Where Is the Aider Config File?
Aider reads .aider.conf.yml from the current directory, git root, or home directory. Model overrides live in .aider.model.settings.yml in the same set of locations.
Last updated
Aider searches for config in a fixed order and later files take priority over earlier ones. The home file provides defaults while project files tailor behavior per repo.
History and environment files sit alongside config. Input history, chat history, and dotenv files default to the launch directory unless relocated by options or environment variables.
Where Aider stores this, by platform
C:\Users\<user>\.aider.conf.yml
<user> is the Windows account name. Equivalent to %USERPROFILE%\.aider.conf.yml. Lowest priority of the three standard locations. Higher priority files are <project>\.aider.conf.yml in the git root and current directory where <project> is the repo or launch directory.
/Users/<user>/.aider.conf.yml
<user> is the macOS account name. Same search order on all systems. Project files override home values. Specify another file with the config option. Model overrides use .aider.model.settings.yml in the same directories.
/home/<user>/.aider.conf.yml
<user> is the Linux login name. Same search order on all systems. Model overrides use .aider.model.settings.yml in home, git root, or current directory. History defaults are .aider.input.history and .aider.chat.history.md in the launch directory.
Frequently asked questions
Where do model settings live?
In .aider.model.settings.yml in home, git root, or launch directory. Later files override earlier ones. A custom path can be set with the model settings file option.
Where is chat history?
Chat transcripts append to .aider.chat.history.md in the launch directory. Input history defaults to .aider.input.history in the same place. Both paths can be relocated with history file options or related environment variables.
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