Understanding python.analysis.autoIndent 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.autoIndent setting controls whether Pylance automatically adjusts indentation based on Python language semantics as you type.

What is python.analysis.autoIndent?

When enabled, Pylance adjusts the indentation of new lines according to the structure of your code — for example, indenting the body after a colon (:) following an if, for, or def, and dedenting after a return, pass, or break. This keeps your code aligned with Python's indentation-based blocks without manual tabbing.

Pylance's automatic indentation follows the conventions used by autopep8, the PEP 8 auto-formatter. This matters most when continuing constructs such as multi-line function arguments or collection literals, where the continuation indentation matches autopep8's style rather than a simple fixed indent.

This is enabled by default because correct indentation is essential in Python, where indentation defines code blocks. The setting exists so you can turn the behavior off if you prefer to manage indentation yourself or use a different editing workflow.

Type: boolean Default: true Scope: window (applies to the whole VS Code window)

Example

With the setting enabled (the default), pressing Enter after a block header indents the new line, and pressing Enter after a statement that ends a block (such as return) dedents the next line back to the enclosing block:

def greet(name):
    if name:
        return f"Hi {name}"
    # after the return, the next line is automatically dedented to the `if` level

With the setting disabled, Pylance does not apply this semantic indentation; new lines fall back to VS Code's basic indentation rules, so you adjust the indent manually after block-ending statements.

How to Change python.analysis.autoIndent

Using the Settings UI

  1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and run Preferences: Open Settings (UI).
  2. Search for python.analysis.autoIndent.
  3. Uncheck the box to disable it.

Using settings.json

{
    "python.analysis.autoIndent": false
}

When to Use It

  • Keep enabled (the default) for the smoothest editing experience, where indentation follows Python's block structure automatically.
  • Disable only if the automatic indentation conflicts with another editing tool or your personal workflow.

For more information on Pylance settings and customization, refer to the Pylance Settings and Customization documentation.

This document was generated with the assistance of AI and has been reviewed by humans for accuracy and completeness.