#Configuration

coterm reads terminal configuration from Ghostty config files. coterm-owned app settings also live in ~/.config/coterm/coterm.json, including shortcuts, automation, sidebar behavior, notifications, and browser preferences.

#Config file locations

coterm looks for configuration in these locations (in order):

~/.config/ghostty/config
~/Library/Application Support/com.mitchellh.ghostty/config

Create the config file if it doesn't exist:

mkdir -p ~/.config/ghostty
touch ~/.config/ghostty/config

#Example config

~/.config/ghostty/config

font-family = SF Mono
font-size = 13
sidebar-font-size = 14
surface-tab-bar-font-size = 11
theme = One Dark
scrollback-limit = 50000000
split-divider-color = #3e4451
working-directory = ~/code

#coterm.json

coterm keeps app-owned settings, shortcuts, actions, custom commands, and workspace layouts in ~/.config/coterm/coterm.json. Terminal rendering still lives in Ghostty config. On launch, if the file is missing, coterm writes a commented template there.

Open coterm Settings, then use the coterm.json section to open the canonical file in your preferred text editor.

~/.config/coterm/coterm.json
.coterm/coterm.json in a project for project-scoped actions and workspace commands

Precedence: global ~/.config/coterm/coterm.json settings override values saved in the Settings window. Legacy ~/.config/coterm/settings.json and Application Support settings files are read only as fallback for missing settings keys. Project-local .coterm/coterm.json can override actions, commands, UI action wiring, and notification hooks, but not global app preferences.

Reload: edit the file, then use Cmd+Shift+, or coterm reload-config to re-read it without restarting the app.

Migrations: keep schemaVersion at 1 for now. Future coterm versions will use that field for upgrades. If coterm sees a newer schema version, it logs a warning and parses known keys only.

The file accepts JSON with comments and trailing commas. The canonical schema is published at https://raw.githubusercontent.com/emergent-inc/coterm/main/web/data/coterm.schema.json and the source lives at https://github.com/mana-am/coterm/blob/main/web/data/coterm.schema.json.

~/.config/coterm/coterm.json

{
  "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/emergent-inc/coterm/main/web/data/coterm.schema.json",
  "schemaVersion": 1,

  // "app": {
  //   "menuBarOnly": false,
  //   "newWorkspacePlacement": "afterCurrent",
  //   "windowTitleTemplate": "[coterm:{windowToken}] {activeWorkspace}",
  //   "confirmQuit": "always",
  //   "openSupportedFilesInCoterm": true,
  //   "workspaceInheritWorkingDirectory": true,
  //   "iMessageMode": true
  // },

  // "terminal": {
  //   "showScrollBar": false,
  //   "copyOnSelect": true,
  //   "autoResumeAgentSessions": true,
  //   "showTextBoxOnNewTerminals": false,
  //   "focusTextBoxOnNewTerminals": false,
  //   "agentHibernation": {
  //     "enabled": false,
  //     "idleSeconds": 5,
  //     "maxLiveTerminals": 12
  //   },
  //   "textBoxMaxLines": 10
  // },

  // "browser": {
  //   "defaultSearchEngine": "kagi",
  //   // For an unlisted provider, set "defaultSearchEngine": "custom" and fill these:
  //   "customSearchEngineName": "My Search",
  //   "customSearchEngineURLTemplate": "https://search.example.com/?q={query}",
  //   "openTerminalLinksInCotermBrowser": true,
  //   "hostsToOpenInEmbeddedBrowser": ["localhost", "*.internal.example"]
  // },

  // "markdown": {
  //   // Default body font size (points) for newly opened markdown viewers.
  //   // Zoom a viewer live with Cmd-+ / Cmd-- / Cmd-0.
  //   "fontSize": 15,
  //   // Default body font family. Empty keeps the system markdown font stack.
  //   "fontFamily": "",
  //   // Default maximum reading column width, in CSS pixels.
  //   "maxWidth": 980
  // },

  // "fileEditor": {
  //   // Wrap long lines at the editor's right edge instead of scrolling horizontally.
  //   "wordWrap": false
  // },

  // "fileExplorer": {
  //   // Double-click a file: preview (default), defaultEditor (macOS default app), or preferredEditor (the app.preferredEditor command).
  //   "doubleClickAction": "preview"
  // },

  // "automation": {
  //   "suppressSubagentNotifications": true
  // },

  // "workspaceColors": {
  //   "colors": {
  //     "Red": "#C0392B",
  //     "Blue": "#1565C0",
  //     "Neon Mint": "#00F5D4"
  //   }
  // },

  // "workspaceGroups": {
  //   "newWorkspacePlacement": "afterCurrent"
  // },

  // "shortcuts": {
  //   "bindings": {
  //     "toggleSidebar": "cmd+b",
  //     "toggleFileExplorer": "cmd+opt+b",
  //     "newTab": ["ctrl+b", "c"],
  //     "commandPalettePrevious": null
  //   }
  // },
}

#Schema reference

This reference covers every supported global settings key in coterm.json. The embedded browser, terminal, sidebar, notifications, automation, and coterm-owned keyboard shortcuts all live here. Actions and workspace commands are documented on the custom commands page.

