Configuring Zed
Zed can be configured via a simple JSON file
Folder-specific settings are used to override Zed's global settings for files within a specific directory in the project panel. To get started, create a
.zed
subdirectory and add a settings.json
within it. It should be noted that folder-specific settings don't need to live only a project's root, but can be defined at multiple levels in the project hierarchy. In setups like this, Zed will find the configuration nearest to the file you are working in and apply those settings to it. In most cases, this level of flexibility won't be needed and a single configuration for all files in a project is all that is required; the Zed > Settings > Open Local Settings
menu action is built for this case. Running this action will look for a .zed/settings.json
file at the root of the first top-level directory in your project panel. If it does not exist, it will create it.The following global settings can be overriden with a folder-specific configuration:
copilot
enable_language_server
ensure_final_newline_on_save
format_on_save
formatter
hard_tabs
language_overrides
preferred_line_length
remove_trailing_whitespace_on_save
soft_wrap
tab_size
show_copilot_suggestions
show_whitespaces
See the Global settings section for details about these settings
To get started with editing Zed's global settings, open
~/.config/zed/settings.json
via cmd-,
, the command palette (zed: open settings
), or the Zed > Settings > Open Settings
application menu item.Here are all the currently available settings.
- Description: Scale by which to zoom the active pane. When set to
1.0
, the active pane has the same size as others, but when set to a larger value, the active pane takes up more space. - Setting:
active_pane_magnification
- Default:
1.0
Options
float
values- Description: When to automatically save edited buffers.
- Setting:
autosave
- Default:
off
Options
- 1.To disable autosave, set it to
off
{
"autosave": "off"
}
- 2.To autosave when focus changes, use
on_focus_change
:
{
"autosave": "on_focus_change"
}
- 3.To autosave when the active window changes, use
on_window_change
:
{
"autosave": "on_window_change"
}
- 4.To autosave after an inactivity period, use
after_delay
:
{
"autosave": {
"after_delay": {
"milliseconds": 1000
}
}
}
- Description: Whether or not to automatically check for updates.
- Setting:
auto_update
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: The name of a font to use for rendering text in the editor.
- Setting:
buffer_font_family
- Default:
Zed Mono
Options
The name of any font family installed on the user's system
- Description: The OpenType features to enable for text in the editor.
- Setting:
buffer_font_features
- Default:
null
Options
Zed supports a subset of OpenType features that can be enabled or disabled for a given buffer or terminal font. The following OpenType features can be enabled or disabled too:
calt
, case
, cpsp
, frac
, liga
, onum
, ordn
, pnum
, ss01
, ss02
, ss03
, ss04
, ss05
, ss06
, ss07
, ss08
, ss09
, ss10
, ss11
, ss12
, ss13
, ss14
, ss15
, ss16
, ss17
, ss18
, ss19
, ss20
, subs
, sups
, swsh
, titl
, tnum
, zero
.For example, to disable ligatures for a given font you can add the following to your settings:
{
"buffer_font_features": {
"calt": false
}
}
- Description: The default font size for text in the editor.
- Setting:
buffer_font_size
- Default:
15
Options
integer
values- Description: Whether or not to prompt the user to confirm before closing the application.
- Setting:
confirm_quit
- Default:
false
Options
boolean
values- Description: Copilot-specific settings.
- Setting:
copilot
- Default:
"copilot": {
"disabled_globs": [
".env"
]
}
Options
- Description: The set of glob patterns for which Copilot should be disabled in any matching file.
- Setting:
disabled_globs
- Default: [".env"]
Options
List of
string
values- Description: Whether or not the cursor blinks.
- Setting:
cursor_blink
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: The default anchor for new docks.
- Setting:
default_dock_anchor
- Default:
bottom
Options
- 1.Position the dock attached to the bottom of the workspace:
bottom
- 2.Position the dock to the right of the workspace like a side panel:
right
- 3.Position the dock full screen over the entire workspace:
expanded
- Description: Whether or not to use language servers to provide code intelligence.
- Setting:
enable_language_server
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Whether or not to ensure there's a single newline at the end of a buffer when saving it.
- Setting:
ensure_final_newline_on_save
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Configuration for language servers.
- Setting:
lsp
- Default:
null
Options
The following settings can be overridden for specific language servers:
initialization_options
To override settings for a language, add an entry for that language server's name to the
lsp
value. Example:"lsp": {
"rust-analyzer": {
"initialization_options": {
"checkOnSave": {
"command": "clippy" // rust-analyzer.checkOnSave.command
}
}
}
}
- Description: Whether or not to perform a buffer format before saving.
- Setting:
format_on_save
- Default:
on
Options
- 1.
on
, enables format on save obeyingformatter
setting:
{
"format_on_save": "on"
}
- 2.
off
, disables format on save:
{
"format_on_save": "off"
}
- Description: How to perform a buffer format.
