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.

Quick Start

Welcome Page

Changed in Preview (v0.225). See release notes.

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 empty—other 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.

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.

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 what's 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 Zed's 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.