Where Is the NeoMutt Config File?
NeoMutt searches ten config paths in priority order across XDG and home. Search order, mail and cache layout.
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NeoMutt reads the first config found across ten candidate paths, preferring ~/.config/neomutt/neomuttrc down through legacy ~/.muttrc. System defaults layer underneath from /etc. Only one user file ever loads, which surprises people maintaining several hopeful dotfiles.
The modern layout spreads further: mail under ~/.local/share/mail, header and body caches under ~/.cache/neomutt, sending via ~/.config/msmtp/config, syncing via ~/.mbsyncrc. NeoMutt's own XDG guide blesses exactly this tree with a backup table marking caches as disposable. Consolidate legacy files into the XDG path and delete the rest. Terminal mail readers live here; this is Linux-only territory.
Where NeoMutt stores this, by platform
~/.config/neomutt/neomuttrc
First found wins across ten paths from ~/.config/neomutt/neomuttrc down to ~/.muttrc; system defaults in /etc underneath. Mail conventionally in ~/.local/share/mail, caches in ~/.cache/neomutt (exclude from backups). Sending config in ~/.config/msmtp, sync in ~/.mbsyncrc. Consolidate legacy files into the XDG path.
Frequently asked questions
how do i move neomutt to a new computer
Copy ~/.config/neomutt plus your mail store and helper configs (msmtp, mbsync, notmuch) to the new machine. Keep relative paths identical so folder hooks and mailbox lines keep working. Secrets in password files travel too; re-encrypt them for the new machine's GPG key if they are GPG-wrapped.
why do my mutt settings not apply
The old file loses. NeoMutt reads the first config found in its search order, and ~/.config/neomutt/neomuttrc outranks ~/.muttrc and ~/.neomuttrc. Consolidate into the XDG path and delete or empty the legacy files. Check which file wins by tracing startup or moving suspects aside one at a time.
how do i pair neomutt with offlineimap
Point folder, spoolfile and record at the synced Maildir tree and source the mbnames file OfflineIMAP generates. The XDG guide's canonical layout pairs ~/mail with ~/.config/neomutt/mailboxes. Keep the sync tool's config (like ~/.mbsyncrc) backed up alongside neomutt or the pairing breaks on migration.
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