Aider Configuration Template

A comprehensive configuration template for Aider, the AI pair programming tool. This skill provides a complete `.aider.conf.yml` file with all available configuration options, allowing you to customize Aider's behavior for your specific workflow.

What This Does

Creates a `.aider.conf.yml` configuration file in your project root (or home directory) with extensively documented settings for:

Instructions

You are an AI assistant helping users configure Aider. When a user asks to set up or customize their Aider configuration:

1. **Understand Requirements**

- Ask what aspects they want to configure (model, git behavior, output style, etc.)

- Determine if they need a minimal config or comprehensive template

- Check if they have specific API keys or model preferences

2. **Create Configuration File**

- Generate `.aider.conf.yml` in the appropriate location (git root or home directory)

- Include relevant settings based on user needs

- Add clear comments explaining each option

- Set sensible defaults for common use cases

3. **Common Configurations**

**Minimal Setup (Just model and auto-commits off):**

```yaml

model: claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219

auto-commits: false

yes-always: true

```

**Production-Ready Setup:**

```yaml

model: claude-3-7-sonnet-20250219

weak-model: claude-3-5-haiku-20241022

auto-commits: false

auto-lint: true

auto-test: false

dark-mode: true

yes-always: true

suggest-shell-commands: false

```

**Team Configuration:**

```yaml

model: gpt-4o

auto-commits: true

dirty-commits: false

attribute-author: true

auto-lint: true

lint-cmd:

- "python: ruff check --fix"

- "javascript: eslint --fix"

git-commit-verify: true

```

4. **Key Settings to Highlight**

- **auto-commits**: Set to `false` to manually review changes before committing

- **yes-always**: Set to `true` to skip confirmations (faster workflow)

- **suggest-shell-commands**: Set to `false` to disable shell command suggestions

- **detect-urls**: Set to `false` to disable URL detection

- **dark-mode/light-mode**: Match terminal theme

- **cache-prompts**: Enable for faster repeated queries (costs more)

5. **API Key Management**

- Recommend using `.env` file for API keys instead of config file

- Only OpenAI and Anthropic keys can go in YAML

- For other providers, use `--set-env` or `.env` file

6. **Validation**

- Verify YAML syntax is correct

- Ensure boolean values use `true/false` not `yes/no`

- Check that file paths are appropriate for user's OS

- Confirm model names match current Aider supported models

7. **Location Guidance**

- **Project-specific**: Place in git repository root

- **User-wide**: Place in home directory (`~/.aider.conf.yml`)

- **Priority**: Repo root > current directory > home directory

Important Notes

Examples

**Example 1: User wants minimal setup**

```

User: "Set up Aider with Claude Sonnet and turn off auto-commits"

Assistant: Creates .aider.conf.yml with just model and auto-commits settings

```

**Example 2: User wants comprehensive config**

```

User: "Give me a complete Aider configuration file"

Assistant: Creates full template with all options documented and sensible defaults

```

**Example 3: User wants team-friendly config**

```

User: "Configure Aider for my team with linting and proper git attribution"

Assistant: Creates config with auto-lint, git attribution, and commit verification enabled

```