Aider Configuration Template

A comprehensive configuration template for Aider, the AI pair programming tool. This skill provides a complete `.aider.conf.yml` reference with all available configuration options for customizing Aider's behavior, model selection, git integration, and output settings.

What This Does

Provides a fully documented Aider configuration file that you can customize for your project. The configuration covers:

Instructions

1. **Review the configuration options** in the template below and identify which settings you want to customize for your project

2. **Create or update `.aider.conf.yml`** in your project root (or home directory for global settings):

- Copy the sections you need from the template

- Uncomment and set values for options you want to enable

- Remove or keep commented options you don't need

3. **Set up API keys** using one of these methods:

- Add to `.aider.conf.yml`: `openai-api-key` or `anthropic-api-key`

- Or use a `.env` file in your git root (recommended for security)

- Or set environment variables

4. **Configure model preferences**:

- Set `model:` to specify which LLM to use

- Or use shortcuts like `opus: true`, `sonnet: true`, `4o: true`

- Configure `weak-model:` for commit messages and summaries

5. **Customize git behavior**:

- Enable/disable auto-commits with `auto-commits:`

- Configure commit attribution with `attribute-author:` and `attribute-committer:`

- Set up `.aiderignore` file path if needed

6. **Set up output preferences**:

- Choose `dark-mode: true` or `light-mode: true`

- Customize colors with `user-input-color:`, `assistant-output-color:`, etc.

- Set `code-theme:` (default, monokai, solarized-dark, solarized-light)

7. **Configure automation** (optional):

- Set `lint-cmd:` for automatic linting (e.g., `"python: flake8 --select=..."`)

- Set `test-cmd:` for automatic testing

- Enable `auto-lint: true` or `auto-test: true`

8. **Test your configuration**:

```bash

aider --show-prompts # Verify settings

aider --verbose # See detailed configuration loading

