Optimized Aider Configuration

A battle-tested Aider configuration designed for professional development workflows. This setup prioritizes fast iteration, manual control over auto-commits, and efficient token usage while maintaining code quality through optional convention references.

What This Does

This configuration optimizes Aider for:

Configuration Breakdown

```yaml

dark-mode: true # Easy on the eyes during long sessions

watch-files: true # Auto-reloads files changed outside Aider

auto-commits: false # You control when to commit (recommended)

multiline: false # Single-line input mode (use /paste for multi-line)

cache-prompts: false # Disable prompt caching (can cause stale responses)

auto-lint: false # Run linter manually to save tokens

auto-test: false # Run tests manually to save tokens

git: false # Disable git integration (handle commits yourself)

subtree-only: false # Allow changes across entire repository

map-tokens: 0 # Disable repo map (saves tokens, use /add for context)

analytics: true # Anonymous usage data helps improve Aider

```

Optional Model Configuration

Uncomment these lines to override default models:

```yaml

#model: o3-mini # Primary model for code generation

#weak-model: gpt-4o-mini # Faster model for simple tasks

```

Optional Convention Files

Uncomment the `read` directive to automatically include coding conventions:

```yaml

#read: [CONVENTIONS.md, ../CONVENTIONS.md, ../../../CONVENTIONS.md]

```

This searches for `CONVENTIONS.md` at multiple directory levels and includes them in every Aider session context.

Usage Instructions

1. **Save this configuration** as `.aider.conf.yml` in your project root or home directory

- Project-level: `<project>/.aider.conf.yml` (recommended)

- Global: `~/.aider.conf.yml` (applies to all projects)

2. **Launch Aider** in your terminal:

```bash

aider

```

The configuration will be automatically loaded.

3. **Verify settings** with:

```

/settings

```

4. **Add files to context** as needed:

```

/add path/to/file.py

```

Since `map-tokens: 0`, Aider won't automatically map your repo structure—explicitly add files you're working on.

5. **Manual commit workflow**:

```

/commit

```

Review changes with `git diff` before committing.

6. **Run lint and tests manually**:

```bash

# Outside Aider

npm run lint # or your linter

npm test # or your test runner

```

When to Customize

Best Practices

1. **Start sessions with clear goals**: "Refactor the auth module to use async/await"

2. **Use `/add` strategically**: Only add files you're actively modifying

3. **Review diffs before committing**: `git diff` → `/commit` when satisfied

4. **Run tests outside Aider**: Faster feedback loop, lower token costs

5. **Keep convention files short**: Long conventions eat tokens in every request

Constraints

Related Skills