path: root/website/src/content/docs/configuration.mdx

---
title: Configuration
description: Configure Herdr keybindings, themes, sidebar behavior, notifications, and advanced options.
---

Herdr works without a config file. Add one when you want custom keys, themes, sidebar settings, notifications, or advanced behavior.

## Config file

Herdr reads config from:

```text
~/.config/herdr/config.toml
```

Print the full default config:

```bash
herdr --default-config
```

Save it as your config if you want a complete starting point:

```bash
herdr --default-config > ~/.config/herdr/config.toml
```

If a config value is invalid, Herdr falls back to a safe default and shows a startup warning.

Herdr shows first-run notification setup when `onboarding` is missing or true. Set it when you want to skip that flow after choosing your notification settings.

```toml
onboarding = false
```

## Reload config

Reload a running server after editing `config.toml`:

```bash
herdr server reload-config
```

You can also open the global menu in Herdr and choose `reload config`.

Reload applies most UI settings without restarting panes. Startup-only settings still need a restart.

## Keybindings

Herdr has a prefix mode similar to tmux. The default prefix is `ctrl+b`.

A small keybinding override looks like this:

```toml
[keys]
prefix = "ctrl+b"
new_workspace = "n"
rename_workspace = "shift+n"
close_workspace = "shift+d"
new_tab = "c"
split_vertical = "v"
split_horizontal = "-"
close_pane = "x"
zoom = "f"
resize_mode = "r"
toggle_sidebar = "b"
```

Optional actions are unset by default. Bind them when you want direct shortcuts:

```toml
[keys]
detach = "q"
reload_config = "R"
open_notification_target = "o"
previous_workspace = "H"
next_workspace = "L"
previous_agent = "A"
next_agent = "D"
previous_tab = "J"
next_tab = "K"
rename_tab = "T"
close_tab = "W"
rename_pane = "p"
edit_scrollback = "e"
focus_pane_left = "h"
focus_pane_down = "j"
focus_pane_up = "k"
focus_pane_right = "l"
```

Use the full default config to see every available action.

Key strings accept plain keys, modifier combinations such as `ctrl+a`, `shift+n`, `alt+1`, `cmd+k`, and special keys such as `enter`, `tab`, `esc`, `left`, `right`, `up`, and `down`. Plain keys, `ctrl+letter`, Escape, Tab, Enter, and function keys are the most reliable. Alt, Cmd/Super, and punctuation with modifiers depend on your terminal and tmux settings.

## Indexed jumps

Indexed keybindings let you jump directly to visible positions.

```toml
[keys.indexed]
workspaces = "ctrl+shift"
tabs = "ctrl"
agents = "alt"
```

These expand over number keys 1 through 9. For example, `tabs = "ctrl"` makes `ctrl+1` through `ctrl+9` switch tabs.

## Custom command keybindings

Custom prefix-mode commands can run shell helpers from inside Herdr.

```toml
[[keys.command]]
key = "g"
type = "pane"
command = "lazygit"
```

`type = "pane"` opens a temporary pane and closes it when the command exits.

`type = "shell"` runs detached in the background.

Custom commands receive `HERDR_SOCKET_PATH`, `HERDR_BIN_PATH`, `HERDR_ACTIVE_WORKSPACE_ID`, `HERDR_ACTIVE_TAB_ID`, `HERDR_ACTIVE_PANE_ID`, and `HERDR_ACTIVE_PANE_CWD` when those values are available. Shell commands run from the focused pane's working directory when Herdr can detect it.

## Theme

Choose a built-in theme:

```toml
[theme]
name = "catppuccin"
```

Built-in themes:

`catppuccin`, `catppuccin-latte`, `terminal`, `tokyo-night`, `tokyo-night-day`, `dracula`, `nord`, `gruvbox`, `gruvbox-light`, `one-dark`, `one-light`, `solarized`, `solarized-light`, `kanagawa`, `kanagawa-lotus`, `rose-pine`, `rose-pine-dawn`, `vesper`.

Use `terminal` when you want Herdr UI colors to follow your host terminal's ANSI palette.

You can override individual colors:

```toml
[theme.custom]
panel_bg = "reset"
accent = "#a6e3a1"
green = "#a6e3a1"
blue = "#89b4fa"
red = "#f38ba8"
yellow = "#f9e2af"
```

Color values accept hex, named colors, `rgb(r,g,b)`, or reset aliases like `reset`, `default`, `none`, and `transparent`.

