How do I automatically fill a new file with a boilerplate template when creating it in Vim?

Explanation

When you create a new file in Vim (e.g., :e newfile.py), the BufNewFile autocmd event fires before the empty buffer is displayed. You can hook into this event to automatically read a template file into the new buffer using :0r (read file at line 0, before the first line), giving you instant boilerplate without any manual steps.

How it works

• BufNewFile *.py — fires when a new file matching *.py is created
• 0r {file} — reads {file} into the current buffer, inserting at line 0 (before line 1)
• The template file can contain any text: shebang lines, license headers, class skeletons, etc.
• Use expand('<afile>') within the autocmd for dynamic content based on the filename

Example

Add to your vimrc:

mkdir -p ~/.vim/templates

" ~/.vim/templates/python.py
#!/usr/bin/env python3
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-


def main():
    pass


if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

" In vimrc:
if has('autocmd')
    augroup templates
        autocmd!
        autocmd BufNewFile *.py 0r ~/.vim/templates/python.py
        autocmd BufNewFile *.sh 0r ~/.vim/templates/shell.sh
        autocmd BufNewFile *.html 0r ~/.vim/templates/html.html
    augroup END
endif

Now :e script.py opens with the Python template already populated.

Tips

• Wrap autocmds in an augroup with autocmd! to prevent duplication on vimrc reload
• Use autocmd BufNewFile * if &ft == 'go' | 0r ~/.vim/templates/go.go | endif for filetype-based selection
• After inserting the template, reposition the cursor with a second autocmd using normal! G to jump to the end