---
title: Autocomplete
description: Inline completion as ghost text (a sentence, a paragraph, or the full idea) that you accept with Tab.
category: Writing Assists
order: 50
---

# Autocomplete

Autocomplete suggests a sentence, a paragraph, or the full idea as quiet ghost text at the cursor. It helps you keep going. It does not draft whole documents.

> Image to add: autocomplete.png - Ghost text after the cursor with the suggestion toolbar showing Accept (Tab), Longer, Another, Steer… and dismiss.

## What It Does

- Shows a suggestion inline as ghost text, which you accept with `Tab`.
- Suggests only when you ask, with one key for each length. Typing alone never sends anything.
- Offers alternatives, a longer version, and a way to steer the next suggestion.

## How To Use It

Open **Writing assists** in the topbar and turn on **Autocomplete**. The AI is included, so there is no key to set up.

| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| `⌘,` | Suggest a sentence |
| `⌘.` | Suggest a paragraph |
| `⌘/` | Suggest the full idea |
| `Tab` | Accept |
| `Esc` | Dismiss |
| `⌥↑` / `⌥↓` | Another suggestion |

The suggestion toolbar also offers **Longer**, **Another**, and **Steer…**, which lets you type a direction such as "give an example".

Suggestions come only from these keys. Iliad does not suggest while you type.

While Autocomplete is on, **Writing assists** lists each key, and you can change **Sentence**, **Paragraph**, **Full idea** and **✦ AI menu** there. Screen readers announce each suggestion when it appears. There is nothing to turn on.

## What To Expect

Autocomplete appears only when Iliad has enough writable prose context and the editor is focused. It avoids places where suggestions are likely to be wrong, such as code fences, inline code, URLs, Markdown link destinations, image paths, HTML tags, and front matter keys. Inside a list item it continues the item at the cursor.

Suggestions are never accepted automatically, and dismissing one leaves your text as it was.

## Limits

- The AI is included free, with a daily limit shared with the ✦ AI menu. If it runs out, Iliad says when it comes back (00:00 UTC, shown in your local time). You can also add your own Groq key under **Writing assists → Use my key**. Your requests then go straight to Groq, with no daily limit from Iliad.
- When you ask for a suggestion, the document you're writing is sent to generate it, with its title and headings. Long documents are trimmed to the part around your cursor and their opening. See [Privacy](https://iliad.md/privacy/) for where that text goes and what is kept.
- Autocomplete may show no suggestion.
- It is not available in every document position.