```

Configuration Template

```yaml

##########################################################

Sample .aider.conf.yml

This file lists *all* the valid configuration entries.

Place in your home dir, or at the root of your git repo.

##########################################################

Note: You can only put OpenAI and Anthropic API keys in the yaml

config file. Keys for all APIs can be stored in a .env file

https://aider.chat/docs/config/dotenv.html

##########

options:

show this help message and exit

#help:

#######

Main:

specify a file to edit (can be used multiple times)

#file:

Specify the OpenAI API key

#openai-api-key:

Specify the Anthropic API key

#anthropic-api-key:

Specify the model to use for the main chat

#model:

Use claude-3-opus-20240229 model for the main chat

#opus: false

Use claude-3-5-sonnet-20240620 model for the main chat

#sonnet: false

Use gpt-4-0613 model for the main chat

#4: false

Use gpt-4o model for the main chat

#4o: false

Use gpt-4-1106-preview model for the main chat

#4-turbo: false

Use gpt-3.5-turbo model for the main chat

#35turbo: false

#################

Model Settings:

List known models which match the (partial) MODEL name

#models:

Specify the api base url

#openai-api-base:

Specify the api_type

#openai-api-type:

Specify the api_version

#openai-api-version:

Specify the deployment_id

#openai-api-deployment-id:

Specify the OpenAI organization ID

#openai-organization-id:

Specify a file with aider model settings for unknown models

#model-settings-file: .aider.model.settings.yml

Specify a file with context window and costs for unknown models

#model-metadata-file: .aider.model.metadata.json

Verify the SSL cert when connecting to models (default: True)

#verify-ssl: true

Specify what edit format the LLM should use (default depends on model)

#edit-format:

Specify the model to use for commit messages and chat history summarization (default depends on --model)

#weak-model:

Only work with models that have meta-data available (default: True)

#show-model-warnings: true

Max number of tokens to use for repo map, use 0 to disable (default: 1024)

#map-tokens: true

Maximum number of tokens to use for chat history. If not specified, uses the model's max_chat_history_tokens.

#max-chat-history-tokens:

Specify the .env file to load (default: .env in git root)

#env-file: .env

################

History Files:

Specify the chat input history file (default: .aider.input.history)

#input-history-file: .aider.input.history

Specify the chat history file (default: .aider.chat.history.md)

#chat-history-file: .aider.chat.history.md

Restore the previous chat history messages (default: False)

#restore-chat-history: false

Log the conversation with the LLM to this file (for example, .aider.llm.history)

#llm-history-file:

##################

Output Settings:

Use colors suitable for a dark terminal background (default: False)

#dark-mode: false

Use colors suitable for a light terminal background (default: False)

#light-mode: false

Enable/disable pretty, colorized output (default: True)

#pretty: true

Enable/disable streaming responses (default: True)

#stream: true

Set the color for user input (default: #00cc00)

#user-input-color: #00cc00

Set the color for tool output (default: None)

#tool-output-color:

Set the color for tool error messages (default: red)

#tool-error-color: #FF2222

Set the color for assistant output (default: #0088ff)

#assistant-output-color: #0088ff

Set the markdown code theme (default: default, other options include monokai, solarized-dark, solarized-light)

#code-theme: default

Show diffs when committing changes (default: False)

#show-diffs: false

###############

Git Settings:

Enable/disable looking for a git repo (default: True)

#git: true

Enable/disable adding .aider* to .gitignore (default: True)

#gitignore: true

Specify the aider ignore file (default: .aiderignore in git root)

#aiderignore: .aiderignore

Enable/disable auto commit of LLM changes (default: True)

#auto-commits: true

Enable/disable commits when repo is found dirty (default: True)

#dirty-commits: true

Attribute aider code changes in the git author name (default: True)

#attribute-author: true

Attribute aider commits in the git committer name (default: True)

#attribute-committer: true

Prefix commit messages with 'aider: ' (default: False)

#attribute-commit-message: false

Perform a dry run without modifying files (default: False)

#dry-run: false

########################

Fixing and committing:

Commit all pending changes with a suitable commit message, then exit

#commit: false

Lint and fix provided files, or dirty files if none provided

#lint: false

Specify lint commands to run for different languages, eg: "python: flake8 --select=..." (can be used multiple times)

#lint-cmd:

Enable/disable automatic linting after changes (default: True)

#auto-lint: true

Specify command to run tests

#test-cmd:

Enable/disable automatic testing after changes (default: False)

#auto-test: false

Run tests and fix problems found

#test: false

#################

Other Settings:

Use VI editing mode in the terminal (default: False)

#vim: false

Specify the language for voice using ISO 639-1 code (default: auto)

#voice-language: en

Show the version number and exit

#version:

Check for updates and return status in the exit code

#just-check-update: false

Check for new aider versions on launch

#check-update: true

Apply the changes from the given file instead of running the chat (debug)

#apply:

Always say yes to every confirmation

#yes: false

Enable verbose output

#verbose: false

Print the repo map and exit (debug)

#show-repo-map: false

Print the system prompts and exit (debug)

#show-prompts: false

Do all startup activities then exit before accepting user input (debug)

#exit: false

Specify a single message to send the LLM, process reply then exit (disables chat mode)

#message:

Specify a file containing the message to send the LLM, process reply, then exit (disables chat mode)

#message-file:

Specify the encoding for input and output (default: utf-8)

#encoding: utf-8

Specify the config file (default: search for .aider.conf.yml in git root, cwd or home directory)

#config:

Run aider in your browser

#gui: false

```

Common Configuration Examples

**Minimal setup for Claude Sonnet:**

```yaml

anthropic-api-key: your-key-here

sonnet: true

dark-mode: true

auto-commits: true

```

**Python project with linting:**

```yaml

model: gpt-4o

lint-cmd: "python: ruff check --fix"

auto-lint: true

test-cmd: pytest

dark-mode: true

```

**Custom model with Azure OpenAI:**

```yaml

model: gpt-4

openai-api-base: https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/

openai-api-type: azure

openai-api-version: 2023-05-15

openai-api-deployment-id: your-deployment

```

Notes