2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
---
author: Mike Griese @zadjii -msft
created on: 2020-01-16
last updated: 2020-01-17
---
# Using the `wt.exe` Commandline
As of [#4023 ], the Windows Terminal now supports accepting arguments on the
commandline, to enable launching the Terminal in a non-default configuration.
This document serves as a reference for all the parameters you can currently
pass, and gives some examples of how to use the `wt` commandline.
> NOTE: If you're running the Terminal built straight from the repo, you'll need
> to use `wtd.exe` and `wtd` instead of `wt.exe` and `wt`.
1. [Commandline Reference ](#Reference )
1. [Commandline Examples ](#Examples )
## Reference
### Options
#### `--help,-h,-?,/?,`
2020-02-18 11:20:03 -06:00
2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
Display the help message.
## Subcommands
#### `new-tab`
`new-tab [terminal_parameters]`
Opens a new tab with the given customizations. On its _ first _ invocation, also
opens a new window. Subsequent `new-tab` commands will all open new tabs in the
2020-04-21 15:45:18 -05:00
same window. <sup>[[1 ](#footnote-1 )]</sup>
2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
**Parameters**:
2020-02-18 11:20:03 -06:00
* `[terminal_parameters]` : See [[terminal_parameters]](#terminal_parameters ).
2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
#### `split-pane`
2020-03-11 12:50:34 -05:00
`split-pane [-H]|[-V] [terminal_parameters]`
2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
Creates a new pane in the currently focused tab by splitting the given pane
2020-04-21 15:45:18 -05:00
vertically or horizontally. <sup>[[1 ](#footnote-1 )]</sup>
2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
**Parameters**:
2020-02-18 11:20:03 -06:00
2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
* `-H` , `-V` : Used to indicate which direction to split the pane. `-V` is
"vertically" (think `[|]` ), and `-H` is "horizontally" (think `[-]` ). If
omitted, defaults to "auto", which splits the current pane in whatever the
larger dimension is. If both `-H` and `-V` are provided, defaults to vertical.
* `[terminal_parameters]` : See [[terminal_parameters]](#terminal_parameters ).
#### `focus-tab`
`focus-tab [--target,-t tab-index]|[--next,-n]|[--previous,-p]`
Moves focus to a given tab.
**Parameters**:
* `--target,-t tab-index` : moves focus to the tab at index `tab-index` . If
omitted, defaults to `0` (the first tab). Will display an error if combined
with either of `--next` or `--previous` .
* `-n,--next` : Move focus to the next tab. Will display an error if combined
with either of `--previous` or `--target` .
* `-p,--previous` : Move focus to the previous tab. Will display an error if
combined with either of `--next` or `--target` .
#### `[terminal_parameters]`
Some of the preceding commands are used to create a new terminal instance.
These commands are listed above as accepting `[terminal_parameters]` as a
parameter. For these commands, `[terminal_parameters]` can be any of the
following:
`[--profile,-p profile-name] [--startingDirectory,-d starting-directory] [commandline]`
* `--profile,-p profile-name` : Use the given profile to open the new tab/pane,
where `profile-name` is the `name` or `guid` of a profile. If `profile-name`
does not match _ any _ profiles, uses the default.
* `--startingDirectory,-d starting-directory` : Overrides the value of
`startingDirectory` of the specified profile, to start in `starting-directory`
instead.
* `commandline` : A commandline to replace the default commandline of the
selected profile. If the user wants to use a `;` in this commandline, it
should be escaped as `\;` .
2020-04-21 15:45:18 -05:00
### Notes
* <span id="footnote-1"></span> [1]: If you try to run a `wt` commandline while running in a Windows Terminal window, the commandline will _ always _ create a new window by default. Being able to run `wt` commandlines in the _ current _ window is planned in the future - for more information, refer to [#4472 ].
2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
## Examples
### Open Windows Terminal in the current directory
2020-02-18 11:20:03 -06:00
```powershell
2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
wt -d .
```
This will launch a new Windows Terminal window in the current working directory.
It will use your default profile, but instead of using the `startingDirectory`
property from that it will use the current path. This is especially useful for
launching the Windows Terminal in a directory you currently have open in an
`explorer.exe` window.
### Opening with multiple panes
If you want to open with multiple panes in the same tab all at once, you can use
the `split-pane` command to create new panes.
Consider the following commandline:
2020-02-18 11:20:03 -06:00
```powershell
2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
wt ; split-pane -p "Windows PowerShell" ; split-pane -H wsl.exe
```
This creates a new Windows Terminal window with one tab, and 3 panes:
2020-02-18 11:20:03 -06:00
2020-01-27 09:34:12 -06:00
* `wt` : Creates the new tab with the default profile
* `split-pane -p "Windows PowerShell"` : This will create a new pane, split from
the parent with the default profile. This pane will open with the "Windows
PowerShell" profile
* `split-pane -H wsl.exe` : This will create a third pane, slit _ horizontally _
from the "Windows PowerShell" pane. It will be running the default profile,
and will use `wsl.exe` as the commandline (instead of the default profile's
`commandline` ).
[#4023 ]: https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/pull/4023
2020-04-21 15:45:18 -05:00
[#4472 ]: https://github.com/microsoft/terminal/issues/4472
