Autoimmune encephalitis is an important and treatable cause of acute or subacute neurological disturbance. To optimise outcomes, several factors are crucial. First, education of the medical community is a priority, so that autoimmune encephalitis is considered in the differential diagnosis of diverse presentations such as new onset psychosis, seizures, and cognitive decline. Second, to support a diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis, the use but not overuse or misuse of investigations such as MRI, CSF biomarkers, and autoantibodies is important.