packages/kilo-docs/pages/code-with-ai/features/autocomplete/index.md
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.
The extension uses Fill-in-the-Middle (FIM) completion routed through the Kilo Gateway. It analyzes the code before and after your cursor to generate contextually accurate inline suggestions.
You can choose between two FIM models:
mistralai/codestral-2508) by Mistral AI — the default, billed through your Kilo account.inception/mercury-edit-2) by Inception — temporarily available via BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) only; Kilo Gateway support is coming soon.Autocomplete is enabled by default and automatically shows inline suggestions as you type. Suggestions appear as ghost text that you can accept with Tab.
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 %}
Autocomplete requests are routed through the Kilo Gateway. You can pick the FIM model under Settings → Models → Autocomplete model:
mistralai/codestral-2508) — the default. Billed through your Kilo account, or free when you add your own Mistral Codestral key via BYOK. See Setting Up Mistral for Free Autocomplete.inception/mercury-edit-2) — a fast diffusion-based FIM model by Inception. Temporarily requires an Inception BYOK key until Kilo Gateway support lands. Add one from the BYOK page in the Kilo platform. See Bring Your Own Key (BYOK) for setup details.{% callout type="note" %} Mercury Edit 2 is only available through BYOK for now — Kilo Gateway support is coming soon. If you select Mercury Edit 2 without a valid Inception BYOK key configured, autocomplete requests will fail — switch back to Codestral or add an Inception key to continue. {% /callout %}
The extension displays an autocomplete status indicator in the VS Code status bar, including:
You can temporarily disable autocomplete by clicking the status bar item to snooze it. Click again to unsnooze and re-enable suggestions.
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.
Use Manual Autocomplete for precision: When you need suggestions at specific moments, use the keyboard shortcut rather than relying on auto-trigger
Use chat for complex changes: Chat is better suited for multi-file changes and substantial code modifications
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
Check the status bar tooltip: Hover the status bar item to see autocomplete state and cost tracking
{% 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 %}