- Setting:
formatter
- Default:
language_server
Options
- 1.To use the current language server, use
"language_server"
:
{
"formatter": "language_server"
}
- 2.Or to use an external command, use
"external"
. Specify the name of the formatting program to run, and an array of arguments to pass to the program. The buffer's text will be passed to the program on stdin, and the formatted output should be written to stdout. For example, the following command would strip trailing spaces usingsed(1)
:
{
"formatter": {
"external": {
"command": "sed",
"arguments": ["-e", "s/ *$//"]
}
}
}
- Description: Configuration for git-related features.
- Setting:
git
- Default:
"git": {
"git_gutter": "tracked_files"
},
- Description: Whether or not to show the git gutter.
- Setting:
git_gutter
- Default:
tracked_files
Options
- 1.Show git gutter in tracked files
{
"git_gutter": "tracked_files"
}
- 2.Hide git gutter
{
"git_gutter": "hide"
}
- Description: Whether to indent lines using tab characters or multiple spaces.
- Setting:
hard_tabs
- Default:
false
Options
boolean
values- Description: Whether or not to show the informational hover box when moving the mouse over symbols in the editor.
- Setting:
hover_popover_enabled
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Configuration for displaying extra text with hints in the editor.
- Setting:
inlay_hints
- Default:
"inlay_hints": {
"enabled": false,
"show_type_hints": true,
"show_parameter_hints": true,
"show_other_hints": true
}
Options
Inlay hints querying consists of two parts: editor (client) and LSP server. With the inlay settings above are changed to enable the hints, editor will start to query certain types of hints and react on LSP hint refresh request from the server. At this point, the server may or may not return hints depending on its implementation, further configuration might be needed, refer to the corresponding LSP server documentation.
Use
lsp
section for the server configuration, below are some examples for well known servers:"lsp": {
"rust-analyzer": {
"initialization_options": {
"inlayHints": {
"maxLength": null,
"lifetimeElisionHints": {
"useParameterNames": true,
"enable": "skip_trivial"
},
"closureReturnTypeHints": {
"enable": "always"
}
}
}
}
}
"lsp": {
"typescript-language-server": {
"initialization_options": {
"preferences": {
"includeInlayParameterNameHints": "all",
"includeInlayParameterNameHintsWhenArgumentMatchesName": true,
"includeInlayFunctionParameterTypeHints": true,
"includeInlayVariableTypeHints": true,
"includeInlayVariableTypeHintsWhenTypeMatchesName": false,
"includeInlayPropertyDeclarationTypeHints": true,
"includeInlayFunctionLikeReturnTypeHints": true,
"includeInlayEnumMemberValueHints": true
}
}
}
}
"lsp": {
"gopls": {
"initialization_options": {
"hints": {
"assignVariableTypes": true,
"compositeLiteralFields": true,
"compositeLiteralTypes": true,
"constantValues": true,
"functionTypeParameters": true,
"parameterNames": true,
"rangeVariableTypes": true
}
}
}
}
- Description: Configuration for the journal.
- Setting:
journal
- Default:
"journal": {
"path": "~",
"hour_format": "hour12"
}
- Description: The path of the directory where journal entries are stored.
- Setting:
path
- Default:
~
Options
string
values- Description: The format to use for displaying hours in the journal.
- Setting:
hour_format
- Default:
hour12
Options
- 1.12-hour format:
{
"hour_format": "hour12"
}
- 2.24-hour format:
{
"hour_format": "hour24"
}
- Description: Configuration overrides for specific languages.
- Setting:
language_overrides
- Default:
null
Options
To override settings for a language, add an entry for that languages name to the
language_overrides
value. Example:"language_overrides": {
"C": {
"format_on_save": "off",
"preferred_line_length": 64,
"soft_wrap": "preferred_line_length"
},
"JSON": {
"tab_size": 4
}
}
The following settings can be overridden for each specific language:
enable_language_server
ensure_final_newline_on_save
format_on_save
formatter
hard_tabs
preferred_line_length
remove_trailing_whitespace_on_save
show_copilot_suggestions
show_whitespaces
soft_wrap
tab_size
These values take in the same options as the root-level settings with the same name.
- Description: The column at which to soft-wrap lines, for buffers where soft-wrap is enabled.
- Setting:
preferred_line_length
- Default:
80
Options
integer
values- Description: Whether or not to show the online projects view by default.
- Setting:
projects_online_by_default
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Whether or not to remove any trailing whitespace from lines of a buffer before saving it.
- Setting:
remove_trailing_whitespace_on_save
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Settings related to semantic index.
- Setting:
semantic_index
- Default:
"semantic_index": {
"enabled": false
},
- Description: Whether or not to display the
Semantic
mode in project search. - Setting:
enabled
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Whether or not to show the call status icon in the status bar.
- Setting:
show_call_status_icon
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Whether or not to show completions as you type.
