How do I restrict keyword completion to current buffer, windows, buffers, and tags for predictable results?

Explanation

Default keyword completion can feel noisy in large projects because Vim may scan extra sources you do not care about in the moment. The complete option controls exactly where <C-n> and <C-p> pull candidates from. Tightening it to open-text sources plus tags gives faster, more relevant completion with less random vocabulary bleed.

How it works

• . searches the current buffer
• w includes buffers visible in other windows
• b includes loaded buffers
• t adds tag-based completion from your tags files

By explicitly setting complete=.,w,b,t, you exclude slower or noisier sources (like include-file scanning or unloaded buffers), which keeps completion deterministic during refactors and large multi-file sessions.

Example

Project contains many generated files and vendor code.
Default completion offers irrelevant identifiers.

Apply:

:set complete=.,w,b,t

Now <C-n> prioritizes terms from currently active editing context and tags, reducing accidental completions from distant files.

Tips

• Add u if you also want unloaded buffers searched
• Temporarily inspect current value with :set complete?
• Pair with :set wildmenu and tag generation for stronger symbol completion workflows