#Metadata

$schema

Optional schema URL for editor completion and validation.

Type: string
Default: "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/emergent-inc/coterm/main/web/data/coterm.schema.json"

schemaVersion

Schema version for forward-compatible migrations. Newer versions are parsed on a best-effort basis.

Type: integer
Default: 1

#`app`

General app preferences from Settings > App.

app.language

Preferred app language.

Type: string
Default: "system"
Allowed values: system, en

app.appIcon

Dock and app switcher icon style.

Type: string
Default: "automatic"
Allowed values: automatic, light, dark

app.windowTitleTemplate

Optional NSWindow title template. Blank preserves coterm's existing default title behavior, including the current-directory fallback. Supported placeholders: {windowId}, {windowToken}, {activeWorkspace}, {activeDirectory}, {defaultTitle}, {appName}.

Type: string
Default: ""

app.menuBarOnly

Hide the Dock icon and app switcher entry while keeping coterm available from the menu bar.

Type: boolean
Default: false

app.newWorkspacePlacement

Where new workspaces are inserted in the sidebar.

Type: string
Default: "afterCurrent"
Allowed values: top, afterCurrent, end

app.forkConversationDefaultDestination

Default destination for the tab context menu's primary Fork Conversation action. The submenu still exposes every destination.

Type: string
Default: "right"
Allowed values: right, left, top, bottom, newTab, newWorkspace

app.workspaceInheritWorkingDirectory

When true, new workspaces inherit the current workspace working directory. When false, new workspaces leave the working directory unset so Ghostty's working-directory setting can provide the default.

Type: boolean
Default: true

app.minimalMode

Hide the workspace title bar and move controls into the sidebar.

Type: boolean
Default: false

app.keepWorkspaceOpenWhenClosingLastSurface

When true, closing the last surface keeps the workspace open.

Type: boolean
Default: false

app.focusPaneOnFirstClick

When coterm is inactive, the first click can activate and focus the clicked pane.

Type: boolean
Default: true

app.preferredEditor

Custom editor command used when Cmd-click file previews are disabled or a file is unsupported. Leave empty to use the default.

Type: string
Default: ""

app.openSupportedFilesInCoterm

When enabled, Cmd-clicking readable local files opens supported previews in coterm, including text, code, PDFs, images, audio, video, and Quick Look files. Preview headers include an Open With menu based on the user's default and compatible macOS apps for that file.

Type: boolean
Default: true

app.openMarkdownInCotermViewer

When enabled, Cmd-clicking .md/.markdown/.mkd/.mdx files opens the rendered Coterm markdown viewer panel (with live reload) instead of the generic file preview.

Type: boolean
Default: true

app.globalFontMagnification

Scales coterm-owned terminals, tab titles, sidebars, settings, overlays, and app chrome by this percentage. Rendered browser page content is excluded.

Type: integer
Default: 100

app.reorderOnNotification

Move workspaces with new notifications toward the top.

Type: boolean
Default: true

app.iMessageMode

Move a workspace to the top and show the submitted message when sending an agent prompt.

Type: boolean
Default: false

app.sendAnonymousTelemetry

Allow anonymous telemetry.

Type: boolean
Default: true

app.confirmQuit

Control when coterm asks for confirmation before quitting. DEV builds always quit immediately regardless of this setting. Legacy app.warnBeforeQuit is still accepted as a boolean fallback.

Type: string
Default: "always"
Allowed values: always, dirty-only, never

app.warnBeforeQuit

Legacy boolean fallback for quit confirmation. Use app.confirmQuit for new configs.

Type: boolean
Default: true

app.warnBeforeClosingTab

Show a confirmation before closing a tab.

Type: boolean
Default: true

app.warnBeforeClosingTabXButton

Show a confirmation before closing a tab with the tab close button.

Type: boolean
Default: false

app.hideTabCloseButton

Hide tab close buttons in the pane tab bar.

Type: boolean
Default: false

app.renameSelectsExistingName

Select the current name when opening rename flows.

