packages/kilo-docs/pages/getting-started/quickstart.md
After you set up Kilo Code, follow the guide for your platform below.
{% tabs %} {% tab label="VSCode" %}
Click the Kilo Code icon in the VS Code Primary Side Bar to open the chat panel. If you don't see the icon, verify the extension is installed.
Type a clear, concise description of what you want Kilo Code to do in the chat box. The same examples work here:
hello.txt containing 'Hello, world!'."No special commands or syntax needed—just use plain English.
Press Enter to send.
Kilo Code analyzes your request and proposes actions. By default, most tools are auto-approved — only shell commands, external directory access, and sensitive file reads will prompt for confirmation. You'll see the tool name, arguments, and can approve or reject each action.
To change which actions require approval, open Settings (gear icon) and go to the Auto-Approve tab. You can set each tool to Allow, Ask, or Deny. See Auto-Approving Actions for details.
Kilo Code works iteratively. Continue giving feedback or follow-up instructions until your task is complete.
kilo.jsonc config files (the Settings webview reads and writes the same files).md files or via the agent config key{% /tab %} {% tab label="CLI" %}
Navigate to your project directory:
cd /path/to/your/project
Run the kilo command to start the interactive TUI (terminal user interface):
kilo
If this is your first time, run kilo auth login first to authenticate (see Setup & Authentication).
Type your request in natural language at the prompt. The same examples work here:
hello.txt containing 'Hello, world!'."Press Enter to send.
Kilo analyzes your request and proposes actions. By default, most tools are auto-approved — only shell commands, external directory access, and sensitive file reads will prompt for confirmation. You'll see the tool name, arguments, and can approve or reject each action.
To change permission defaults, configure the permission key in your kilo.jsonc config file. See Auto-Approving Actions for details.
Kilo works iteratively. Continue giving feedback or follow-up instructions until your task is complete.
For quick, non-interactive tasks, use kilo run:
kilo run "add error handling to src/api.ts"
Add --auto to auto-approve all permissions (use carefully):
kilo run --auto "fix the failing tests in test/auth.test.ts"
{% /tab %} {% tab label="VSCode (Legacy)" %}
{% youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO7zRLQS-p0" caption="This quick tour shows how Kilo Code handles a simple request from start to finish" /%}
Click the Kilo Code icon ({% kiloCodeIcon /%}) in the VS Code Primary Side Bar (vertical bar on the side of the window) to open the chat interface. If you don't see the icon, verify the extension is installed and enabled.
{% image src="/docs/img/your-first-task/your-first-task.png" alt="Kilo Code icon in VS Code Primary Side Bar" width="800" caption="The Kilo Code icon in the Primary Side Bar opens the chat interface." /%}
Type a clear, concise description of what you want Kilo Code to do in the chat box at the bottom of the panel. Examples of effective tasks:
hello.txt containing 'Hello, world!'."No special commands or syntax needed—just use plain English.
{% callout type="tip" title="Optional: Try Autocomplete" collapsed=true %}
While chat is great for complex tasks, Kilo Code also offers inline autocomplete for quick code suggestions. Open any code file, start typing, and watch for ghost text suggestions. Press Tab to accept. Learn more about Autocomplete →
{% /callout %}
{% image src="/docs/img/your-first-task/your-first-task-6.png" alt="Typing a task in the Kilo Code chat interface" width="500" caption="Enter your task in natural language - no special syntax required." /%}
Press Enter or click the Send icon ({% codicon name="send" /%}) to the right of the input box.
Kilo Code analyzes your request and proposes specific actions. These may include:
{% image src="/docs/img/your-first-task/your-first-task-7.png" alt="Reviewing a proposed file creation action" width="400" caption="Kilo Code shows exactly what action it wants to perform and waits for your approval." /%}
{% callout type="tip" %} The level of autonomy is configurable, allowing you to make the agent more or less autonomous.
You can learn more about using agents and auto-approving actions. {% /callout %}
Kilo Code works iteratively. After each action, it waits for your feedback before proposing the next step. Continue this review-approve cycle until your task is complete.
{% image src="/docs/img/your-first-task/your-first-task-8.png" alt="Final result of a completed task showing the iteration process" width="500" caption="After completing the task, Kilo Code shows the final result and awaits your next instruction." /%}
{% /tab %} {% /tabs %}
You've completed your first task. Along the way you learned:
Ready for more? Here are some next steps:
{% callout type="tip" %} Accelerate development: Check out multiple copies of your repository and run Kilo Code on all of them in parallel (using git to resolve any conflicts, same as with human devs). This can dramatically speed up development on large projects. {% /callout %}