FAQ

Common questions and answers about using Tabnine CLI.

General

What is Tabnine CLI?

Tabnine CLI is an AI-powered coding assistant that runs in your terminal. It helps you write, understand, and improve code using advanced AI models.

What can Tabnine CLI do?

• Answer questions about your code

• Review and improve code quality

• Generate new code

• Search large codebases (Remote Code Search)

• Provide best practices (Coaching Guidelines)

• Read, write, and analyze files

• Execute shell commands safely

Do I need an internet connection?

You need access to your Tabnine services endpoint (cloud or self‑hosted). Public internet isn’t required if your organization runs Tabnine in an air‑gapped environment.

Getting Started

How do I start Tabnine CLI?

Simply run:

tabnine

This starts interactive mode.

Using Tabnine CLI

How do I reference files in prompts?

Use the @ symbol:

> Explain what @src/index.ts does
> Review @src/utils/validator.ts

What commands are available?

Type /help to see all commands. Key ones:

• /help - Show help

• /model - Change AI model

• /settings - Configure

• /clear - Clear conversation

• /exit - Exit

How do I change the AI model?

> /model

Select from the available models.

Can Tabnine CLI modify my files?

Yes, but only with your explicit confirmation. It will:

• Review proposed changes: Tabnine CLI shows the proposed changes to the file(s).

• Ask for confirmation: You must explicitly approve the changes.

• Apply changes: Changes are applied only if you approve them.

How do I use Tabnine CLI in scripts?

Non-interactive mode:

# Simple output
tabnine -p "Your prompt here"

# JSON output
tabnine -p "Your prompt" --output-format json

# Pipe input
cat file.js | tabnine -p "Review this code"

How do I exit Tabnine CLI?

Press Ctrl+C or type:

> /exit

Features

What is Remote Code Search?

Remote Code Search lets you search across large codebases using Tabnine's cloud indexing. It's fast, semantic, and works across millions of lines of code.

→ Learn more

What are Coaching Guidelines?

AI-powered coding best practices tailored to your codebase. Get security recommendations, architecture patterns, and code quality guidance.

→ Learn more

What tools are built-in?

• File operations (read, write, search)

• Shell commands

• Remote Code Search

• Coaching Guidelines

• Code analysis

→ See all tools

Enterprise/Corporate

Does Tabnine CLI work behind a proxy?

Yes. For Node.js 24+:

export NODE_USE_ENV_PROXY=1
export HTTP_PROXY=http://proxy.company.com:8080
export HTTPS_PROXY=http://proxy.company.com:8080
tabnine

How do I use custom CA certificates?

export NODE_USE_SYSTEM_CA=1

# Or
export NODE_EXTRA_CA_CERTS=/path/to/ca-bundle.crt
tabnine

Troubleshooting

Why is Tabnine CLI slow?

Common causes:

• Slow network connection

• Large file context

• Complex prompts

Solutions:

• Check network speed

• Be more specific in prompts

• Reduce file references

• Try a different model with /model

"Command not found: tabnine"

Verify Tabnine CLI is installed and in your PATH. See the Installation Guide for setup instructions.

How do I enable debug mode?

DEBUG=1 tabnine

Or in interactive mode:

> /debug on

Why can't Tabnine CLI access my files?

• Check file permissions.

• Ensure the user running Tabnine has permission to read the files.

• Verify working directory.

• Confirm you're in the correct working directory.

• Use absolute or correct relative paths.

• Try absolute paths or adjust relative paths to point to the correct files.

Performance

How can I make Tabnine CLI faster?

• Be specific in prompts

• Narrow prompts to reduce processing.

• Limit file context

• Reduce the number or size of referenced files.

• Choose faster models

• Select models optimized for latency via /model.

• Use local search for recent changes

• Prefer local search when working with very recent edits.

• Check network connection

• Ensure stable and fast network access.

Does Tabnine CLI cache responses?

Yes, recent queries and context are cached automatically.

How much memory does it use?

Typically 50-200 MB depending on:

• Conversation history

• Files referenced

• Model complexity

Privacy & Security

What data does Tabnine CLI send?

Sent:

• Your prompts

• Referenced file content

Not Sent:

• Entire codebase

• Unreferenced files

• Secrets/credentials

Is my code stored on Tabnine servers?

Code in prompts may be processed and logged for service improvement. See Tabnine's privacy policy for details.

How secure is authentication?

Tabnine CLI uses secure authentication with HTTPS encryption.

Advanced

Can I customize AI behavior?

Yes, use TABNINE.md in your project root:

# Project Context

This is a TypeScript Node.js project.

## Conventions
- Use async/await
- Add JSDoc to exports
- Write tests in __tests__/

Can I use multiple Tabnine accounts?

Yes, by manually swapping credential files if needed.

Can I run multiple instances?

Yes, each terminal session can run its own instance.

Can I use Tabnine CLI with other tools?

Yes:

# Pipe input
cat file.js | tabnine -p "Review this"

# In scripts
result=$(tabnine -p "..." --output-format json)

# With git
git diff | tabnine -p "Summarize changes"

Common Errors

"Failed to connect to Tabnine API"

1. Check internet: ping api.tabnine.com

2. Check proxy settings

3. Verify firewall allows port 443

4. Try debug mode: DEBUG=1 tabnine

"Remote Code Search not supported"

• Your account may not have access

• Contact Tabnine support

Getting More Help

Where can I get more help?

• In-App Help: Type /help in Tabnine CLI

• Troubleshooting: See Common Issues

• Report Issues: Use /bug command

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Didn't find your answer? Use the /bug command in Tabnine CLI to report issues or ask questions.