Type: boolean
Default: true

app.commandPaletteSearchesAllSurfaces

Search every surface in the command palette switcher instead of only the active workspace.

Type: boolean
Default: false

#`terminal`

Terminal presentation settings from Settings > Terminal.

terminal.showScrollBar

Show the right-edge terminal scroll bar when scrollback is available. coterm automatically suppresses it for alternate-screen style TUI surfaces.

Type: boolean
Default: true

terminal.scrollSpeed

Multiplier applied to terminal scroll wheel and trackpad deltas. Higher values scroll faster; lower values scroll slower.

Type: number
Default: 1

terminal.copyOnSelect

When true, copy selected terminal text to the system clipboard when the selection is committed. When false, coterm does not emit a Ghostty copy-on-select override; Ghostty config and defaults control selection-clipboard behavior.

Type: boolean
Default: false

terminal.autoResumeAgentSessions

Automatically run agent resume commands for restored terminal sessions when coterm reopens after quit. Set false to restore panes while keeping Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, and other saved agent sessions idle until you resume them manually.

Type: boolean
Default: true

terminal.showTextBoxOnNewTerminals

Show the beta TextBox input by default for newly created workspaces, terminal tabs, and terminal splits.

Type: boolean
Default: false

terminal.focusTextBoxOnNewTerminals

Focus the beta TextBox input by default for newly created workspaces, terminal tabs, and terminal splits. Focusing also shows the TextBox.

Type: boolean
Default: false

terminal.agentHibernation

Opt-in Agent Hibernation settings. coterm kills idle background agent processes to free RAM and CPU, then resumes them with their saved session when their tab is visited. A terminal is only suspended when it runs a restorable coding agent, the agent lifecycle reports idle, the terminal is off-screen, the live-terminal limit is exceeded, and its output has stayed unchanged for the idle window plus a short confirmation settle window. The placeholder Resume button is a manual fallback.

Type: object
Default: none

terminal.rendererRealization

Reclaim off-screen terminal GPU renderer memory. coterm releases the Metal renderer (IOSurface) of a terminal that has stayed off-screen and idle while keeping its process and terminal state alive, then rebuilds the renderer instantly when the tab is visited again. Non-destructive and on by default.

Type: object
Default: none

terminal.textBoxMaxLines

Maximum number of lines the rich terminal TextBox input can grow to before it scrolls.

Type: integer
Default: 10

terminal.resumeCommands

Signed command-prefix approvals for restoring non-agent terminal surfaces. coterm writes this list when you approve a surface resume command.

Type: array<object>
Default: []

#`notifications`

Notification behavior from Settings > Notifications.

notifications.dockBadge

Show the unread count in the Dock tile.

Type: boolean
Default: true

notifications.showInMenuBar

Show the menu bar extra.

Type: boolean
Default: true

notifications.unreadPaneRing

Highlight panes with unread notifications.

Type: boolean
Default: true

notifications.paneFlash

Flash the focused pane when requested.

Type: boolean
Default: true

notifications.suppressOnlyFocusedSurface

When enabled, a notification banner is auto-withdrawn only when its surface is the exact focused surface. A banner delivered for a non-focused surface in the currently visible workspace stays up until you focus that surface (or click/dismiss it), instead of being retracted when the workspace becomes visible. Off preserves the legacy workspace-visibility withdraw.

Type: boolean
Default: false

notifications.sound

Notification sound preset.

Type: string
Default: "default"
Allowed values: default, Basso, Blow, Bottle, Frog, Funk, Glass, Hero, Morse, Ping, Pop, Purr, Sosumi, Submarine, Tink, custom_file, none

notifications.customSoundFilePath

Local path to the custom notification sound file.

Type: string
Default: ""

notifications.command

Optional shell command to run alongside notification delivery.

Type: string
Default: ""

notifications.hooksMode

Controls whether project-local notification hooks append to inherited hooks or replace them.

Type: string
Default: "append"
Allowed values: append, replace

notifications.hooks

Composable shell hooks that receive notification policy JSON on stdin and return updated policy JSON on stdout.

Type: array<object>
Default: []

#`sidebar`

Sidebar content and metadata visibility from Settings > Sidebar.

sidebar.hideAllDetails

Hide all per-workspace detail rows.

Type: boolean
Default: false

sidebar.wrapWorkspaceTitles

Allow workspace titles in the sidebar to wrap to multiple lines instead of truncating after one line.

Type: boolean
Default: false

sidebar.showWorkspaceDescription

Show custom workspace descriptions in the sidebar.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.branchLayout

Show git branch details stacked vertically or inline.