- Setting:
show_completions_on_input
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Whether or not to show Copilot suggestions as you type or wait for a
copilot::Toggle
. - Setting:
show_copilot_suggestions
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Whether or not to show render whitespace characters in the editor.
- Setting:
show_whitespaces
- Default:
selection
Options
- 1.
all
- 2.
selection
- 3.
none
- Description: Whether or not to automatically wrap lines of text to fit editor / preferred width.
- Setting:
soft_wrap
- Default:
none
Options
- 1.
editor_width
- 2.
preferred_line_length
- 3.
none
- Description: The number of spaces to use for each tab character.
- Setting:
tab_size
- Default:
4
Options
integer
values- Description: Control what info is collected by Zed.
- Setting:
telemetry
- Default:
"telemetry": {
"diagnostics": true,
"metrics": true
},
Options
- Description: Setting for sending debug-related data, such as crash reports.
- Setting:
diagnostics
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Setting for sending anonymized usage data, such what languages you're using Zed with.
- Setting:
metrics
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: Configuration for the terminal.
- Setting:
terminal
- Default:
"terminal": {
"alternate_scroll": "off",
"blinking": "terminal_controlled",
"copy_on_select": false,
"env": {},
"font_family": null,
"font_features": null,
"font_size": null,
"option_as_meta": false,
"shell": {},
"working_directory": "current_project_directory"
}
- Description: Set whether Alternate Scroll mode (DECSET code:
?1007
) is active by default. Alternate Scroll mode converts mouse scroll events into up / down key presses when in the alternate screen (e.g. when running applications like vim or less). The terminal can still set and unset this mode with ANSI escape codes. - Setting:
alternate_scroll
- Default:
off
Options
- 1.Default alternate scroll mode to on
{
"alternate_scroll": "on"
}
- 2.Default alternate scroll mode to off
{
"alternate_scroll": "off"
}
- Description: Set the cursor blinking behavior in the terminal
- Setting:
blinking
- Default:
terminal_controlled
Options
- 1.Never blink the cursor, ignore the terminal mode
{
"blinking": "off"
}
- 2.Default the cursor blink to off, but allow the terminal to turn blinking on
{
"blinking": "terminal_controlled"
}
- 3.Always blink the cursor, ignore the terminal mode
"blinking": "on",
- Description: Whether or not selecting text in the terminal will automatically copy to the system clipboard.
- Setting:
copy_on_select
- Default:
false
Options
boolean
values- Description: Any key-value pairs added to this object will be added to the terminal's environment. Keys must be unique, use
:
to separate multiple values in a single variable - Setting:
env
- Default:
{}
Example
"env": {
"ZED": "1",
"KEY": "value1:value2"
}
- Description: What font size to use for the terminal. When not set defaults to matching the editor's font size
- Setting:
font_size
- Default:
null
Options
integer
values- Description: What font to use for the terminal. When not set, defaults to matching the editor's font.
- Setting:
font_family
- Default:
null
Options
The name of any font family installed on the user's system
- Description: What font features to use for the terminal. When not set, defaults to matching the editor's font features.
- Setting:
font_features
- Default:
null
Options
See Buffer Font Features
- Description: Re-interprets the option keys to act like a 'meta' key, like in Emacs.
- Setting:
option_as_meta
- Default:
true
Options
boolean
values- Description: What shell to use when launching the terminal.
- Setting:
shell
- Default:
system
Options
- 1.Use the system's default terminal configuration (usually the
/etc/passwd
file).
{
"shell": "system"
}
- 2.A program to launch:
"shell": {
"program": "sh"
}
- 3.A program with arguments:
"shell": {
"with_arguments": {
"program": "/bin/bash",
"args": ["--login"]
}
}
- Description: What working directory to use when launching the terminal.
- Setting:
working_directory
- Default:
"current_project_directory"
Options
- 1.Use the current file's project directory. Will Fallback to the first project directory strategy if unsuccessful
{
"working_directory": "current_project_directory"
}
- 2.Use the first project in this workspace's directory. Will fallback to using this platform's home directory.
{
"working_directory": "first_project_directory"
}
- 3.Always use this platform's home directory (if we can find it)
{
"working_directory": "always_home"
}
- 4.Always use a specific directory. This value will be shell expanded. If this path is not a valid directory the terminal will default to this platform's home directory.
"working_directory": {
"always": {
"directory": "~/zed/projects/"
}
}
- Description: The name of the Zed theme to use for the UI.
- Setting:
theme
- Default:
One Dark
Options
Run the
theme selector: toggle
action in the command palette to see a current list of valid themes names.- Description: Whether or not to enable vim mode (work in progress).
- Setting:
vim_mode
- Default:
false
- Description: Customise project panel
- Setting:
project_panel
- Default:
"project_panel": {
"dock": "left",
"git_status": true,
"default_width"