Everything you can type into chat
Type / at the start of a chat input. The command list and their args:
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
/help | Show every command in the chat. |
/init | Scaffold ONYX.md, .onyxrules, .onyxnoai, and .onyx/instructions.md at the workspace root. Existing files, and one you create while the AI draft is written, are left as they are. |
/onyxrules | Open or create .onyxrules. |
/onyxnoai | Open or create .onyxnoai. |
/permissions | Open or create .onyx/permissions.json (committed AI approval rules). Creates from a starter deny list if missing. |
/instructions | Show the project-specific instructions the AI receives. |
/primer | Show the workspace primer. |
/new | Start a new chat; save the current to history. Changes you had not kept are discarded, and the chat says how many. |
/clear | Reset the AI's view of the conversation; visible messages stay, and the chat so far stays in Chat History as its own entry. |
/summarize | Compress earlier turns into a model-generated summary now. |
/attachments | List every file attached to the current chat. |
/file <path> | Attach a file by path: pick from the list, or type a relative or absolute path (C:\ paths on Windows, a quoted path from Copy as Path, or a file:// address). A file .onyxnoai excludes, a protected file from outside the workspace or a symbolic link is refused, with the reason. |
/search <query> | Semantic search over the codebase index - no AI call. |
/workspace <query> | Same as a normal chat turn but with wider RAG (top-15 instead of top-5). |
/diff | Print the current uncommitted git diff. |
/export | Pro. Export the conversation to .md or .json. A protected file or a symbolic link is listed by path only, without its content. |
/stats | Active chat model, embedding model, index status - all in one view. |
/context | Live context-window usage breakdown. |
/model | Show the active chat model details. |
/compare <prompt> | Pro. Run the prompt across 2 to 5 models side by side (locally one model loads at a time), then keep the best answer or make a model active. |
/embedding-model | Show the active embedding model + index status. |
/processor [gpu|cpu|auto] | Show or switch the AI processor (GPU / CPU / Auto). Restarts the local servers. |
/tab | Show Onyx Tab status (Zeta-2 install / running, paths, settings). |
/reindex | Rebuild the codebase index from scratch. |
/reindex-clear | Wipe the index and on-disk snapshot (no rebuild). |
/plan | Switch agent mode to Plan. |
/ask | Switch agent mode to Ask before edits. |
/edit | Switch agent mode to Edit automatically. |
/auto | Switch agent mode to Auto (requires worktree). |
/mcp [sub] [id] | Manage MCP servers; subcommands: list, start, stop, restart, logs, add. |
/memory [sub] [name] | Pro. Show / read / delete project memory files. |
/license | Open the License Panel: tier badge, license details, and one-click buttons for every license action. |
/activate | Open the activation dialog for a 16-character code plus email verification. If Pro is already active on this device, short-circuits to an 'already activated' dialog with View License / Manage Devices / Close buttons instead of presenting the input form. |
/activate-file | Open the OS file picker to activate from a .onyxlicense file (offline activation, no network call). |
/deactivate | Clear the cached license on this machine AND release its slot server-side. The license itself is preserved; you can re-activate any time, on this or another machine. |
/manage-devices | List devices bound to your Pro license and request removal of one. Removal requires a 15-minute email-confirmation link opened on this device. |
Onyx entries in the Command Palette
Press F1 (or Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P). All Onyx commands sit under the Onyx category.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| Onyx: Toggle Onyx Code Chat | Show / hide the chat panel. |
| Onyx: Browse Models | Open AI Settings - Browse Models tab. |
| Onyx: Open Embeddings | Open AI Settings - Embeddings tab. |
| Onyx: Select AI Processor (GPU / CPU) | Choose Auto, GPU or CPU for local models; the running servers restart to apply it. |
| Onyx: Check for Engine Updates | Check now for a newer llama.cpp engine and offer Update when one is available. |
| Onyx: Toggle Air-Gap Mode | Block / unblock Onyx Code's own outbound network traffic. |
| Onyx: Open Privacy Settings | Jump to the Privacy settings group. |
| Onyx: Toggle Workspace AI | Disable / enable AI surfaces in the active workspace. |
| Onyx: Show AI Activity Log | Render the audit log as a Markdown table. |
| Onyx: Export AI Activity Audit (PDF) | Generate a signed audit PDF. |
| Onyx: Draft Commit Message from Staged Changes | Insert a commit message into the SCM input. |
| Onyx: Draft PR Description from This Branch | Copy a PR description to the clipboard. |
| Onyx: Generate Tests for Selection | Send the editor selection to chat with a tests prompt. |
| Onyx: Rebuild Codebase Index | Force a full reindex. |
| Onyx: Clear Codebase Index | Wipe the index and the on-disk snapshot. |
| Onyx Code: Show Onboarding Wizard | Re-run the first-run wizard. |
| Onyx: Import Settings from VS Code | Run the VS Code import flow outside the wizard. |
| Onyx: Activate Pro | Open the centered modal dialog for a 16-character activation code plus email verification. If Pro is already active on this device, short-circuits to an 'already activated' dialog with View License / Manage Devices / Close buttons. |
| Onyx: Activate from Offline File | Open the OS file picker for a .onyxlicense file. Verifies the embedded JWT against the bundled public key with no network call. |
| Onyx: Show This Device's ID | Open a dialog with the SHA-256 hash of the local install identifier and a Copy ID button. Needed for offline activation. |
| Onyx: Deactivate This Device | Clear the cached license on this machine AND release its slot server-side. The license itself is preserved. |
| Onyx: Refresh License Now | Force-refresh the cached JWT against the licensing server. The background scheduler normally handles this in the token's last week. |
| Onyx: Resend Activation Code by Email | Lost-your-code recovery. Constant-time response and a 60-second client cooldown; non-disclosing wording so the toast cannot be used to enumerate purchase emails. |
| Onyx: Manage Devices | List the devices bound to your Pro license and request removal of one (other than the current device). Removal requires a 15-minute confirmation link opened on this device. |
| Onyx: Open License Panel | Open the unified License panel: tier badge, license details for Pro users, machine ID, and one-click buttons for every license action above. |
Default key bindings
| Shortcut (macOS) | Shortcut (Win/Linux) | Action |
|---|---|---|
Cmd+L | Ctrl+L | Toggle Onyx Code Chat (primary) |
Cmd+I | Ctrl+I | Toggle Onyx Code Chat (secondary) |
Cmd+Shift+Enter | Ctrl+Shift+Enter | Keep All Proposed Changes |
Cmd+Shift+Backspace | Ctrl+Shift+Backspace | Discard All Proposed Changes |
Tab | Tab | Accept the current inline autocomplete suggestion |
Esc | Esc | Dismiss the current inline autocomplete suggestion |
All standard VS Code shortcuts apply unchanged. Customize via Preferences → Keyboard Shortcuts.
Everything here works offline
These commands drive a model running on your own machine.
Free tier, no account, no sign-up, no telemetry. macOS, Windows and Linux.