Migrating Config to YAML

Continue's YAML configuration format provides more readable, maintainable, consistent configuration files, as well as new configuration options and removal of some old configuration options. YAML is the preferred format and will be used to integrate with future Continue products. Below is a brief guide for migration from config.json to config.yaml.

Create YAML file

Create a config.yaml file in your Continue Global Directory (~/.continue on Mac, %USERPROFILE%\.continue) alongside your current config.json file. If a config.yaml file is present, it will be loaded instead of config.json.

Give your configuration a name and a version:

config.yaml
name: my-configuration
version: 0.0.1
schema: v1

Models

Add all model configurations in config.json, including models in models, tabAutocompleteModel, embeddingsProvider, and reranker, to the models section of your new YAML config file. A new roles YAML field specifies which roles a model can be used for, with possible values chat, autocomplete, embed, rerank, edit, apply, summarize.

models in config should have roles: [chat]
tabAutocompleteModel(s) in config should have roles: [autocomplete]
embeddingsProvider in config should have roles: [embed]
reranker in config should have roles: [rerank]
experimental.modelRoles is replaced by simply adding roles to the model
- inlineEdit -> e.g. roles: [chat, edit]
- applyCodeBlock -> e.g. roles: [chat, apply]

Model-level requestOptions remain, with minor changes. See YAML Continue Config Reference

Model-level completionOptions are replaced by defaultCompletionOptions, with minor changes. See YAML Continue Config Reference

Before

config.json
{
  "models": [
    {
      "title": "GPT-4",
      "provider": "openai",
      "model": "gpt-4",
      "apiKey": "<YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY>",
      "completionOptions": {
        "temperature": 0.5,
        "maxTokens": 2000
      }
    },
    {
      "title": "Ollama",
      "provider": "ollama",
      "model": "AUTODETECT"
    },
    {
      "title": "My Open AI Compatible Model",
      "provider": "openai",
      "apiBase": "http://3.3.3.3/v1",
      "model": "my-openai-compatible-model",
      "requestOptions": {
        "headers": { "X-Auth-Token": "<API_KEY>" }
      }
    }
  ],
  "tabAutocompleteModel": {
    "title": "My Starcoder",
    "provider": "ollama",
    "model": "starcoder2:3b"
  },
  "embeddingsProvider": {
    "provider": "openai",
    "model": "text-embedding-ada-002",
    "apiKey": "<YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY>",
    "maxEmbeddingChunkSize": 256,
    "maxEmbeddingBatchSize": 5
  },
  "reranker": {
    "name": "voyage",
    "params": {
      "model": "rerank-2",
      "apiKey": "<YOUR_VOYAGE_API_KEY>"
    }
  }
}

After

config.yaml
models:
  - name: GPT-4
    provider: openai
    model: gpt-4
    apiKey: <YOUR_OPENAI_KEY>
    defaultCompletionOptions:
      temperature: 0.5
      maxTokens: 2000
    roles:
      - chat
      - edit

  - name: My Voyage Reranker
    provider: voyage
    apiKey: <YOUR_VOYAGE_KEY>
    roles:
      - rerank

  - name: My Starcoder
    provider: ollama
    model: starcoder2:3b
    roles:
      - autocomplete

  - name: My Ada Embedder
    provider: openai
    apiKey: <YOUR_ADA_API_KEY>
    roles:
      - embed
    embedOptions:
      - maxChunkSize: 256
      - maxBatchSize: 5

  - name: Ollama Autodetect
    provider: ollama
    model: AUTODETECT

  - name: My Open AI Compatible Model - Apply
    provider: openai
    model: my-openai-compatible-model
    apiBase: http://3.3.3.3/v1
    requestOptions:
      headers:
        X-Auth-Token: <MY_API_KEY>
    roles:
      - chat
      - apply

Note that the repoMapFileSelection experimental model role has been deprecated and is only available in config.json.

Context Providers

The JSON contextProviders field is replaced by the YAML context array.

