Your First Task
After you set up Kilo Code, follow the guide for your platform below.
Step by Step Guide
Step 1: Open Kilo Code
Click the Kilo Code icon in the VS Code Primary Side Bar to open the chat panel. If you don't see the icon, verify the extension is installed.
Step 2: Type Your Task
Type a clear, concise description of what you want Kilo Code to do in the chat box. The same examples work here:
- "Create a file named
hello.txtcontaining 'Hello, world!'." - "Write a Python function that adds two numbers."
- "Create an HTML file for a simple website with the title 'Kilo test'"
No special commands or syntax needed—just use plain English.
Step 3: Send Your Task
Press Enter to send.
Step 4: Review & Approve Actions
Kilo Code analyzes your request and proposes actions. By default, most tools are auto-approved — only shell commands, external directory access, and sensitive file reads will prompt for confirmation. You'll see the tool name, arguments, and can approve or reject each action.
To change which actions require approval, open Settings (gear icon) and go to the Auto-Approve tab. You can set each tool to Allow, Ask, or Deny. See Auto-Approving Actions for details.
Step 5: Iterate and Review
Kilo Code works iteratively. Continue giving feedback or follow-up instructions until your task is complete. The assistant will propose file edits, run commands, and complete your request step by step.
What You Can Do Next
Now that you've completed your first task, try these capabilities:
- Autocomplete — Get inline code suggestions as you type in your editor
- Agents — Switch between specialized agents for coding, architecture, debugging, and more
- Git — Auto-generate commit messages from your changes
Accelerate development: Check out multiple copies of your repository and run Kilo Code on all of them in parallel (using git to resolve any conflicts, same as with human devs). This can dramatically speed up development on large projects.