---
title: Config
description: Using the Kilo CLI JSON config.
---

You can configure Kilo CLI using a JSON config file.

---

## Format

Kilo CLI supports both **JSON** and **JSONC** (JSON with Comments) formats.

```jsonc title="opencode.jsonc"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  // Theme configuration
  "theme": "opencode",
  "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
  "autoupdate": true,
}
```

---

## Locations

You can place your config in a couple of different locations and they have a
different order of precedence.

:::note
Configuration files are **merged together**, not replaced.
:::

Configuration files are merged together, not replaced. Settings from the following config locations are combined. Later configs override earlier ones only for conflicting keys. Non-conflicting settings from all configs are preserved.

For example, if your global config sets `theme: "opencode"` and `autoupdate: true`, and your project config sets `model: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5"`, the final configuration will include all three settings.

---

### Precedence order

Config sources are loaded in this order (later sources override earlier ones):

1. **Remote config** (from `.well-known/opencode`) - organizational defaults
2. **Global config** (`~/.config/opencode/opencode.json`) - user preferences
3. **Custom config** (`OPENCODE_CONFIG` env var) - custom overrides
4. **Project config** (`opencode.json` in project) - project-specific settings
5. **`.opencode` directories** - agents, commands, plugins
6. **Inline config** (`OPENCODE_CONFIG_CONTENT` env var) - runtime overrides

This means project configs can override global defaults, and global configs can override remote organizational defaults.

:::note
The `.opencode` and `~/.config/opencode` directories use **plural names** for subdirectories: `agents/`, `commands/`, `modes/`, `plugins/`, `skills/`, `tools/`, and `themes/`. Singular names (e.g., `agent/`) are also supported for backwards compatibility.
:::

---

### Remote

Organizations can provide default configuration via the `.well-known/opencode` endpoint. This is fetched automatically when you authenticate with a provider that supports it.

Remote config is loaded first, serving as the base layer. All other config sources (global, project) can override these defaults.

For example, if your organization provides MCP servers that are disabled by default:

```json title="Remote config from .well-known/opencode"
{
  "mcp": {
    "jira": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://jira.example.com/mcp",
      "enabled": false
    }
  }
}
```

You can enable specific servers in your local config:

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "mcp": {
    "jira": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://jira.example.com/mcp",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

---

### Global

Place your global Kilo CLI config in `~/.config/opencode/opencode.json`. Use global config for user-wide preferences like themes, providers, or keybinds.

Global config overrides remote organizational defaults.

---

### Per project

Add `opencode.json` in your project root. Project config has the highest precedence among standard config files - it overrides both global and remote configs.

:::tip
Place project specific config in the root of your project.
:::

When OpenCode starts up, it looks for a config file in the current directory or traverse up to the nearest Git directory.

This is also safe to be checked into Git and uses the same schema as the global one.

---

### Custom path

Specify a custom config file path using the `OPENCODE_CONFIG` environment variable.

```bash
export OPENCODE_CONFIG=/path/to/my/custom-config.json
opencode run "Hello world"
```

Custom config is loaded between global and project configs in the precedence order.

---

### Custom directory

Specify a custom config directory using the `OPENCODE_CONFIG_DIR`
environment variable. This directory will be searched for agents, commands,
modes, and plugins just like the standard `.opencode` directory, and should
follow the same structure.

```bash
export OPENCODE_CONFIG_DIR=/path/to/my/config-directory
opencode run "Hello world"
```

The custom directory is loaded after the global config and `.opencode` directories, so it **can override** their settings.

---

## Schema

The config file has a schema that's defined in [**`opencode.ai/config.json`**](https://opencode.ai/config.json).

Your editor should be able to validate and autocomplete based on the schema.

---

### TUI

You can configure TUI-specific settings through the `tui` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "tui": {
    "scroll_speed": 3,
    "scroll_acceleration": {
      "enabled": true
    },
    "diff_style": "auto"
  }
}
```

Available options:

- `scroll_acceleration.enabled` - Enable macOS-style scroll acceleration. **Takes precedence over `scroll_speed`.**
- `scroll_speed` - Custom scroll speed multiplier (default: `3`, minimum: `1`). Ignored if `scroll_acceleration.enabled` is `true`.
- `diff_style` - Control diff rendering. `"auto"` adapts to terminal width, `"stacked"` always shows single column.

[Learn more about using the TUI here](/docs/tui).

---

### Server

You can configure server settings for the `opencode serve` and `opencode web` commands through the `server` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "server": {
    "port": 4096,
    "hostname": "0.0.0.0",
    "mdns": true,
    "cors": ["http://localhost:5173"]
  }
}
```

Available options:

- `port` - Port to listen on.
- `hostname` - Hostname to listen on. When `mdns` is enabled and no hostname is set, defaults to `0.0.0.0`.
- `mdns` - Enable mDNS service discovery. This allows other devices on the network to discover your Kilo CLI server.
- `cors` - Additional origins to allow for CORS when using the HTTP server from a browser-based client. Values must be full origins (scheme + host + optional port), eg `https://app.example.com`.

