choose a useful length
Open Settings → Writing → Length to select a preset or a custom minimum and maximum word range. Start short, then increase the range only after latency feels comfortable in normal work.
Acceptance mode is separate: length controls what Cotabby generates, while shortcuts and acceptance control how much enters the document.
name and response languages
The profile name and selected response languages condition the local model. Add only languages you actually want Cotabby to continue in; multiple languages can make the desired response less obvious when the current sentence provides little context.
control typo behavior
Cotabby's spelling pipeline is local and progressively disclosed in Settings → Writing:
- Hide Suggestions on Typo pauses normal continuation while the current word appears misspelled.
- Offer Corrections on Typo shows a green replacement that uses your accept key.
- Automatically Fix Typos can replace a misspelled word after Space without a separate accept.
- Spelling Dictionaries determine which local frequency lists rank candidates.
Automatic correction is opt-in because it changes host-app text without a confirmation keystroke.
choose context sources
- Active field
- The nearby editable text is the core prefix for every suggestion.
- App context
- Optionally tells the model which app and window you are typing in.
- Clipboard context
- Optionally lets a suggestion reference the most recently copied content.
- Visual context
- When Screen Recording is granted, local OCR extracts a bounded nearby excerpt.
- Extended context
- A local glossary, jargon list, or short reference supplied with each request.
Disable any optional source you do not want used. The permissions guide explains the OS-level access behind visual context.
use Fast Mode for responsiveness
Fast Mode skips screenshot and OCR context. It is forced on when Screen Recording is unavailable and can also be enabled intentionally when lower latency matters more than nearby visual context.
If suggestions are slow, test Fast Mode before changing multiple model and timing settings. That isolates visual-context cost cleanly.
allow or prevent multiple lines
Allow Multi-line Suggestions lets a continuation span line breaks. Leave it off for chat boxes, compact forms, and applications where Enter submits content; turn it on for longer writing fields where paragraph continuation is useful.
related help
Cotabby Keyboard Shortcuts and Acceptance Modes
Accept one word or a whole suggestion, dismiss ghost text, and rebind every key.
Grant Cotabby macOS Permissions Safely
What each macOS permission enables, how to grant it, and how to recover a stale grant.
Choose a Cotabby AI Engine and Local Model
Apple Intelligence, curated GGUF models, custom downloads, Hugging Face, and LM Studio.