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Guide · Open source

How to use inshellisense: install, setup and keybindings

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

inshellisense adds IDE-style autocomplete to your terminal. As you type a command, it shows suggested options, subcommands, and flags that you can accept with the tab key. This guide shows you how to install it, start a session, set it to load automatically in your shell, and adjust its settings.

inshellisensemicrosoft/inshellisense · ★ 10.8k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Install with npm. Run the global npm install for @microsoft/inshellisense. Node.js must be installed first.
  2. 2Run init. Run is init to set up inshellisense for your shell.
  3. 3Verify with doctor. Run is doctor to confirm the installation worked.
  4. 4Start a session. Run is to start autocomplete in the current shell, and exit to stop it.
  5. 5Use tab to accept. Type a command and press tab to accept the highlighted suggestion, using up and down arrows to move between them.
  6. 6Optional: autostart. Add the init line for your shell to its config file, keeping it as the last command.
  7. 7Optional: configure. Create rc.toml to change keybindings, suggestion count, colors, or border style.

Install inshellisense with npm

The recommended way to install inshellisense is with npm. Node.js is required for this install. The README does not state a minimum Node.js version. After installing, run the init command so inshellisense is set up for your shell.

Homebrew is also listed as an option for macOS and Linux, using a tap from the microsoft/inshellisense repository.

npm install -g @microsoft/inshellisense is init

Verify the installation and start a session

Run is doctor to check that the installation worked. Then run is to start the autocomplete session for your current shell. inshellisense is also available under the alias inshellisense.

To stop the session, type exit. To check whether you are inside an inshellisense session, run is -c.

  • Start: is
  • Stop: exit
  • Check if inside a session: is -c
is doctor is

Use the keybindings while typing

When suggestions are visible, the keys below are captured by inshellisense. Otherwise they pass through to your shell. All other keys are passed through to the shell in either case.

  • Accept the current suggestion: tab
  • View the next suggestion: down arrow
  • View the previous suggestion: up arrow
  • Dismiss suggestions: esc

Start inshellisense automatically in your shell

If you want inshellisense to open every time you start a new shell session, run the command for your shell. The README lists commands for bash, zsh, fish, pwsh, powershell, xonsh, and nushell.

Keep the inshellisense line as the last command in your shell config file. The README warns that commands placed after it may break the configuration, such as initializing a shell plugin manager after it.

  • bash: appends to ~/.bashrc
  • zsh: appends to ~/.zshrc
  • fish: appends to ~/.config/fish/config.fish
  • pwsh and powershell: pipe into $profile
  • xonsh: appends to ~/.xonshrc
  • nushell: saves into $nu.env-path
is init zsh >> ~/.zshrc

Customize settings in the config file

All configuration is done through a TOML file. You can create it at ~/.inshellisenserc or at $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/inshellisense/rc.toml. If XDG_CONFIG_HOME is unset, empty, or not an absolute path, the default is ~/.config/inshellisense/rc.toml.

Options named in the README include keybinding overrides, alias expansion for bash and zsh, NerdFont support, the maximum number of suggestions, the active suggestion background color, and the box border style. After updating an install, run is reinit to migrate legacy resources.

  • useAliases = true enables alias expansion for bash/zsh
  • useNerdFont = true enables NerdFont support
  • maxSuggestions = 10 sets how many suggestions show at once
  • activeSuggestionBackgroundColor takes a #RRGGBB hex color
  • boxBorderStyle = "rounded" uses rounded corners instead of the default square
maxSuggestions = 10 boxBorderStyle = "rounded" useAliases = true

Know what is not supported

The README says autocomplete specs for the az, gcloud, and aws CLIs are not supported because of their large size. Support for cmd is marked experimental.

What people use it for

  • Finding flags for a command-line tool you use rarely, using suggestions as you type
  • Getting the same autocomplete experience across bash, zsh, fish, PowerShell, xonsh, or nushell
  • Opening a shell that starts inshellisense automatically in every new session
  • Remapping the accept key or changing the number of visible suggestions to suit your habits

Frequently asked questions

Is inshellisense free?

inshellisense is released under the MIT licence, as stated in its project information. The MIT licence permits use, modification, and distribution under its terms.

What do I need to install inshellisense?

You need Node.js for the npm install, which is the recommended method. The README does not state which Node.js version is required. Homebrew is also listed as an option for macOS and Linux.

Which shells does inshellisense support?

The README lists bash, zsh, fish, pwsh, powershell (Windows PowerShell), xonsh, and nushell. cmd is supported but marked experimental.

Does inshellisense work with AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud CLIs?

No. The README says autocomplete specs for the az, gcloud, and aws CLIs are not supported due to their large size.

How does inshellisense get its suggestions?

It uses the autocomplete specs from the withfig/autocomplete project, which the README says cover 600+ command line tools. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Why is autocomplete not showing after I added the init line?

The README advises keeping the inshellisense plugin as the last command in your shell config file, because later commands may break the configuration. Run is doctor to check the installation, and is reinit after updates.

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Our verdict

inshellisense suits developers who spend much time in the terminal and want suggestions for unfamiliar options, especially if they use one of the supported shells. If you are happy with your shell's built-in completion, need autocomplete for az, gcloud, or aws, or rely on cmd, a different tool such as fig, zsh-autosuggestions, or fzf-tab may fit better.

Install options & downloads