Type: string
Default: "vertical"
Allowed values: vertical, inline

sidebar.showNotificationMessage

Show the latest notification text in the sidebar.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.showBranchDirectory

Show the workspace working directory.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.showPullRequests

Show pull request metadata in the sidebar.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.watchGitStatus

Watch repository files for sidebar branch and pull request metadata without polling git.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.makePullRequestsClickable

Allow sidebar pull request metadata to open links when clicked.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.openPullRequestLinksInCotermBrowser

Open sidebar pull request links in the embedded Coterm browser.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.openPortLinksInCotermBrowser

Open sidebar port links in the embedded Coterm browser.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.showSSH

Show SSH connection details.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.showPorts

Show listening ports.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.showLog

Show recent log snippets.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.showProgress

Show progress indicators.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.showCustomMetadata

Show custom metadata pills.

Type: boolean
Default: true

sidebar.rightMaxWidth

Maximum width in points for the right sidebar. When omitted, the built-in dynamic cap applies.

Type: number
Default: none

#`workspaceGroups`

Per-cwd customization for sidebar workspace groups. The anchor workspace's cwd is matched against the keys in `byCwd`; longest-match wins. Keys containing `*` or `?` are matched as fnmatch globs (with `~` expanded); other keys are path prefixes.

workspaceGroups.newWorkspacePlacement

Global default for where Cmd-N inside a group, the group header + button, and configured group actions place the new workspace: `afterCurrent` (after the active in-group workspace, falling back to top), `top` (second slot, just after the anchor), or `end` (after the last member).

Type: string
Default: "afterCurrent"
Allowed values: afterCurrent, top, end

workspaceGroups.byCwd

Map of cwd patterns to group customization. Empty when omitted.

Type: object
Default: none

#`workspaceColors`

Workspace tab and badge colors from Settings > Workspace Colors.

workspaceColors.indicatorStyle

Active workspace indicator style. Legacy aliases are accepted and normalized.

Type: string
Default: "leftRail"
Allowed values: leftRail, solidFill, rail, border, wash, lift, typography, washRail, blueWashColorRail

workspaceColors.selectionColor

Override the selected workspace background color.

Type: unknown
Default: null

workspaceColors.notificationBadgeColor

Override the unread notification badge color.

Type: unknown
Default: null

workspaceColors.colors

Full named workspace color palette. Include built-in entries you want to keep, remove keys to remove colors, and add more named entries to extend the picker.

Type: object
Default: { "Red": "#C0392B", "Crimson": "#922B21", "Orange": "#A04000", "Amber": "#7D6608", "Olive": "#4A5C18", "Green": "#196F3D", "Teal": "#006B6B", "Aqua": "#0E6B8C", "Blue": "#1565C0", "Navy": "#1A5276", "Indigo": "#283593", "Purple": "#6A1B9A", "Magenta": "#AD1457", "Rose": "#880E4F", "Brown": "#7B3F00", "Charcoal": "#3E4B5E" }

workspaceColors.paletteOverrides

Legacy workspace color overrides for built-in palette names. Prefer workspaceColors.colors for new configs.

Type: object
Default: {}

workspaceColors.customColors

Legacy list of custom workspace colors. Prefer workspaceColors.colors for new configs.

Type: array<unknown>
Default: []

workspaceColors.colors is the full palette. Keep the built-in keys you want, delete keys to remove colors from the picker, and add more named color entries to extend it. Older paletteOverrides and customColors files still parse during upgrades, but new files should use colors.

{
  "workspaceColors": {
    "colors": {
      "Red": "#C0392B",
      "Blue": "#1565C0",
      "Neon Mint": "#00F5D4"
    }
  }
}

#`sidebarAppearance`

Sidebar tint settings from Settings > Sidebar Appearance.

sidebarAppearance.matchTerminalBackground

Use the terminal background instead of the sidebar tint.

Type: boolean
Default: false

sidebarAppearance.tintColor

Base sidebar tint color used when light/dark overrides are not set.

Type: unknown
Default: "#000000"

sidebarAppearance.lightModeTintColor

Sidebar tint override for light appearance.

Type: unknown
Default: null

sidebarAppearance.darkModeTintColor

Sidebar tint override for dark appearance.

Type: unknown
Default: null

sidebarAppearance.tintOpacity

Sidebar tint opacity from 0 to 1. Note: this only controls the sidebar tint, not terminal/window transparency. For terminal background transparency or blur, set `background-opacity` and `background-blur` in `~/.config/ghostty/config` and run `coterm reload-config`.

