Windows Terminal Settings UI: Where to Find It

Yes, the Windows Terminal app now includes a full graphical settings UI, and it has been a built-in feature since version 1.6 (released in 2021). You can open it by pressing Ctrl+, or by selecting “Settings” from the dropdown menu next to the new tab button, which lets you configure profiles, appearance, and behavior without manually editing JSON files.

Background: From JSON to a Graphical Interface

When Windows Terminal first launched in 2019, it was positioned as a modern, feature-rich host for command-line apps like PowerShell, Command Prompt, and WSL. However, its configuration system was a point of friction for many users: everything lived in a settings.json file. While JSON editing offered flexibility, it was intimidating for newcomers and error-prone for everyone else. A single misplaced comma could break the entire configuration.

The development team acknowledged this pain point early on. They began rolling out the settings UI in preview builds during 2020, and it became generally available with version 1.6. The UI was not designed to replace the JSON file entirely—advanced users still have access to it—but it was meant to make the most common configuration tasks accessible to everyone. The JSON file remains the source of truth, and the UI simply writes to it in the background.

How the Settings UI Works

The settings page is organized into two main sections. On the left, you have a navigation pane with options like Startup, Interaction, Appearance, Color schemes, Key bindings, and Profiles. On the right, the selected category’s options are displayed in a form-based layout with text fields, dropdowns, toggles, and color pickers.

Under Profiles, you can manage each shell you use—PowerShell, Command Prompt, Ubuntu (WSL), or any custom one you’ve added. Each profile has its own sub-page where you can set the command line, starting directory, icon, tab title, and color scheme. You can also create new profiles or duplicate existing ones, which is handy for testing different configurations side by side.

The Appearance section controls global settings like the application theme (dark, light, or using the Windows system theme), the tab row behavior, and the acrylic/blur effects. The Startup section lets you choose the default profile that opens when you launch the app, the initial window size, and whether it launches maximized or fullscreen.

Key Bindings and Color Schemes

One of the most useful parts of the settings UI is the Key bindings page. Instead of memorizing JSON syntax for custom shortcuts, you can click “Add new” and press the key combination you want to bind. The UI will capture it and let you select an action from a dropdown list, such as splitting the pane, opening a new tab, or copying text. This is a significant quality-of-life improvement over manually editing the actions array in JSON.

The Color schemes section is equally approachable. It includes a list of built-in schemes like Campbell, One Half Dark, and Solarized. You can edit any of them by clicking on the color swatches, which opens a color picker. You can also create a new scheme from scratch and assign it to any profile. For users who want precise control, the UI also shows the hex values for each color, so you can match them exactly to your preferred palette.

How to Choose Between the UI and JSON

For most users, the settings UI is now the best place to start. It is faster, less error-prone, and shows you exactly what options exist. If you are new to Windows Terminal, you should use the UI exclusively for the first few weeks. It will teach you what is configurable without requiring you to learn JSON syntax.

However, there are still reasons to open the JSON file. Some advanced options are not exposed in the UI, such as custom padding values, fontFeatures for typography, or certain experimental features. Additionally, if you want to sync your settings across multiple machines using a dotfiles repository, you will need to work with the JSON directly. The UI does not offer an export/import feature, so copying the file remains the standard approach.

A practical workflow is to use the UI for day-to-day changes and then open the JSON file to inspect what it generated. This helps you learn the schema gradually and makes you more comfortable if you ever need to hand-edit it. You can open the JSON by clicking the gear icon with a small arrow in the bottom-left corner of the settings window, labeled “Open JSON file”.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

One frequent issue is that the settings UI can become unresponsive if the JSON file has a syntax error. Because the UI writes to the same file, a malformed entry can cause the app to fall back to a default configuration or show an error dialog. If this happens, the fix is to open the JSON file in a text editor, find the error (often a missing comma or an unclosed brace), and correct it. The UI will then work normally again.

Another misconception is that the settings UI is only for beginners. In reality, it exposes nearly all the options that most power users need, including custom key bindings, per-profile environment variables, and background image settings. The JSON file is not inherently more powerful; it simply offers a different way to express the same configuration. For example, you can set a background image in the UI, but you cannot set a different image for focused versus unfocused tabs—that requires JSON.

Users also sometimes wonder whether changes take effect immediately. The answer is yes. When you close the settings window, Windows Terminal applies the changes instantly. There is no need to restart the app, and open tabs will update their appearance and behavior right away. The only exception is if you change the default profile; new tabs will use the new default, but existing tabs will remain as they are.

Safety and Backup Considerations

Because the settings UI writes to your user profile directory, it is safe to use and does not require administrator privileges. The settings file is located at %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsTerminal_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\settings.json for the stable version. If you are using the preview version, the package name will be slightly different.

Before making major changes, it is a good idea to back up your settings file. You can copy it to another folder or use a version control system like Git. This is especially important if you have a complex configuration with many profiles and custom key bindings. A backup takes seconds and can save you from reconfiguring everything if a change goes wrong. The UI itself does not have an “undo” feature, so the backup is your only safety net.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still edit settings.json if I use the UI? Yes, you can. The UI and the JSON file are two views of the same configuration. Any change you make in the UI is written to the JSON file, and any change you make in the JSON file is reflected in the UI the next time you open it. Just make sure the JSON is valid, or the UI may fail to load.

Why is my settings UI showing a blank page? This usually indicates a JSON parsing error. Open the JSON file and look for missing commas, extra brackets, or unescaped characters. You can also use a JSON validator online to find the exact line with the error. Once fixed, restart Windows Terminal.

Does the settings UI work on Windows 10? Yes, Windows Terminal runs on Windows 10 version 1903 and later, and the settings UI is available on all supported versions. It does not require Windows 11. However, some visual effects like acrylic blur may look slightly different depending on your Windows version.

How do I reset Windows Terminal to default settings? You can delete the settings.json file while Windows Terminal is closed. On the next launch, it will recreate the file with default settings. This is a clean way to start over if your configuration is broken or you simply want a fresh setup.

Are there any settings that can only be changed via JSON? Yes, a few. These include experimental.rendering options, compatibility settings, and some font features like fontFeatures or fontSize in pixels. The UI covers the vast majority of options, but for the long tail of advanced features, you will need to edit the JSON file directly.

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