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Microsoft describes Windows Terminal as “a modern host application for the command-line shells you already love, like Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash (via Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)).” Its settings customize that host and its profiles. Prompt appearance and aliases inside PowerShell or WSL are configured separately. Microsoft Learn: An overview on Windows Terminal.
Open Settings and find the right configuration file
Open Windows Terminal, select the dropdown arrow beside the tab bar, then choose Settings. You can make many changes in the graphical interface, or choose Open JSON file in Settings to edit the configuration directly. Using that command is the safest way to locate the active file: its location depends on whether Terminal is installed as a packaged or unpackaged application. Microsoft documents the installation-dependent locations and settings workflow in its installation documentation.
The file settings.json contains your editable configuration. defaults.json is useful for inspecting available defaults, but Microsoft says edits to it are ignored. For setting names and accepted values, consult the relevant settings documentation.
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Know which settings apply where
- Root of
settings.json: app-wide behavior and appearance, such as the Terminal theme. profiles.defaults: shared settings for profiles, such as a background or color preference.profiles.list: individual profile objects, where a shell can override the shared defaults.- Command-line options: one-time launch choices that do not have to change a saved profile.
A profile represents a command-line application or shell configuration. This scope model is the key to making a change once, in the right place, rather than repeating it across profiles.
Change the Terminal app’s overall appearance
To change the window’s theme, set the root-level theme property to system, dark, light, or the name of a custom theme. The documented default is system. This theme changes the Terminal application’s interface; it is distinct from a profile’s terminal color scheme, which controls the colors used in that shell.
Window-level appearance options also cover tab visibility, title-bar behavior, and tab placement. For example, the alwaysShowTabs setting may require a new Terminal instance before its change takes effect, as noted in Microsoft’s appearance settings reference. Check the individual property’s documentation for whether reopening is needed.
Set shared preferences, then customize individual profiles
In Settings, select a profile from the sidebar to edit its name, command line, starting directory, icon, tab title, and appearance. In JSON, profile-specific properties go in that profile’s object under profiles.list. Put a preference in profiles.defaults when it should apply to profiles generally, then override it in an individual profile if one shell needs different behavior.
Profile order matters for index-based shortcuts such as Ctrl+Shift+1: the index follows the order of profiles in the list. If you reorder profiles, check any shortcuts or workflows that rely on those indexes. Microsoft’s profile general settings reference describes the available profile properties.
Choose or create a profile color scheme
Start with a named built-in scheme or add a custom scheme object in the schemes section of settings.json, then assign its name to the profile’s colorScheme property. Microsoft provides examples and instructions in its custom color schemes guide.
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A profile can also use separate light and dark schemes by setting colorScheme to an object with light and dark entries. The active scheme follows the app theme; when the app theme is set to system, the operating system’s theme determines which is used.
For a small exception to a scheme, set profile-level foreground, background, selectionBackground, or cursorColor overrides. Prefer changing the scheme first, then use overrides only where necessary, so a later palette adjustment remains manageable. Microsoft lists profile appearance properties in its profile appearance reference.
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Add a background image or profile icon
Background image properties belong to a profile (or to shared defaults if you want the same image across profiles). The settings include an image path, alignment, stretch mode, and opacity; opacity is a floating-point value from 0 to 1. The documented supported formats include JPG, PNG, and GIF. Alignment determines placement, while stretch mode controls how the image fits the terminal area.
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You can set a profile icon with an image file path. Microsoft recommends a 32 × 32 pixel icon to avoid runtime scaling and loss of quality. Its current appearance reference also documents path options, including Local and Roaming app-data locations and URI schemes for stored files. Avoid relying on ms-appx references: Microsoft warns these point to internal implementation details that may change or disappear. The documented image and icon settings may refer to content adjacent to settings.json as of Windows Terminal 1.24; check the current reference if you use a later release.
Customize keyboard shortcuts and actions
Terminal actions control host behavior, such as opening a tab or copying text. Open the Actions page in Settings to review the action names and keybindings available in your installed version. You can edit shortcuts there or configure custom actions in settings.json. Microsoft’s actions and key bindings guide explains the syntax and includes examples for changing copy and new-tab shortcuts.
These shortcuts affect Windows Terminal itself. A shell alias, PowerShell prompt, or WSL prompt is configured in that shell’s own settings rather than through Terminal’s Actions page.
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Launch a profile or layout with the wt command
Use wt when you want a repeatable launch choice—such as a particular profile, starting directory, tab, or split pane—without changing the profile’s saved appearance. The options -p and -d select a profile and starting directory, while commands such as new-tab and split-pane build a multi-pane layout. Microsoft’s command-line arguments reference documents the syntax and examples.
For example, this opens a PowerShell profile in a specified directory:
wt -p "PowerShell" -d C:workTo open a tab and then split it, use the documented command syntax, substituting the profile and directory you need:
wt new-tab -p "PowerShell" -d C:work ; split-pane -p "Command Prompt" -d C:workIn PowerShell, semicolons are special characters, so escape the delimiter with a backtick when entering a command like this directly:
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Quick Recap
Apply changes and troubleshoot scope
- If a change affects every shell, check whether it belongs at the root or in
profiles.defaults. - If only one shell should change, put the property in that profile rather than at the root.
- If an image or icon does not appear, verify its path, supported format, and file availability.
- If a setting appears unchanged, check whether its documentation requires a new Terminal instance.
- If a command works in Command Prompt but not PowerShell, check whether a semicolon needs escaping.
- If an index-based shortcut opens the wrong profile, review the profile order in
profiles.list.
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