Understanding python.analysis.aiCodeActions in Pylance

June 23, 2026 · View on GitHub

Pylance is a fast and feature-rich language server extension for Python in Visual Studio Code, powered by the Pyright static type checker.

The python.analysis.aiCodeActions setting enables or disables Pylance's AI-assisted Quick Fixes and code actions, which use GitHub Copilot to help you write and modify code.

What is `python.analysis.aiCodeActions`?

Pylance offers a set of code actions that delegate part of the work to GitHub Copilot. Instead of a single on/off switch, aiCodeActions is an object whose properties let you enable each AI-assisted action independently.

Note: AI-assisted code actions require the GitHub Copilot Chat extension to be installed and enabled.

Type: object Scope: resource (can be set per workspace or folder)

Available actions and defaults

Property	Default	What it does
`implementAbstractClasses`	`true`	Generates implementations for inherited abstract methods.
`generateSymbol`	`true`	Generates a symbol (class, function, or variable) that does not yet exist.
`convertFormatString`	`true`	Converts string concatenation into an f-string or `format()` call.
`generateDocstring`	`false`	Generates a reStructuredText docstring. Triggered from inside an empty docstring.
`convertLambdaToNamedFunction`	`false`	Converts a lambda expression into a named function.

If you set aiCodeActions at all, the object you provide replaces the default object, so include every action you want enabled.

Example

With convertFormatString enabled, invoking the Quick Fix (the lightbulb) on string concatenation offers to rewrite it as an f-string.

Before:

greeting = "Hello, " + name + "!"

After applying the action:

greeting = f"Hello, {name}!"

The other actions work the same way — each appears as a Quick Fix in the relevant context (for example, implementAbstractClasses on a class that inherits unimplemented abstract methods, or generateDocstring from inside an empty docstring).

How to Change `python.analysis.aiCodeActions`

Using the Settings UI

Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and run Preferences: Open Settings (UI).
Search for python.analysis.aiCodeActions.
Select Edit in settings.json to adjust individual properties.

Using `settings.json`

Enable all available AI-assisted actions:

{
    "python.analysis.aiCodeActions": {
        "implementAbstractClasses": true,
        "generateSymbol": true,
        "convertFormatString": true,
        "generateDocstring": true,
        "convertLambdaToNamedFunction": true
    }
}

Disable AI-assisted actions entirely:

{
    "python.analysis.aiCodeActions": {}
}

You can also turn off all of VS Code's AI features at once with the built-in chat.disableAIFeatures setting, which disables these Pylance AI-assisted actions along with the rest of Copilot:

{
    "chat.disableAIFeatures": true
}

When to Use It

Enable specific actions that fit your workflow — for example, keep implementAbstractClasses on if you frequently subclass abstract base classes.
Disable (set to {}) if you do not use GitHub Copilot, or prefer Pylance to offer only its non-AI code actions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't the AI code actions appear?

They require the GitHub Copilot Chat extension to be installed and enabled. Also confirm the specific action is enabled and that you invoke the Quick Fix (lightbulb) in the matching context (for example, implementAbstractClasses only appears on a class with unimplemented inherited abstract methods).

python.analysis.generateWithTypeAnnotation — controls whether generated code includes type annotations.
python.analysis.autoTranslateDocstrings — translates hover docstrings using GitHub Copilot.
python.analysis.supportRestructuredText — renders reStructuredText docstrings, including those generated by generateDocstring.