Type: number
Default: 0.03

#`automation`

Socket control and automation settings from Settings > Automation.

automation.socketControlMode

Socket control mode. Legacy aliases are accepted and normalized.

Type: string
Default: "cotermOnly"
Allowed values: off, cotermOnly, automation, password, allowAll, openAccess, fullOpenAccess, notifications, full

automation.socketPassword

Password for password-mode socket access. Use null or an empty string to clear it.

Type: string | null
Default: ""

automation.claudeCodeIntegration

Enable coterm integration hooks for Claude Code.

Type: boolean
Default: true

automation.claudeBinaryPath

Custom path to the claude binary.

Type: string
Default: ""

automation.workspaceAutoNaming

Opt-in AI auto-naming of workspaces and tabs from agent conversation content. When enabled, coterm summarizes supported agent sessions into short titles using each agent's own binary; manual renames always win.

Type: boolean
Default: false

automation.autoNamingAgent

Which agent generates auto-names for every session. "auto" (default) names each session with its own agent; any agent slug (claude, codex, grok, opencode, pi, omp, …) overrides naming for all sessions, even other agents' sessions. Undriveable or uninstalled agents fall back to the session's own agent, so naming never breaks.

Type: string
Default: "auto"

automation.ripgrepBinaryPath

Custom path to the ripgrep (rg) binary used by project search.

Type: string
Default: ""

automation.suppressSubagentNotifications

Suppress visible completion notifications and status mutations from nested Codex or Claude child agents while keeping their events in Feed telemetry.

Type: boolean
Default: true

automation.ampIntegration

Enable coterm integration hooks for Amp. When disabled, the bundled plugin stays inactive without needing to be removed.

Type: boolean
Default: true

automation.cursorIntegration

Enable coterm integration hooks for Cursor.

Type: boolean
Default: true

automation.geminiIntegration

Enable coterm integration hooks for Gemini.

Type: boolean
Default: true

automation.kiroIntegration

Enable coterm integration hooks for Kiro CLI.

Type: boolean
Default: true

automation.kiroNotificationLevel

Controls how many Kiro tool events appear in Feed.

Type: string
Default: "standard"
Allowed values: minimal, standard, verbose

automation.portBase

Starting value for workspace COTERM_PORT assignments.

Type: integer
Default: 9100

automation.portRange

Number of ports reserved per workspace.

Type: integer
Default: 10

#`browser`

Embedded browser settings from Settings > Browser.

browser.defaultSearchEngine

Default search engine for non-URL browser address bar queries. Use custom with customSearchEngineURLTemplate for arbitrary providers.

Type: string
Default: "google"
Allowed values: google, duckduckgo, bing, kagi, startpage, brave, perplexity, exa, yahoo, ecosia, qwant, mojeek, wikipedia, github, baidu, yandex, custom

browser.customSearchEngineName

Display name used when defaultSearchEngine is custom.

Type: string
Default: ""

browser.customSearchEngineURLTemplate

Search URL used when defaultSearchEngine is custom. Include the query placeholder or %s for the encoded query. If omitted, coterm appends q= to the URL.

Type: string
Default: "https://www.google.com/search?q={query}"

browser.showSearchSuggestions

Show omnibar search suggestions.

Type: boolean
Default: true

browser.theme

Embedded browser theme.

Type: string
Default: "system"
Allowed values: system, light, dark

browser.discardHiddenWebViews

Allow hidden browser tabs to release page memory and restore when shown again.

Type: boolean
Default: true

browser.hiddenWebViewDiscardDelaySeconds

Seconds a browser tab must stay hidden before coterm frees its page memory.

Type: number
Default: 300

browser.askWhereToSaveDownloads

Show a save panel for browser downloads instead of saving directly to Downloads.

Type: boolean
Default: false

browser.openTerminalLinksInCotermBrowser

Open clicked terminal links in the embedded browser.

Type: boolean
Default: true

browser.interceptTerminalOpenCommandInCotermBrowser

Intercept terminal open http(s) commands and route them through the embedded browser.

Type: boolean
Default: true

browser.hostsToOpenInEmbeddedBrowser

Allowlist of hosts that should stay inside the embedded browser.

Type: array<string>
Default: []

browser.urlsToAlwaysOpenExternally

Rules that always open matching URLs in the system browser.

Type: array<string>
Default: []

browser.insecureHttpHostsAllowedInEmbeddedBrowser

HTTP hosts allowed in the embedded browser without a warning prompt.

