Getting Started

Zed is an open-source code editor with built-in collaboration and AI tools.

This guide covers the essential commands, environment setup, and navigation basics.

When you open Zed without a folder, you see the welcome page in the main editor area. The welcome page offers quick actions to open a folder, clone a repository, or view documentation. Once you open a folder or file, the welcome page disappears. If you split the editor into multiple panes, the welcome page appears only in the center pane when emptyother panes show a standard empty state.

To reopen the welcome page, close all items in the center pane or use the command palette to search for Welcome.

1. Open a Project

Open a folder from the command line:

zed ~/projects/my-app

Or use Cmd+O (macOS) / Ctrl+O (Linux/Windows) to open a folder from within Zed.

By default, new projects open in your current windows threads sidebar. To open in a new window instead, use zed -n ~/projects/my-app or press Cmd+Enter when selecting from Open Recent. See Windows & Projects for more details.

2. Learn the Essential Commands

Action	macOS	Linux/Windows
Command palette	`Cmd+Shift+P`	`Ctrl+Shift+P`
Go to file	`Cmd+P`	`Ctrl+P`
Go to symbol	`Cmd+Shift+O`	`Ctrl+Shift+O`
Find in project	`Cmd+Shift+F`	`Ctrl+Shift+F`
Toggle terminal	Ctrl+`	Ctrl+`
Open settings	`Cmd+,`	`Ctrl+,`

The command palette (Cmd+Shift+P) is your gateway to every action in Zed. If you forget a shortcut, search for it there.

Panel Layout

Use Panel Layout > Agentic from the user menu in the title bar (or the workspace: use agentic layout action) when you want the Agent Panel and Threads Sidebar next to each other on the left. Use Panel Layout > Classic (or workspace: use classic layout) to restore the editor-oriented layout.

3. Configure Your Editor

Open the Settings Editor with Cmd+, (macOS) or Ctrl+, (Linux/Windows). Search for any setting and change it directly.

Common first changes:

Theme: Press Cmd+K Cmd+T (macOS) or Ctrl+K Ctrl+T (Linux/Windows) to open the theme selector
Font: Search for buffer_font_family in Settings
Format on save: Search for format_on_save and set to on

4. Set Up Your Language

Zed includes built-in support for many languages. For others, install the extension:

Open Extensions with Cmd+Shift+X (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+X (Linux/Windows)
Search for your language
Click Install

See Languages for language-specific setup instructions.

5. Try AI Features

Zed includes built-in AI assistance. Open the Agent Panel with Cmd+Shift+A (macOS) or Ctrl+Shift+A (Linux/Windows) to start a conversation, or use Cmd+Enter (macOS) / Ctrl+Enter (Linux/Windows) for inline assistance.

See AI Overview to configure providers and learn whats possible.

Coming from Another Editor?

We have dedicated guides for switching from other editors:

VS Code Import settings, map keybindings, find equivalent features
IntelliJ IDEA Adapt to Zeds approach to navigation and refactoring
PyCharm Set up Python development in Zed
WebStorm Configure JavaScript/TypeScript workflows
RustRover Rust development in Zed

You can also enable familiar keybindings:

Vim: Enable vim_mode in settings. See Vim Mode.
Helix: Enable helix_mode in settings. See Helix Mode.

Join the Community

Zed is open source. Join us on GitHub or in Discord to contribute code, report bugs, or suggest features.

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