[Learn more about the server here](/docs/server).

---

### Tools

You can manage the tools an LLM can use through the `tools` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "tools": {
    "write": false,
    "bash": false
  }
}
```

[Learn more about tools here](/docs/tools).

---

### Models

You can configure the providers and models you want to use in your Kilo CLI config through the `provider`, `model` and `small_model` options.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "provider": {},
  "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
  "small_model": "anthropic/claude-haiku-4-5"
}
```

The `small_model` option configures a separate model for lightweight tasks like title generation. By default, Kilo CLI tries to use a cheaper model if one is available from your provider, otherwise it falls back to your main model.

Provider options can include `timeout` and `setCacheKey`:

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "provider": {
    "anthropic": {
      "options": {
        "timeout": 600000,
        "setCacheKey": true
      }
    }
  }
}
```

- `timeout` - Request timeout in milliseconds (default: 300000). Set to `false` to disable.
- `setCacheKey` - Ensure a cache key is always set for designated provider.

You can also configure [local models](/docs/models#local). [Learn more](/docs/models).

---

#### Provider-Specific Options

Some providers support additional configuration options beyond the generic `timeout` and `apiKey` settings.

##### Amazon Bedrock

Amazon Bedrock supports AWS-specific configuration:

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "provider": {
    "amazon-bedrock": {
      "options": {
        "region": "us-east-1",
        "profile": "my-aws-profile",
        "endpoint": "https://bedrock-runtime.us-east-1.vpce-xxxxx.amazonaws.com"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

- `region` - AWS region for Bedrock (defaults to `AWS_REGION` env var or `us-east-1`)
- `profile` - AWS named profile from `~/.aws/credentials` (defaults to `AWS_PROFILE` env var)
- `endpoint` - Custom endpoint URL for VPC endpoints. This is an alias for the generic `baseURL` option using AWS-specific terminology. If both are specified, `endpoint` takes precedence.

:::note
Bearer tokens (`AWS_BEARER_TOKEN_BEDROCK` or `/connect`) take precedence over profile-based authentication. See [authentication precedence](/docs/providers#authentication-precedence) for details.
:::

[Learn more about Amazon Bedrock configuration](/docs/providers#amazon-bedrock).

---

### Themes

You can configure the theme you want to use in your Kilo CLI config through the `theme` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "theme": ""
}
```

[Learn more here](/docs/themes).

---

### Agents

You can configure specialized agents for specific tasks through the `agent` option.

```jsonc title="opencode.jsonc"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "agent": {
    "code-reviewer": {
      "description": "Reviews code for best practices and potential issues",
      "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
      "prompt": "You are a code reviewer. Focus on security, performance, and maintainability.",
      "tools": {
        // Disable file modification tools for review-only agent
        "write": false,
        "edit": false,
      },
    },
  },
}
```

You can also define agents using markdown files in `~/.config/opencode/agents/` or `.opencode/agents/`. [Learn more here](/docs/agents).

---

### Default agent

You can set the default agent using the `default_agent` option. This determines which agent is used when none is explicitly specified.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "default_agent": "plan"
}
```

The default agent must be a primary agent (not a subagent). This can be a built-in agent like `"build"` or `"plan"`, or a [custom agent](/docs/agents) you've defined. If the specified agent doesn't exist or is a subagent, Kilo CLI will fall back to `"build"` with a warning.

This setting applies across all interfaces: TUI, CLI (`opencode run`), desktop app, and GitHub Action.

---

### Sharing

You can configure the [share](/docs/share) feature through the `share` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "share": "manual"
}
```

This takes:

- `"manual"` - Allow manual sharing via commands (default)
- `"auto"` - Automatically share new conversations
- `"disabled"` - Disable sharing entirely

By default, sharing is set to manual mode where you need to explicitly share conversations using the `/share` command.

---

### Commands

You can configure custom commands for repetitive tasks through the `command` option.

```jsonc title="opencode.jsonc"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "command": {
    "test": {
      "template": "Run the full test suite with coverage report and show any failures.\nFocus on the failing tests and suggest fixes.",
      "description": "Run tests with coverage",
      "agent": "build",
      "model": "anthropic/claude-haiku-4-5",
    },
    "component": {
      "template": "Create a new React component named $ARGUMENTS with TypeScript support.\nInclude proper typing and basic structure.",
      "description": "Create a new component",
    },
  },
}
```

You can also define commands using markdown files in `~/.config/opencode/commands/` or `.opencode/commands/`. [Learn more here](/docs/commands).