## UI and sidebar

The sidebar is the main Herdr dashboard. It shows workspaces, tabs, panes, and agent state.

Common options:

```toml
[ui]
sidebar_width = 32
sidebar_min_width = 18
sidebar_max_width = 36
mouse_capture = true
confirm_close = true
prompt_new_tab_name = true
show_agent_labels_on_pane_borders = false
agent_panel_scope = "all"
accent = "cyan"
```

`sidebar_min_width` and `sidebar_max_width` control the expanded sidebar's resize bounds in columns. The defaults are 18 and 36.

`agent_panel_scope` can be `all` or `current`. Use `current` if you only want the agent panel to show agents in the active workspace.

`confirm_close` controls whether closing a workspace asks for confirmation. `prompt_new_tab_name` controls whether new tabs ask for a label first.

Set `mouse_capture = false` if you want your terminal to handle normal clicks, such as command-clicking URLs.

Set `show_agent_labels_on_pane_borders = true` if you want detected agent labels in split pane borders when no manual pane label is set.

## Notifications

Herdr can show popup notifications when agents finish or need input.

```toml
[ui.toast]
delivery = "off"
```

`delivery = "off"` disables popup notifications. This is the default.

`delivery = "herdr"` shows a top-right toast inside the Herdr UI. Click the toast, or bind `keys.open_notification_target`, to focus the target workspace, tab, and pane.

`delivery = "terminal"` asks the outer terminal to show a desktop notification. Herdr sends terminal notification escape sequences for Ghostty, iTerm2, Kitty, and WezTerm. This is useful over SSH because the local terminal owns the notification.

`delivery = "system"` asks the local operating system directly. On macOS, Herdr uses `terminal-notifier` when available, then falls back to `/usr/bin/osascript`. `terminal-notifier` can activate the hosting terminal when you click the notification. On Linux, Herdr uses `notify-send` and requires `DISPLAY` or `WAYLAND_DISPLAY`.

Popup notifications are for background attention. Herdr suppresses popups for the active tab.

## Sound

Sound notifications are enabled by default and are played by the local Herdr client.

```toml
[ui.sound]
enabled = true
```

Herdr plays a done sound when an agent finishes and an attention sound when an agent needs input. Set `enabled = false` on shared machines or remote servers unless you explicitly want audio.

On macOS, Herdr uses `afplay`. On Linux, Herdr tries `paplay`, then `aplay`. If no player is available, sound playback is skipped and Herdr logs a warning.

Custom sounds must be mp3 files. Relative paths are resolved from the config file's directory.

```toml
[ui.sound]
path = "sounds/notification.mp3"
done_path = "sounds/done.mp3"
request_path = "sounds/request.mp3"
```

`path` sets one sound for all sound notifications. `done_path` and `request_path` override only the finished and needs-input sounds.

Per-agent sound overrides accept `default`, `on`, or `off`. Droid is muted by default.

```toml
[ui.sound.agents]
droid = "off"
claude = "on"
```

## Scrollback

Set the scrollback buffer size for newly created panes:

```toml
[advanced]
scrollback_limit_bytes = 10485760
```

Existing panes keep their current buffer until they are recreated.

## Nested launches

Herdr normally protects you from launching Herdr inside Herdr.

```toml
[experimental]
allow_nested = false
```

Only enable nested launches for testing.

## Kitty graphics

Kitty graphics support is experimental.

```toml
[experimental]
kitty_graphics = false
```

Leave this off unless you are testing terminal image behavior.

## Environment variables

| Variable | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| `HERDR_CONFIG_PATH` | Override the config file path. |
| `HERDR_SESSION` | Select a named session for CLI commands. |
| `HERDR_SOCKET_PATH` | Low-level socket path override. |
| `HERDR_LOG` | Set log filtering, for example `HERDR_LOG=herdr=debug`. |
| `HERDR_DISABLE_SOUND` | Disable sound playback even when `[ui.sound] enabled = true`. |

## Logs

Logs are useful when diagnosing startup warnings, integration state, or socket API behavior.

Common log files:

```text
~/.config/herdr/herdr.log
~/.config/herdr/herdr-client.log
~/.config/herdr/herdr-server.log
```

Logs rotate automatically. Include the current log and rotated siblings when reporting issues.