Auto import
Last modified: 10 August 2022tip
This page describes Java imports. For information on imports in Kotlin, refer to Packages and Imports.
If you're using a class, a static method, or a static field that you haven't imported yet, the IDE shows you a tooltip prompting to add a missing import statement so that you don't have to add it manually. Press Alt+Enter to accept the suggestion.
If there's more than one possible source of import, pressing Alt+Enter will open the list of suggestions.
![https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2022.1/auto-import.png](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2022.1/auto-import.png)
To change the background color for import tooltip, press Ctrl+Alt+S and go to Editor | Color Scheme | General | Popups and Hints | Question hint.
tip
Statically imported methods, classes, fields have different style in the editor.
Automatically add import statements
You can configure the IDE to automatically add import statements if there are no options to choose from.
In the Settings/Preferences dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), click Editor | General | Auto Import.
Select the Add unambiguous imports on the fly checkbox, and apply the changes.
When you are pasting blocks of code that contain references to classes or static methods and fields that are not yet imported, the IDE automatically inserts the missing import statements. If you want to change that, from the Insert imports on paste list, select Ask to confirm every insertion or Never to insert import statements manually.
Import packages instead of single classes
IntelliJ IDEA suggests to import single classes by default. You can change the settings to import entire packages instead.
In the Settings/Preferences dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), select Editor | Code Style | Java | Imports.
Clear the Use single class import checkbox, and apply the changes.
Disable import tooltips
When tooltips are disabled, unresolved references are underlined and marked with the red bulb icon . To view the list of suggestions, click this icon (or press Alt+Enter) and select Import class.
Disable all tooltips
Hover the mouse over the inspection widget in the top-right corner of the editor, click
, and disable the Show Auto-Import Tooltip option.
Gif
Disable tooltips for classes or static methods and fields
In the Settings/Preferences dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), click Editor | General | Auto Import.
Make sure the necessary options are selected for the Show auto-import tooltip for setting (both checkboxes, Classes and Static methods and fields, are enabled by default).
Disable wildcard imports
When the number of classes that IntelliJ IDEA has imported from the same package reaches the limit (5
by default), the IDE modifies the statements in order to import the entire package instead of importing several single classes from this package:
![https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2022.1/wildcard-imports.png](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2022.1/wildcard-imports.png)
Disable wildcard imports to always import single classes
In the Settings/Preferences dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), select Editor | Code Style | Java | Imports.
Make sure that the Use single class import option is enabled.
In the Class count to use import with '*' and Names count to use static import with '*' fields, specify values that definitely exceed the number of classes in a package and the number of names in a class (for example,
999
).
To replace an import statement with single class imports in a file without changing the settings, place the caret at the import statement, press Alt+Enter (or use the intention action icon), and select Replace with single class imports.
Disable auto import
If you want to completely disable auto-import, make sure that:
The automatic insertion of import statements is disabled.
Exclude classes and packages from auto import
The list of import suggestions may include classes and packages that you don't need. You can exclude redundant entries from automatic import so that the list of suggestions contains only relevant items.
tip
The list of excluded classes and packages is common for auto-import and code completion.
In the Settings/Preferences dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), click Editor | Auto Import.
In the Exclude from auto-import and completion section, click
Alt+Insert, and specify a class or a package that you want to exclude.
You can also select whether you want to exclude items from the current project or from all projects (globally).
Exclude a class or a package on the fly
Press Alt+Enter on a missing class to open the list of import suggestions.
Click the right arrow next to a package and select an item (a class or an entire package) that you want to exclude.
In the Exclude from auto-import and completion section of the Auto Import dialog, select whether you want to exclude items from the current project or from all projects, and apply the changes.
Optimize imports
The Optimize Imports feature helps you remove unused imports and organize import statements in the current file or in all files in a directory at once according to the rules specified in Settings/Preferences | Editor | Code Style | <language> | Imports.
tip
You can exclude specific files and folders from import optimization. For more information, refer to Exclude files from reformatting.
Optimize all imports
Select a file or a directory in the Project tool window (View | Tool Windows | Project).
Do any of the following:
From the main menu, select Code | Optimize Imports (or press Ctrl+Alt+O).
From the context menu, select Optimize Imports.
(If you've selected a directory) Choose whether you want to optimize imports in all files in the directory, or only in locally modified files (if your project is under version control), and click Run.
Optimize imports in a single file
Place the caret at the import statement and press Alt+Enter or use the
icon.
Select Optimize imports.
![Remove use statement Remove use statement](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2022.1/optimize-imports.png)
tip
To optimize imports in a file, you can also press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+L, select Optimize imports, and click Run.
Optimize imports when committing changes to Git
If your project is under version control, you can instruct IntelliJ IDEA to optimize imports in modified files before committing them to VCS.
Press Ctrl+K or select Git | Commit from the main menu.
Click
and in the Before commit area, select the Optimize imports checkbox.
Automatically optimize imports on save
You can configure the IDE to optimize imports in modified files automatically when your changes are saved.
Press Ctrl+Alt+S to open the IDE settings and select Tools | Actions on Save.
Enable the Optimize imports option.
Additionally, from the All file types list, select the types of files in which you want to optimize imports.
Apply the changes and close the dialog.
Optimize imports on the fly
note
When you create a class from a template with the Optimize imports on the fly option enabled, IntelliJ IDEA will optimize imports from this template only after you reopen the project.
You can also configure the IDE to automatically optimize imports. IntelliJ IDEA will remove or modify import statements according to the rules specified in Settings/Preferences | Editor | Code Style | <language> | Imports as you work in the editor.
In the Settings/Preferences dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), click Editor | General | Auto Import.
Enable the Optimize imports on the fly option and apply the changes.
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