Continue · AIintermediate

Continue.dev config.json

A Continue.dev config.json wiring up a chat model, a tab-autocomplete model, an embeddings provider, context providers and a custom slash command — the setup for the open-source AI code assistant.

continueaicode-assistantautocompletevscode

Preview

{
  "models": [
    {
      "title": "Claude Sonnet",
      "provider": "anthropic",
      "model": "claude-sonnet-4-5",
      "apiKey": "${{ secrets.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY }}"
    }
  ],
  "tabAutocompleteModel": {
    "title": "Codestral",
    "provider": "mistral",
    "model": "codestral-latest",
    "apiKey": "${{ secrets.MISTRAL_API_KEY }}"
  },
  "embeddingsProvider": {
    "provider": "openai",
    "model": "text-embedding-3-small",
    "apiKey": "${{ secrets.OPENAI_API_KEY }}"
  },
  "contextProviders": [
    {
      "name": "code"
    },
    {
      "name": "diff"
    },
    {
      "name": "docs"
    },
    {
      "name": "terminal"
    }
  ],
  "slashCommands": [
    {
      "name": "edit",
      "description": "Edit selected code"
    },
    {
      "name": "comment",
      "description": "Write comments for the selected code"
    }
  ]
}

AI actions

Documentation

Purpose

Configure the Continue.dev assistant — which models power chat and autocomplete, where it pulls context from, and which slash commands are available in the editor.

When to use

Setting up Continue.dev in VS Code or JetBrains: mixing a strong chat model with a fast local autocomplete model, and tailoring context providers to your repo.

Required fields

models — the list of chat models, each with title, provider and model

Optional fields

tabAutocompleteModel — a fast model dedicated to inline completions
embeddingsProvider — powers @codebase retrieval
contextProviders — sources like code, docs, diff, terminal
slashCommands — custom /commands surfaced in chat

Best practices

Use a small, fast model for tabAutocompleteModel and a strong one for chat.
Reference API keys with ${{ secrets.NAME }} instead of pasting them inline.
Add only the context providers you use to keep prompts focused.

Security considerations

Never commit real API keys; use Continue secret references or environment variables.
Local providers (Ollama) keep code on your machine — prefer them for sensitive repos.
Review third-party context providers before enabling them.

Related templates

The Continue.dev config.json Guide