# Continue

Continue is an open-source AI coding assistant for VS Code and JetBrains. The Grid plugs in as a standard OpenAI-compatible provider through `config.yaml`. Continue's role-based model assignment (chat, edit, apply, autocomplete, summarize, subagent) maps cleanly onto Grid instrument tiers.

## Prerequisites

* Continue installed (VS Code extension or JetBrains plugin, latest version).
* A Grid account at [app.thegrid.ai](https://app.thegrid.ai).
* Credits in your account. The Grid is prepaid; zero credits returns 402.
* A Grid consumption API key from **Settings → API Keys → Create Consumption Key**.

## Setup

### 1. Store the key in Continue's local `.env`

Continue reads secrets from `~/.continue/.env` (or the directory set by `CONTINUE_GLOBAL_DIR`). Add:

```bash
THEGRID_API_KEY=your-consumption-api-key-here
```

No quotes, no `export`, no spaces around `=`.

### 2. Add Grid instruments to `config.yaml`

Open `~/.continue/config.yaml`. Continue creates this file the first time you open the side panel. Add Grid instruments under `models:`, each with the roles it's best suited for. Use instrument IDs from the [current instruments list](/docs/instrument-specifications/current-instruments.md):

```yaml
name: My Continue Config
version: 1.0.0
schema: v1

models:
  - name: Grid Code Prime
    provider: openai
    model: code-prime
    apiKey: ${{ secrets.THEGRID_API_KEY }}
    apiBase: https://api.thegrid.ai/v1
    roles:
      - chat
      - edit

  - name: Grid Code Standard
    provider: openai
    model: code-standard
    apiKey: ${{ secrets.THEGRID_API_KEY }}
    apiBase: https://api.thegrid.ai/v1
    roles:
      - apply
      - autocomplete

  - name: Grid Agent Prime
    provider: openai
    model: agent-prime
    apiKey: ${{ secrets.THEGRID_API_KEY }}
    apiBase: https://api.thegrid.ai/v1
    roles:
      - subagent

  - name: Grid Text Standard
    provider: openai
    model: text-standard
    apiKey: ${{ secrets.THEGRID_API_KEY }}
    apiBase: https://api.thegrid.ai/v1
    roles:
      - summarize
```

A few field-name details that catch people: `provider: openai` is Continue's generic OpenAI-compatible provider (there's no Grid-specific provider name). `apiBase` and `apiKey` are camelCase; `base_url` and `api_key` are silently ignored.

### 3. Add an embeddings provider

The Grid does not yet expose embedding instruments. Continue needs one for `@codebase` and `@folder` indexing. Pair The Grid with Voyage or a local Ollama embedding model:

```yaml
  - name: Voyage Embeddings
    provider: voyage
    model: voyage-code-3
    apiKey: ${{ secrets.VOYAGE_API_KEY }}
    roles:
      - embed
```

Chat and edit work without this; only codebase indexing degrades.

### 4. Reload Continue

Continue watches `config.yaml` and reloads on save. If a change does not stick, run **Developer: Reload Window** from the command palette.

## Verification

Open the Continue side panel, pick **Grid Code Prime** from the model dropdown, and try: "Refactor this function to use async/await instead of callbacks." Then test autocomplete by typing in a code file (`code-standard` should serve), and test inline edit with `Cmd/Ctrl+I`. If all three paths work, the integration is live.

## Troubleshooting

{% hint style="warning" %}
**401 or 402.** 401 means you used a Grid trading key (or the env var didn't resolve). Generate a fresh consumption key and update `~/.continue/.env`. 402 means your credits are at zero. Top up at [app.thegrid.ai](https://app.thegrid.ai).
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="warning" %}
**400 model not found.** The `model:` field must be a valid Grid instrument ID. See the [current instruments list](/docs/instrument-specifications/current-instruments.md). Typos like `text_prime` or `code-pro` fail.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**Continue can't connect.** Check `provider: openai` (not `provider: thegrid`), `apiBase: https://api.thegrid.ai/v1` (camelCase, includes `/v1`), and that `~/.continue/.env` has `THEGRID_API_KEY=...` with no quotes.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**Some roles work, others fail silently.** Every role you use must be in a model's `roles:` array. If `chat` works but `apply` fails, no model is mapped to `apply`. Add `code-standard` (or another instrument) under that role.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**Embeddings or reranking on The Grid?** Not yet. Pair The Grid with Voyage (`voyage-code-3`) or Ollama (`nomic-embed-text`) for the `embed` and `rerank` roles.
{% endhint %}


---

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