JSON name maps to provider
JSON params map to params

Before

config.json
{
  "contextProviders": [
    {
      "name": "docs"
    },
    {
      "name": "codebase",
      "params": {
        "nRetrieve": 30,
        "nFinal": 3
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "diff",
      "params": {}
    }
  ]
}

After

config.yaml
context:
  - provider: docs

  - provider: codebase
    params:
      nRetrieve: 30
      nFinal: 3

  - provider: diff

System Message

The systemMessage property has been replaced with a rules property that takes an array of strings.

Before

config.json
{
  "systemMessage": "Always give concise responses"
}

After

config.yaml
rules:
  - Always give concise responses

Prompts

Rather than with customCommands, you can now use the prompts field to define custom prompts.

Before

config.json
{
  "customCommands": [
    {
      "name": "check",
      "description": "Check for mistakes in my code",
      "prompt": "{{{ input }}}\n\nPlease read the highlighted code and check for any mistakes. You should look for the following, and be extremely vigilant:\n- Syntax errors\n- Logic errors\n- Security vulnerabilities\n- Performance issues\n- Anything else that looks wrong\n\nOnce you find an error, please explain it as clearly as possible, but without using extra words. For example, instead of saying 'I think there is a syntax error on line 5', you should say 'Syntax error on line 5'. Give your answer as one bullet point per mistake found."
    }
  ]
}

After

config.yaml
prompts:
  - name: check
    description: Check for mistakes in my code
    prompt: |
      Please read the highlighted code and check for any mistakes. You should look for the following, and be extremely vigilant:
        - Syntax errors
        - Logic errors
        - Security vulnerabilities
        - Performance issues
        - Anything else that looks wrong

      Once you find an error, please explain it as clearly as possible, but without using extra words. For example, instead of saying 'I think there is a syntax error on line 5', you should say 'Syntax error on line 5'. Give your answer as one bullet point per mistake found.

Documentation

Documentation is largely the same, but the title property has been replaced with name. The startUrl, rootUrl, and faviconUrl properties remain.

Before

config.json
{
  "docs": [
    {
      "startUrl": "https://docs.nestjs.com/",
      "title": "nest.js"
    },
    {
      "startUrl": "https://mysite.com/docs/",
      "title": "My site"
    }
  ]
}

After

config.yaml
docs:
  - name: nest.js
    startUrl: https://docs.nestjs.com/

  - name: My site
    startUrl: https://mysite.com/docs/

MCP Servers

Properties:

name (required): The name of the MCP server.
command (required): The command used to start the server.
args: An optional array of arguments for the command.
env: An optional map of environment variables for the server process.
cwd: An optional working directory to run the command in. Can be absolute or relative path.

Before

config.json
{
  "experimental": {
    "modelContextProtocolServers": [
      {
        "transport": {
          "type": "stdio",
          "command": "uvx",
          "args": ["mcp-server-sqlite", "--db-path", "/Users/NAME/test.db"],
          "env": {
            "KEY": "<VALUE>"
          }
        }
      }
    ]
  }
}

After

config.yaml
mcpServers:
  - name: My MCP Server
    command: uvx
    args:
      - mcp-server-sqlite
      - --db-path
      - /Users/NAME/test.db
    env:
      KEY: <VALUE>

Deprecated configuration options

Some deprecated config.json settings are no longer stored in config and have been moved to be editable through the User Settings Page (Gear Icon). If found in config.json, they will be auto-migrated to User Settings and removed from config.json.

See the JSON Config Reference for more information on fully deprecated options.

The following top-level fields from config.json still work when using config.json but have been deprecated and don't have a YAML equivalent:

Slash commands (JSON slashCommands)
top-level requestOptions
top-level completionOptions
tabAutocompleteOptions
- disable
- maxPromptTokens
- debounceDelay
- maxSuffixPercentage
- prefixPercentage
- template
- onlyMyCode
analytics

The following top-level fields from config.json have been deprecated. Most UI-related and user-specific options will move into a settings page in the UI

customCommands
experimental
userToken

New Configuration options

The YAML configuration format offers new configuration options not available in the JSON format. See the YAML Config Reference for more information.

Create YAML file​

Models​

Context Providers​

System Message​

Prompts​

Documentation​

MCP Servers​

Deprecated configuration options​

New Configuration options​

Create YAML file

Models

Context Providers

System Message

Prompts

Documentation

MCP Servers

Deprecated configuration options

New Configuration options