Type: array<string>
Default: [ "localhost", "*.localhost", "127.0.0.1", "::1", "0.0.0.0", "*.localtest.me" ]

browser.showImportHintOnBlankTabs

Show the browser import hint on blank tabs.

Type: boolean
Default: true

browser.reactGrabVersion

Pinned react-grab version for the browser toolbar helper.

Type: string
Default: "0.1.29"

#`markdown`

Built-in markdown viewer settings.

markdown.fontSize

Default body font size, in points, for newly opened markdown viewers. Zoom a viewer live with Cmd-+ / Cmd-- / Cmd-0.

Type: integer
Default: 15

markdown.fontFamily

Default body font family for newly opened markdown viewers. Leave empty for the system markdown font stack.

Type: string
Default: ""

markdown.maxWidth

Default maximum reading column width, in CSS pixels, for newly opened markdown viewers.

Type: integer
Default: 980

#`fileEditor`

Built-in plain-text file editor settings.

fileEditor.wordWrap

Wrap long lines at the editor's right edge instead of scrolling horizontally.

Type: boolean
Default: false

#`fileExplorer`

Right-sidebar file explorer (file tree) settings.

fileExplorer.doubleClickAction

What double-clicking (or pressing Return on a search result for) a file in the file explorer does. `preview` opens the built-in coterm file preview (the default and historical behavior). `defaultEditor` opens with the macOS default app for the file type. `preferredEditor` opens with the `app.preferredEditor` command, falling back to the default app when none is set. Only applies to files; directories always expand/collapse, and non-local (remote) file explorers always open the coterm preview.

Type: string
Default: "preview"
Allowed values: preview, defaultEditor, preferredEditor

#`shortcuts`

Keyboard shortcut settings from Settings > Keyboard Shortcuts.

shortcuts.showModifierHoldHints

Show shortcut-hint chips while holding Cmd or Control.

Type: boolean
Default: true

shortcuts.when

Optional per-action context predicates (VS Code-style `when` clauses), keyed by coterm action id. Each value is a boolean expression over context keys combined with !, &&, ||, and parentheses. Boolean keys: sidebarFocus, browserFocus, markdownFocus, terminalFocus, commandPaletteVisible, terminalFindVisible, workspaceCanvasLayout. Typed keys support comparisons: the string sidebarMode (files, find, sessions, feed, or dock) and the integers paneCount and workspaceCount. Comparison operators are ==, !=, =~ (regex), <, <=, >, >=, and `in [a, b]`; an unknown or absent key reads as false. The boolean literals true and false are also accepted; `key == false` is the same as `!key`. The action's shortcut only fires (and only conflicts with other shortcuts) when the clause holds. Examples: { "selectWorkspaceByNumber": "!sidebarFocus" } selects workspaces with Ctrl+1–9 everywhere except when the right sidebar is focused; { "selectSurfaceByNumber": "sidebarMode == 'find' && paneCount > 1" } scopes a binding to the Find sidebar when the workspace has multiple panes.

Type: object
Default: {}

#`shortcuts.bindings`

Use a string for a single shortcut, a two-item array for a chord, or null to unbind a shortcut in shortcuts.bindings. Unbind aliases also include empty string (""), none, clear, unbound, and disabled. Example chord: ["ctrl+b", "c"]. Numbered actions use 1 as the stored default and still match digits 1 through 9.

The defaults below are the same coterm-owned actions listed on the keyboard shortcuts page.

App

openSettings

Settings

Default file value

cmd+,

reloadConfiguration

Reload configuration

Default file value

cmd+shift+,

showHideAllWindows

Show/hide all coterm windowssystem-wide hotkey

Default file value

ctrl+opt+cmd+.

globalSearch

Global searchsystem-wide hotkey

Default file value

opt+cmd+f

commandPalette

Command palette

Default file value

cmd+shift+p

commandPaletteNext

Command palette next resultwhen the command palette is open

Default file value

ctrl+n

commandPalettePrevious

Command palette previous resultwhen the command palette is open

Default file value

ctrl+p

newWindow

New window

Default file value

cmd+shift+n

closeWindow

Close window

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+w

toggleFullScreen

Toggle full screen

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+f

sendFeedback

Send feedbackunbound by default

Default file value

reopenPreviousSession

Reopen previous session

Default file value

cmd+shift+o

quit

Quit Coterm

Default file value

cmd+q

Workspaces

toggleSidebar

Toggle left sidebar

Default file value

cmd+b

toggleFileExplorer

Toggle right sidebar

Default file value

cmd+opt+b

newTab

New workspace

Default file value

cmd+n

newBrowserWorkspace

New browser workspacelike New Workspace, but the first surface is a browser pane with the address bar focused

Default file value

opt+cmd+n

openFolder

Open folder

Default file value

cmd+o

goToWorkspace

Go to workspaceworkspace switcher

Default file value

cmd+p

nextSidebarTab

Next workspace

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+]

prevSidebarTab

Previous workspace

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+[

focusHistoryBack

Focus backcoterm uses Cmd+[ and Cmd+] for focus history by default. Unbind Focus Back/Forward in Settings to let browser or terminal shortcuts handle those keys.

