Where Is the Zellij Config File?
Zellij's config.kdl path on Linux and Mac, plus the env vars that override it.
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Zellij looks for config.kdl in a zellij config directory. On Linux that is ~/.config/zellij by default. On Mac it is an Application Support folder under an org.Zellij-Contributors name.
First run usually writes the file for you, so check before generating a fresh one with dump-config and overwriting your edits. Layouts sit in a layouts subfolder beside it.
Where Zellij stores this, by platform
~/.config/zellij/config.kdl
Create with mkdir -p ~/.config/zellij and zellij setup --dump-config > ~/.config/zellij/config.kdl. Override dir with ZELLIJ_CONFIG_DIR or single file with ZELLIJ_CONFIG_FILE or --config.
~/Library/Application Support/org.Zellij-Contributors.Zellij/config.kdl
Mac equivalent of the Linux path. Older manpages show a com.Zellij-Contributors variant, so check both spellings if the folder looks missing. Layouts in the layouts subfolder.
Frequently asked questions
How do I start Zellij without any config?
Run zellij options --clean. That skips default directories entirely, which helps isolate whether a keybind or theme issue comes from your file.
Where do Zellij layouts live?
In layouts under the same config dir: ~/.config/zellij/layouts on Linux and the Application Support equivalent on Mac. Pass one with zellij --layout name.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.