Configuration

Zellij uses KDL as its configuration language.

Quickstart:

mkdir ~/.config/zellij
zellij setup --dump-config > ~/.config/zellij/config.kdl

Note: In most cases, Zellij will create the above file automatically on first run. Be sure to check if it exists first.

Where does Zellij look for the config file?

By default Zellij will look for config.kdl in the config directory.

Zellij will search for the config directory as follows:

  • --config-dir flag

  • ZELLIJ_CONFIG_DIR env variable

  • $HOME/.config/zellij

  • default location

    • Linux: /home/alice/.config/zellij
    • Mac: /Users/Alice/Library/Application Support/org.Zellij-Contributors.Zellij

  • system location (/etc/zellij)

How to bypass the config file?

In order to pass a config file directly to zellij:

zellij --config [FILE]

or use the ZELLIJ_CONFIG_FILE environment variable.

To start without loading configuration from default directories:

zellij options --clean

How do I update the config file for running sessions?

Zellij actively watches for changes in the active configuration file. Most fields will be applied immediately without the need for a restart. Otherwise, this will be mentioned in the commentary of the relevant field.