Default file value

cmd+[

focusHistoryForward

Focus forwardcoterm uses Cmd+[ and Cmd+] for focus history by default. Unbind Focus Back/Forward in Settings to let browser or terminal shortcuts handle those keys.

Default file value

cmd+]

selectWorkspaceByNumber

Select workspace 1…9

Default file value

cmd+1

renameWorkspace

Rename workspace

Default file value

cmd+shift+r

editWorkspaceDescription

Edit workspace description

Default file value

opt+cmd+e

newWorkspaceGroup

New empty workspace group

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+g

groupSelectedWorkspaces

Group selected workspaces

Default file value

cmd+shift+g

toggleFocusedWorkspaceGroupCollapsed

Collapse or expand focused workspace group

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+.

focusRightSidebar

Toggle right-sidebar focus

Default file value

cmd+shift+e

navigateRightSidebarRows

Navigate focused sidebar rowsIn Files, H/L collapse and expand folders. Search starts with /.

Default file value

j / k

fileExplorerOpenSelection

Open selected file or toggle folderfocused file explorer

Default file value

enter

fileExplorerOpenSelectionFinderAlias

Open selected file or toggle folderFinder-style alias for the focused file explorer

Default file value

cmd+down

closeWorkspace

Close workspace

Default file value

cmd+shift+w

Surfaces

newSurface

New surface

Default file value

cmd+t

nextSurface

Next surface

Default file value

cmd+shift+]

prevSurface

Previous surface

Default file value

cmd+shift+[

selectSurfaceByNumber

Select surface 1…9

Default file value

ctrl+1

renameTab

Rename tab

Default file value

cmd+r

closeTab

Close tab

Default file value

cmd+w

closeOtherTabsInPane

Close other tabs in pane

Default file value

opt+cmd+t

reopenClosedBrowserPanel

Reopen last closed

Default file value

cmd+shift+t

toggleTerminalCopyMode

Toggle terminal copy mode

Default file value

cmd+shift+m

clearScreenKeepScrollback

Clear screen (keep scrollback)

Default file value

cmd+shift+k

focusTextBoxInput

Switch focus between terminal and TextBox input

Default file value

cmd+shift+a

attachTextBoxFile

Attach file to TextBox input

Default file value

opt+cmd+shift+a

sendCtrlFToTerminal

Send Ctrl-F to terminalunbound by default; forwards Ctrl-F to the focused terminal (Claude Code: invoke twice to force-stop hung background agents)

Default file value

saveFilePreview

Save file previewfocused text preview

Default file value

cmd+s

Split Panes

focusLeft

Focus pane left

Default file value

opt+cmd+left

focusRight

Focus pane right

Default file value

opt+cmd+right

focusUp

Focus pane up

Default file value

opt+cmd+up

focusDown

Focus pane down

Default file value

opt+cmd+down

splitRight

Split right

Default file value

cmd+d

splitDown

Split down

Default file value

cmd+shift+d

splitBrowserRight

Split browser right

Default file value

opt+cmd+d

splitBrowserDown

Split browser down

Default file value

opt+cmd+shift+d

toggleSplitZoom

Toggle pane zoom

Default file value

cmd+shift+enter

equalizeSplits

Equalize split sizes

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+=

Canvas

toggleCanvasLayout

Toggle canvas layout

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+c

canvasRevealFocusedPane

Reveal focused pane

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+r

canvasOverview

Toggle overview zoom

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+o

canvasZoomIn

Zoom in

Default file value

opt+cmd+=

canvasZoomOut

Zoom out

Default file value

opt+cmd+-

canvasZoomReset

Actual size

Default file value

cmd+0

canvasTidy

Tidy panes into a grid

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+t

Browser

openBrowser

Open browser

Default file value

cmd+shift+l

focusBrowserAddressBar

Focus address bar

Default file value

cmd+l

browserBack

Back

Default file value

cmd+[

browserForward

Forward

Default file value

cmd+]

