Press Cmd+L (Mac) or Ctrl+L (Windows/Linux) to manually request a completion at your cursor position.

{% callout type="note" %} This keybinding requires kilo-code.new.autocomplete.enableSmartInlineTaskKeybinding to be enabled in VS Code settings. It is disabled by default. {% /callout %}

Provider and Model

Autocomplete in the VSCode extension exclusively uses Codestral (mistralai/codestral-2508) routed through the Kilo Gateway. There is no option to select a different provider or model — the extension is designed to work specifically with Codestral, which is optimized for Fill-in-the-Middle (FIM) completions.

Requests are billed through your Kilo account. To use your own Mistral API key instead, see Setting Up Mistral for Free Autocomplete.

Status Bar

The extension displays an autocomplete status indicator in the VS Code status bar, including:

• Current autocomplete state (active/snoozed)
• Cumulative cost tracking for autocomplete requests

Snooze / Unsnooze

You can temporarily disable autocomplete by clicking the status bar item to snooze it. Click again to unsnooze and re-enable suggestions.

Copilot Conflict Detection

The extension automatically detects if GitHub Copilot inline suggestions are enabled and warns you about potential conflicts. Disable Copilot's inline completions for the best experience with Kilo Code autocomplete.

{% /tab %} {% tab label="VSCode (Legacy)" %}

How Autocomplete Works

Autocomplete analyzes your code context and provides:

• Inline completions as you type
• Quick fixes for common code patterns
• Contextual suggestions based on your surrounding code
• Multi-line completions for complex code structures

Triggering Options

Code Editor Suggestions

Auto-trigger suggestions

When enabled, Kilo Code automatically shows inline suggestions when you pause typing. This provides a seamless coding experience where suggestions appear naturally as you work.

• Auto Trigger Delay: Configure the delay (in seconds) before suggestions appear after you stop typing
• Default is 3 seconds, but this can be adjusted up or down
• Shorter delays mean quicker suggestions but may be more resource-intensive

Trigger on keybinding (Cmd+L)

For more control over when suggestions appear:

1. Position your cursor where you need assistance
2. Press Cmd+L (Mac) or Ctrl+L (Windows/Linux)
3. Kilo Code analyzes the surrounding context
4. Receive immediate improvements or completions

This is ideal for:

• Quick fixes
• Code completions
• Refactoring suggestions
• Keeping you in the flow without interruptions

You can customize this keyboard shortcut as well in your VS Code settings.

Chat Suggestions

Enable Chat Autocomplete

When enabled, Kilo Code will suggest completions as you type in the chat input. Press Tab to accept suggestions.

Provider and Model Selection

Autocomplete currently uses Codestral (by Mistral AI) as the underlying model. This model is specifically optimized for code completion tasks and provides fast, high-quality suggestions.

How the Provider is Chosen

Kilo Code automatically selects a provider for autocomplete in the following priority order:

• Mistral (using codestral-latest)
• Kilo Code (using mistralai/codestral-2508)
• OpenRouter (using mistralai/codestral-2508)
• Requesty (using mistral/codestral-latest)
• Bedrock (using mistral.codestral-2508-v1:0)
• Hugging Face (using mistralai/Codestral-22B-v0.1)
• LiteLLM (using codestral/codestral-latest)
• LM Studio (using mistralai/codestral-22b-v0.1)
• Ollama (using codestral:latest)

{% callout type="note" %} Model Selection is Currently Fixed: At this time, you cannot freely choose a different model for autocomplete. The feature is designed to work specifically with Codestral, which is optimized for Fill-in-the-Middle (FIM) completions. Support for additional models may be added in future releases. {% /callout %}

Disable Rival Autocomplete

We recommend disabling rival autocompletes to optimize your experience with Kilo Code. To disable GitHub Copilot autocomplete in VSCode, go to Settings and navigate to GitHub > Copilot: Advanced (or search for 'copilot').

Then, toggle to 'disabled':

{% image src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/60c69417-1d1c-4a48-9820-5390c30ae25c" alt="Disable GitHub Copilot in VSCode" width="800" caption="Disable GitHub Copilot in VSCode" /%}

If using Cursor, go to Settings > Cursor Settings > Tab, and toggle off 'Cursor Tab':

{% image src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/fd2eeae2-f770-40ca-8a72-a9d5a1c17d47" alt="Disable Cursor autocomplete" width="800" caption="Disable Cursor autocomplete" /%}

{% /tab %} {% /tabs %}

Best Practices

1. Use Manual Autocomplete for precision: When you need suggestions at specific moments, use the keyboard shortcut rather than relying on auto-trigger
2. Use chat for complex changes: Chat is better suited for multi-file changes and substantial code modifications
3. Steer autocomplete with comments: Write a comment describing what you want before triggering autocomplete, or type a function signature — autocomplete will fill in the implementation

{% tabs %} {% tab label="VSCode" %}

4. Check the status bar tooltip: Hover the status bar item to see autocomplete state and cost tracking

{% /tab %} {% tab label="VSCode (Legacy)" %}

4. Balance speed and quality: Faster models provide quicker suggestions but may be less accurate
5. Adjust trigger delay: Find the sweet spot between responsiveness and avoiding too many API calls
6. Configure providers wisely: Consider using faster, cheaper models for autocomplete while keeping more powerful models for chat

{% /tab %} {% /tabs %}

Tips

{% callout type="tip" %} When to use chat vs autocomplete: Use chat for multi-file changes, refactoring, or when you need to explain intent. Use autocomplete for quick, localized edits where the context is already clear from surrounding code. {% /callout %}

{% callout type="tip" %} Treat suggestions as drafts: Accept autocomplete suggestions quickly, then refine. It's often faster to fix a 90% correct suggestion than to craft the perfect prompt. {% /callout %}

• Autocomplete works best with clear, well-structured code
• Comments above functions help autocomplete understand intent
• Variable and function names matter — descriptive names lead to better suggestions

Related Features

• Code Actions - Context menu options for common coding tasks