Customize Windows Terminal Settings in Windows 11

Windows Terminal is the modern command-line host for Windows 11, replacing the old console window. This guide shows you how to change its appearance, behavior, and key bindings using the built-in settings UI and the JSON settings file, so you can make it look and work the way you want.

What You’ll Need

• Windows 11 (version 21H2 or later) with Windows Terminal installed (it is the default terminal app).
• Basic familiarity with opening apps and using menus.
• Optional: a text editor like Notepad for editing the settings JSON file directly.

Step-by-Step

1. Open Windows Terminal. Click the Start button, type “Terminal,” and press Enter. The app opens with your default profile (usually PowerShell).
2. Open Settings. Click the down-arrow (chevron) next to the new tab button (the “+” icon) in the title bar, then select “Settings.” Alternatively, press Ctrl + , (comma).
3. Understand the Settings window. The Settings window has a sidebar on the left with sections: “Startup,” “Interaction,” “Appearance,” “Color schemes,” “Profiles,” “Actions,” and “Rendering.” The main pane shows options for the selected section.
4. Change the default profile. In the “Startup” section, use the “Default profile” dropdown to choose which shell (PowerShell, Command Prompt, Azure, etc.) opens when you start Terminal. You can also set the “Launch size” (columns and rows) and the “Launch mode” (maximized, fullscreen, etc.).
5. Set the startup directory. Still in “Startup,” under “Launch parameters,” you can set a specific folder as the starting directory for new tabs. Leave blank to use the user profile folder.
6. Adjust interaction settings. In the “Interaction” section, you can enable or disable “Copy on select” (automatically copies selected text), “Automatically detect URLs” (makes links clickable), and “Use Ctrl+Shift+C/V as copy/paste.” These are handy for daily use.
7. Customize appearance. Go to “Appearance” to change the theme (Light, Dark, or Use system theme), the color scheme (if you want to apply to all profiles), the font face and size, the cursor shape and color, and the background opacity (if you enable acrylic or transparent backgrounds).
8. Edit a specific profile. In the sidebar, under “Profiles,” you’ll see each installed shell (e.g., “PowerShell,” “Command Prompt”). Click one to edit its settings. Here you can change the profile’s name, icon, starting directory, color scheme, font, background image, and more. You can also add a new profile by clicking “Add new profile” and following the prompts.
9. Create or modify color schemes. Under “Color schemes,” you can select an existing scheme (like “Campbell” or “One Half Dark”) and modify its colors, or click “Add new” to create your own. Each scheme defines the foreground, background, cursor, and the 16 ANSI colors. Changes apply immediately to profiles that use that scheme.
10. Add or change keyboard shortcuts. Under “Actions,” you can see all default key bindings (like Ctrl+Shift+T for new tab, Ctrl+Shift+W for close tab). To add a new one, click “Add new,” choose an action (e.g., “New tab”), and press the key combination you want. To change an existing one, click the edit icon next to it.
11. Edit the settings JSON directly (optional). If you prefer a text-based approach, click the gear icon in the bottom-left corner of the Settings window and select “Open JSON file.” This opens the settings.json file in your default editor. You can manually edit any setting here. The file is organized into objects: “profiles,” “schemes,” “actions,” etc. After saving, close and reopen Terminal (or click “Reload” in the dropdown menu) to apply changes.
12. Apply and test. Most changes take effect immediately after you close the Settings window. Open a new tab to see the new appearance. If something looks wrong, go back to Settings and adjust.

Common Mistakes

• Editing the wrong profile. Each profile has its own settings. If you change “PowerShell” but are using “Command Prompt,” you won’t see the change. Check which profile you are editing.
• Using an invalid JSON syntax. When editing settings.json manually, a missing comma or brace will cause the file to fail to load. Terminal will show an error and may revert to default settings. Always validate your JSON before saving.
• Forgetting to save the JSON file. If you edit the JSON but don’t save it, Terminal won’t see the changes. Also, if the file is open in an editor while Terminal is running, you may need to reload it manually.
• Setting a background image that is too large. Large images can slow down rendering. Use a compressed image or set the background opacity to reduce impact.
• Overwriting default key bindings unintentionally. If you assign a shortcut that already exists, it will override the default. Check the “Actions” list to avoid conflicts.

Tips

• Use profiles for different tasks. Create separate profiles for PowerShell, Command Prompt, and WSL, each with its own color scheme and font. This helps you visually distinguish which shell you’re using.
• Leverage color schemes for readability. Choose a scheme with high contrast for your environment. For example, “One Half Dark” is easier on the eyes in low light.
• Enable acrylic or transparency for a modern look. In a profile’s appearance settings, set the background to “Acrylic” or “Transparent” and adjust the opacity. This gives a frosted-glass effect.
• Set a custom starting directory. If you often work in a specific folder, set that as the starting directory in your profile to save time.
• Use the “Reload” command after editing JSON. Instead of closing and reopening Terminal, you can press Ctrl+Shift+R to reload the settings file without losing your open tabs.

Troubleshooting

• Settings won’t open. If clicking Settings does nothing, try restarting Terminal. If that fails, open the JSON file manually by right-clicking the title bar and selecting “Settings,” or navigate to the settings location: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\settings.json (for the Store version).
• Changes not applying. Make sure you are editing the correct profile and that you saved the JSON file if you edited it manually. Also, check that the profile you are viewing is the one you are launching (the default profile).
• JSON file error after editing. Terminal will show an error message with the line number. Open the file in a JSON validator (like a browser-based one) to find the mistake. Common issues: missing commas between properties, unmatched braces, or trailing commas.
• Font or color scheme not showing. Ensure the font is installed on your system. For color schemes, make sure the scheme is selected in the profile’s appearance settings, not just in the “Color schemes” section (that only creates the scheme).
• Keyboard shortcut not working. Check the “Actions” list to see if the shortcut is bound to something else. Also, make sure the shortcut doesn’t conflict with system-wide shortcuts (e.g., Alt+Tab).
• Terminal reverts to default settings. This usually happens when the settings.json file is corrupted. Terminal will back up the old file as settings.json.bak. You can restore it by renaming it back, or start fresh by deleting the file (Terminal will recreate it with defaults).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I make Windows Terminal the default terminal app? Go to Settings > Startup and set “Default terminal application” to “Windows Terminal.” This makes it open when you run any command-line tool.
2. Can I change the background image for a specific profile? Yes, edit the profile’s appearance settings and set a background image path. You can also adjust the background image opacity and stretch mode.
3. How do I add a new color scheme? In Settings, go to “Color schemes” and click “Add new.” Give it a name, then edit the color values. You can also duplicate an existing scheme and modify it.
4. Why is my cursor not blinking? The cursor blink setting is in the profile’s appearance section. Set “Cursor shape” to “Bar” or “Block” and enable “Cursor blinking” (or set it to “Always”).
5. Can I export my settings to another PC? Yes, copy the settings.json file (and any custom color schemes or profiles) to the same location on the other PC. You can also use the “Export” button in the Settings window (under “Profiles” > “Add new” > “Import”) to import a profile from a JSON file.
6. How do I reset all settings to default? In Settings, click the “Reset” button at the bottom of the sidebar, or delete the settings.json file. Terminal will recreate it with the default settings on next launch.

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