browserReload

Reload pagefocused browser

Default file value

cmd+r

browserHardReload

Hard refresh pagefocused browser

Default file value

cmd+shift+r

browserZoomIn

Zoom in

Default file value

cmd+=

browserZoomOut

Zoom out

Default file value

cmd+-

browserZoomReset

Actual size

Default file value

cmd+0

markdownZoomIn

Markdown viewer: zoom infocused markdown viewer

Default file value

cmd+=

markdownZoomOut

Markdown viewer: zoom outfocused markdown viewer

Default file value

cmd+-

markdownZoomReset

Markdown viewer: actual sizefocused markdown viewer

Default file value

cmd+0

toggleBrowserDeveloperTools

Toggle browser developer tools

Default file value

opt+cmd+i

showBrowserJavaScriptConsole

Show browser JavaScript console

Default file value

opt+cmd+c

toggleBrowserFocusMode

Enter browser focus modeGives the focused web page first claim on shortcuts. Press Esc twice to exit.

Default file value

opt+cmd+enter

toggleReactGrab

Toggle React Grabfocused browser, or the only browser pane when a terminal is focused

Default file value

cmd+shift+g

Diff Viewer

openDiffViewer

Open diff viewer

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+shift+d

diffViewerScrollDown

Scroll diff downfocused diff viewer

Default file value

j

diffViewerScrollUp

Scroll diff upfocused diff viewer

Default file value

k

diffViewerScrollToBottom

Scroll diff to bottomfocused diff viewer

Default file value

shift+g

diffViewerScrollToTop

Scroll diff to topfocused diff viewer

Default file value

["g", "g"]

diffViewerOpenFileSearch

Open diff file searchfocused diff viewer

Default file value

/

Find

find

Find

Default file value

cmd+f

findInDirectory

Find in directory

Default file value

cmd+shift+f

findNext

Find next

Default file value

cmd+g

findPrevious

Find previous

Default file value

opt+cmd+g

hideFind

Hide find bar

Default file value

opt+cmd+shift+f

useSelectionForFind

Use selection for find

Default file value

cmd+e

Notifications

showNotifications

Show notifications

Default file value

cmd+i

jumpToUnread

Jump to latest unread

Default file value

cmd+shift+u

toggleUnread

Toggle current item unread state

Default file value

opt+cmd+u

markOldestUnreadAndJumpNext

Mark current item as oldest unread and jump to the next latest unread

Default file value

ctrl+cmd+u

triggerFlash

Flash focused panel

Default file value

cmd+shift+h

#`shortcuts.when`

Optional per-action context predicates (VS Code-style when clauses), keyed by coterm action id. A binding only fires — and only conflicts with another binding on the same keystroke — when its clause holds. Omit a clause to keep the action's built-in context. The clause vocabulary:

sidebarFocus, browserFocus, markdownFocus, terminalFocus, commandPaletteVisible, terminalFindVisible, workspaceCanvasLayout — boolean keys. An unknown or absent key reads as false; the literals true and false are also accepted.
sidebarMode (files, find, sessions, feed, dock), paneCount, workspaceCount — typed keys for comparisons: the right sidebar's active mode (a string) plus pane and workspace counts (integers).
!, &&, ||, (…), ==, !=, =~, <, <=, >, >=, in [a, b] — boolean operators, typed comparisons, regex match, and list membership. Comparisons bind tighter than && and ||.

For example, this makes Ctrl+1–9 select workspaces everywhere except when the right sidebar is focused (leaving Ctrl+1–5 free for the sidebar's mode switcher), and scopes surface selection to the Find sidebar when the workspace has multiple panes:

"shortcuts": {
  "bindings": { "selectWorkspaceByNumber": "ctrl+1" },
  "when": {
    "selectWorkspaceByNumber": "!sidebarFocus",
    "selectSurfaceByNumber": "sidebarMode == 'find' && paneCount > 1"
  }
}

#Configuration

#Config file locations

#Example config

#coterm.json

#Schema reference

#Metadata

#app

#terminal

#notifications

#sidebar

#workspaceGroups

#workspaceColors

#sidebarAppearance

#automation

#browser

#markdown

#fileEditor

#fileExplorer

#shortcuts

#shortcuts.bindings

App

Workspaces

Surfaces

Split Panes

Canvas

Browser

Diff Viewer

Find

Notifications

#shortcuts.when

#`app`

#`terminal`

#`notifications`

#`sidebar`

#`workspaceGroups`

#`workspaceColors`

#`sidebarAppearance`

#`automation`

#`browser`

#`markdown`

#`fileEditor`

#`fileExplorer`

#`shortcuts`

#`shortcuts.bindings`

#`shortcuts.when`