Getting Started with Autohand for Zed

Requirements

Zed Editor 0.130.0 or later
Autohand account (free tier available)
Internet connection for AI features

Why Zed? Zed is built from the ground up for performance. Its native Agent Client Protocol means AI features run with minimal latency, making it ideal for developers who want the fastest possible experience.

Installation

Enable Autohand in settings

Open Zed
Go to Settings (Cmd+, on Mac)
Navigate to Features > AI Assistant
Select "Autohand" as your provider

Using settings.json

Alternatively, add the following to your Zed settings.json:

{
  "assistant": {
    "enabled": true,
    "provider": {
      "name": "autohand",
      "model": "z-ai/glm-4.7"
    }
  }
}

Verify installation

Open the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P) and type "assistant" - you should see Autohand-related commands.

Authentication

Connect your Autohand account to enable AI features.

Browser authentication

Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P)
Type "Autohand: Sign In"
Your browser will open the authentication page
Sign in with your Autohand account
Return to Zed - you'll see a confirmation

API key authentication

If you prefer using an API key:

{
  "assistant": {
    "provider": {
      "name": "autohand",
      "api_key": "your-api-key-here"
    }
  }
}

Security note: Avoid committing API keys to version control. Use environment variables or Zed's secure credential storage when possible.

Your first conversation

Start using Autohand in Zed with these basic interactions.

Open the assistant panel

Click the Assistant icon in the toolbar
Or use keyboard shortcut: Cmd+Shift+A
Or via Command Palette: "Assistant: Toggle"

Ask a question

Type a question or request in the assistant panel:

What does this function do and how can I improve it?

Autohand will analyze the current file and provide insights.

Request changes

Ask Autohand to modify your code:

Add input validation to this form handler

Autohand proposes changes that you can accept, modify, or reject.

Inline assistance

Use inline completions as you type:

Tab - Accept the suggestion
Escape - Dismiss the suggestion
Arrow keys - Navigate between suggestions

Set up project context

Help Autohand understand your project with an AGENTS.md file.

Generate automatically

Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P)
Type "Autohand: Initialize Project"
Review and customize the generated file

Create manually

Create an AGENTS.md file in your project root:

# AGENTS.md

## Project overview
A Rust CLI tool for managing cloud infrastructure.

## Tech stack
- Rust 1.75+
- Tokio for async runtime
- Clap for argument parsing

## Commands
- `cargo build` - Build the project
- `cargo test` - Run tests
- `cargo run -- --help` - Show CLI help

## Code style
- Use Result types for error handling
- Prefer explicit types over inference
- Write integration tests for CLI commands

Keyboard shortcuts

Action	Mac	Linux
Toggle assistant	Cmd+Shift+A	Ctrl+Shift+A
Inline assist	Cmd+Enter	Ctrl+Enter
Accept suggestion	Tab	Tab
Dismiss suggestion	Escape	Escape
New conversation	Cmd+N (in panel)	Ctrl+N (in panel)

Customize shortcuts in Zed Settings > Keymap.

Settings

Configure Autohand in your Zed settings.json.

Setting	Description	Default
`assistant.provider.model`	AI model to use	z-ai/glm-4.7
`assistant.inline_completions`	Enable inline suggestions	true
`assistant.dock`	Panel position (left/right/bottom)	right

Example configuration

{
  "assistant": {
    "enabled": true,
    "provider": {
      "name": "autohand",
      "model": "z-ai/glm-4.7"
    },
    "inline_completions": true,
    "dock": "right"
  }
}

Next steps

Explore Zed features - Learn about all available features
AGENTS.md guide - Write effective project context
Skills system - Extend capabilities with skills
Best practices - Work effectively with AI agents