---

### Keybinds

You can customize your keybinds through the `keybinds` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "keybinds": {}
}
```

[Learn more here](/docs/keybinds).

---

### Autoupdate

OpenCode will automatically download any new updates when it starts up. You can disable this with the `autoupdate` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "autoupdate": false
}
```

If you don't want updates but want to be notified when a new version is available, set `autoupdate` to `"notify"`.
Notice that this only works if it was not installed using a package manager such as Homebrew.

---

### Formatters

You can configure code formatters through the `formatter` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "formatter": {
    "prettier": {
      "disabled": true
    },
    "custom-prettier": {
      "command": ["npx", "prettier", "--write", "$FILE"],
      "environment": {
        "NODE_ENV": "development"
      },
      "extensions": [".js", ".ts", ".jsx", ".tsx"]
    }
  }
}
```

[Learn more about formatters here](/docs/formatters).

---

### Permissions

By default, Kilo CLI **allows all operations** without requiring explicit approval. You can change this using the `permission` option.

For example, to ensure that the `edit` and `bash` tools require user approval:

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "permission": {
    "edit": "ask",
    "bash": "ask"
  }
}
```

[Learn more about permissions here](/docs/permissions).

---

### Compaction

You can control context compaction behavior through the `compaction` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "compaction": {
    "auto": true,
    "prune": true
  }
}
```

- `auto` - Automatically compact the session when context is full (default: `true`).
- `prune` - Remove old tool outputs to save tokens (default: `true`).

---

### Watcher

You can configure file watcher ignore patterns through the `watcher` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "watcher": {
    "ignore": ["node_modules/**", "dist/**", ".git/**"]
  }
}
```

Patterns follow glob syntax. Use this to exclude noisy directories from file watching.

---

### MCP servers

You can configure MCP servers you want to use through the `mcp` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {}
}
```

[Learn more here](/docs/mcp-servers).

---

### Plugins

[Plugins](/docs/plugins) extend Kilo CLI with custom tools, hooks, and integrations.

Place plugin files in `.opencode/plugins/` or `~/.config/opencode/plugins/`. You can also load plugins from npm through the `plugin` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "plugin": ["opencode-helicone-session", "@my-org/custom-plugin"]
}
```

[Learn more here](/docs/plugins).

---

### Instructions

You can configure the instructions for the model you're using through the `instructions` option.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "instructions": ["CONTRIBUTING.md", "docs/guidelines.md", ".cursor/rules/*.md"]
}
```

This takes an array of paths and glob patterns to instruction files. [Learn more
about rules here](/docs/rules).

---

### Disabled providers

You can disable providers that are loaded automatically through the `disabled_providers` option. This is useful when you want to prevent certain providers from being loaded even if their credentials are available.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "disabled_providers": ["openai", "gemini"]
}
```

:::note
The `disabled_providers` takes priority over `enabled_providers`.
:::

The `disabled_providers` option accepts an array of provider IDs. When a provider is disabled:

- It won't be loaded even if environment variables are set.
- It won't be loaded even if API keys are configured through the `/connect` command.
- The provider's models won't appear in the model selection list.

---

### Enabled providers

You can specify an allowlist of providers through the `enabled_providers` option. When set, only the specified providers will be enabled and all others will be ignored.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "enabled_providers": ["anthropic", "openai"]
}
```

This is useful when you want to restrict Kilo CLI to only use specific providers rather than disabling them one by one.

:::note
The `disabled_providers` takes priority over `enabled_providers`.
:::

If a provider appears in both `enabled_providers` and `disabled_providers`, the `disabled_providers` takes priority for backwards compatibility.

---

### Experimental

The `experimental` key contains options that are under active development.

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "experimental": {}
}
```

:::caution
Experimental options are not stable. They may change or be removed without notice.
:::

---

## Variables

You can use variable substitution in your config files to reference environment variables and file contents.

---

### Env vars

Use `{env:VARIABLE_NAME}` to substitute environment variables:

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "model": "{env:OPENCODE_MODEL}",
  "provider": {
    "anthropic": {
      "models": {},
      "options": {
        "apiKey": "{env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

If the environment variable is not set, it will be replaced with an empty string.

---

### Files

Use `{file:path/to/file}` to substitute the contents of a file:

```json title="opencode.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "instructions": ["./custom-instructions.md"],
  "provider": {
    "openai": {
      "options": {
        "apiKey": "{file:~/.secrets/openai-key}"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

File paths can be:

- Relative to the config file directory
- Or absolute paths starting with `/` or `~`

These are useful for:

- Keeping sensitive data like API keys in separate files.
- Including large instruction files without cluttering your config.
- Sharing common configuration snippets across multiple config files.
