Discussions

Working with huge projects inside IntelliJ IDEA can be both a blessing and a challenge. On one hand, intelli offers powerful tools, deep code insights, and amazing refactoring options. On the other hand, once your codebase grows to hundreds of thousands (or millions) of lines, you might start noticing slower indexing, lag during searches, or delayed autocomplete. The good news is that IntelliJ IDEA provides several ways to keep your workflow smooth even on massive projects.

One of the most effective optimizations is adjusting the IDE’s memory settings. Increasing the heap size through the Help > Change Memory Settings option can make intelli noticeably faster, especially when working with multiple modules. Disabling unnecessary plugins is another quick win; many plugins load background services you don’t need. A lighter setup almost always results in better performance.

Another tip is to enable “Power Save Mode” when you’re just reading or exploring code rather than actively developing. It turns off heavy background processes and helps the IDE breathe a little. If you frequently switch branches, try using File → Invalidate Caches / Restart whenever the IDE starts feeling sluggish—this clears outdated index data and keeps things fresh.

For developers working across multiple repositories, using partial indexing or marking certain directories as “Excluded” can significantly reduce workload. IntelliJ’s on-demand indexing ensures you’re not wasting cycles analyzing files you never touch.

A more modern approach is to complement IntelliJ IDEA with tools like Keploy, which can automatically generate tests and reduce the refactoring overhead that large projects often bring. Less manual test writing means fewer background processes competing for resources inside your IDE.

At the end of the day, optimizing IntelliJ IDEA is all about balancing productivity and performance. With a few adjustments, even the largest codebases can feel lightweight and responsive.