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Ghostty Config makes it easy to work with existing configurations and export your customizations.

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The Import/Export Page

Access the Import & Export page from the App section in the navigation sidebar.

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Live Preview

The import/export page includes a live preview pane showing your current configuration: 
// From import-export/+page.svelte
<div class="preview">
  <div class="row p2"># You can preview the config here</div>
  <div class="row">&nbsp;</div>

  {#each Object.entries(diff()) as [key, value], i (i)}
    {#if Array.isArray(value)}
      {#each value as val, v (v)}
      <div class="row"><span class="p4">{key}</span> = <span class="p5">{val}</span></div>
      {/each}
    {:else}
      <div class="row"><span class="p4">{key}</span> = <span class="p5">{value}</span></div>
    {/if}
  {/each}
</div>
This preview displays:
  • Configuration keys in blue
  • Values in magenta
  • Syntax-highlighted like a terminal
  • Only settings that differ from defaults

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Importing Configurations

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Import from Clipboard

1

Copy your config

Copy your existing Ghostty configuration to your clipboard. Your config typically lives at:
  • macOS: ~/.config/ghostty/config
  • Linux: ~/.config/ghostty/config
2

Click Clipboard button

Click the Clipboard button in the Import section
3

Settings applied

Your configuration is parsed and applied. The button briefly shows “Pasted!” to confirm success.
// The paste handler
function pasteConfig() {
  if (pasteConfigText === "Pasted!") return;
  void window.navigator.clipboard.readText().then(text => {
    pasteConfigText = "Pasted!";
    setTimeout(() => (pasteConfigText = "Clipboard"), 3000);
    loadConfig(text);
  });
}

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Config Parsing

Ghostty Config uses a custom parser to read Ghostty configuration files: 
// From parse.ts
const re = /^\s*([a-z-]+)[\s]*=\s*(.*)\s*$/;

export default function (configString: string) {
  const lines = configString.split("\n");
  
  const results = {
    palette: Array(256),
    keybind: []
  };
  
  for (const l of lines) {
    const line = l.trim();
    const match = re.exec(line);
    if (!match) continue;
    const key = match[1].trim();
    const value = match[2].trim();
    
    if (key === "palette") {
      const split = value.split("=");
      const num = parseInt(split[0].trim());
      const color = split[1].trim();
      if (num < 0 || num > 255) continue;
      results.palette[num] = color;
    }
    else if (key === "keybind") {
      results.keybind.push(value);
    }
    else {
      // Convert kebab-case to camelCase
      const split = key.split("-");
      let newKey = split[0].trim();
      for (let s = 1; s < split.length; s++) {
        newKey += split[s].charAt(0).toUpperCase();
        newKey += split[s].substring(1);
      }
      results[newKey] = value;
    }
  }
  
  return results;
}
The parser handles:
  • Palette colors in the format palette = 0=#000000
  • Keybindings with multiple entries
  • Kebab-case to camelCase conversion
  • Hex colors with automatic # prefix handling

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Exporting Configurations

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Export to Clipboard

1

Configure settings

Make your desired changes in any of the settings panels
2

Click Clipboard

Click the Clipboard button in the Export section
3

Paste config

Your configuration is copied to the clipboard. Paste it into your Ghostty config file.
The button shows “Copied!” for 3 seconds to confirm success.

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Config Stringification

When exporting, Ghostty Config converts your settings back to Ghostty’s config format: 
// From import-export/+page.svelte
function stringifyConfig() {
  const config = diff();
  const lines = ["# Config generated by Ghostty Config\n"];
  
  for (const key in config) {
    if (!Array.isArray(config[key])) {
      lines.push(`${key} = ${config[key]}`);
    }
    else {
      for (let i = 0; i < config[key].length; i++) {
        lines.push(`${key} = ${config[key][i]}`);
      }
    }
  }
  
  return lines.join("\n");
}
This produces clean, readable output: 
# Config generated by Ghostty Config

theme = Nord
font-family = JetBrains Mono
font-size = 14
background = #2e3440
foreground = #d8dee9
keybind = super+t=new_tab
keybind = super+w=close_surface
Only settings that differ from Ghostty’s defaults are included in the exported config. This keeps your configuration file minimal and maintainable.

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Using Exported Configs

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On macOS

# Place your exported config at:
~/.config/ghostty/config

# Or use a custom location:
ghostty --config=/path/to/config

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On Linux

# Place your exported config at:
~/.config/ghostty/config

# Or use XDG_CONFIG_HOME:
$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/ghostty/config

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Error Handling

If parsing fails, you’ll see an alert with details: 
function loadConfig(candidate: string) {
  let parsed;
  try {
    parsed = parse(candidate);
  }
  catch (parseError) {
    console.error(parseError);
    alert("Something went wrong trying to parse your config. Please open an issue on GitHub!");
    return;
  }
  
  try {
    load(parsed);
  }
  catch (loadError) {
    console.error(loadError);
    alert("Something went wrong trying to load your parsed config. Please open an issue on GitHub!");
    return;
  }
}
If you encounter parsing errors:
  • Check your config file for syntax errors
  • Ensure key-value pairs use the format key = value
  • Verify palette entries follow the format palette = 0=#000000
  • Report persistent issues on GitHub

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Best Practices

Before importing or making major changes, save a copy of your working configuration.
After exporting, test your configuration in Ghostty to ensure everything works as expected.
Store your Ghostty config in git to track changes over time.
Add comments to your exported config explaining unusual or complex settings.

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Common Import Formats

Ghostty Config handles several config patterns: 
# Simple key-value pairs
font-family = Iosevka
font-size = 14
background = #282c34
foreground = #ffffff

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