Open a project in VS Code, then choose View > Terminal to start using its integrated terminal. It runs a shell installed on your computer, usually opens in the workspace folder, and lets you run commands without leaving the editor. If the wrong shell opens, choose a different default profile; if terminal-aware features are missing, check shell integration.
Open the terminal and run a first command
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Open a project folder or workspace in VS Code.
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Choose View > Terminal. The default shortcut is Control+backtick on Windows and Linux; macOS shows the corresponding Control+backtick key combination in the shortcut reference. To check or remap it, open Keyboard Shortcuts and search for
Terminal: Toggle Integrated Terminalorworkbench.action.terminal.toggleTerminal. See Microsoft’s terminal introduction and default keyboard shortcuts.As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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Try a command supported by the shell that opened, such as
lsorgit status. The terminal can also run commands such asecho, builds, tests, and deployment tools. Command syntax differs between shells, so an example written for PowerShell may not work unchanged in Bash or Zsh.Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
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The terminal is a panel inside VS Code, but the shell itself comes from your computer. Opening a project gives the shell a workspace context, normally starting it at the workspace root.
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Choose the shell VS Code opens
VS Code launches an installed shell rather than providing every shell itself. Bash, Zsh, and PowerShell are common choices; depending on your system and installed software, Windows may also offer profiles such as Git Bash or WSL. There is no universally best shell: choose one that is installed, works with your scripts and tools, and suits how you use the terminal.
To switch shells, open the terminal dropdown and choose Terminal: Select Default Profile, then select an available profile. The next terminal you create uses that default. If the expected profile is missing, check whether its shell is installed and whether VS Code can detect it.
Customize a terminal profile
A profile describes how VS Code starts a shell. Depending on the platform and configuration, it can specify an executable path or a supported detected source, arguments, environment variables, and display properties. Microsoft’s Terminal Profiles guide documents profile setup and platform-specific options.
For settings-based configuration, the default-profile setting is terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.<platform>; replace <platform> with the relevant platform identifier. A profile can use a detected source for supported shells or an executable path. Its arguments affect startup behavior, while environment variables can customize the shell environment; assigning an environment variable null removes it from that profile’s environment.
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Profile choices can change where a shell starts or what it loads. For example, the documented MSYS2 profile uses CHERE_INVOKING to preserve the current directory instead of starting at $HOME. When setting a custom executable, use a trusted location: VS Code may flag shells found in unsafe paths and require explicit configuration before treating them as a normal profile.
Keep interactive terminals separate from tasks
A shell that is comfortable for interactive work may load startup scripts, aliases, or syntax that a build or test task does not expect. Tasks and debug automation use the automation profile by default, which can differ from the profile you selected for interactive terminals.
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VS Code tasks run external commands in terminal sessions. You can run a task from the command interface or assign a shortcut to workbench.action.tasks.runTask. Microsoft’s tasks guide explains task configuration and shell overrides.
What shell integration adds
Shell integration helps VS Code understand commands and working directories, rather than treating the terminal only as a stream of text. On supported shells, it can provide success or failure decorations, navigation between detected commands, better resolution of relative file links, recent-command and directory features, and accessibility improvements.
Microsoft lists support for Bash, Fish, PowerShell (pwsh), and Zsh on Linux and macOS, and Git Bash and PowerShell on Windows. VS Code normally injects its integration script automatically when a supported shell starts. The setting terminal.integrated.shellIntegration.enabled controls whether automatic integration is enabled. Feature availability depends on the shell and its startup configuration; see the shell integration guide for supported setups and manual installation instructions.
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Manual installation is generally an advanced fallback, for example when automatic injection is blocked by a complex shell setup, a subshell, or a regular SSH session that is not using Remote – SSH. Do not expect integration decorations and directory-aware behavior from shells or launch paths outside the documented support.
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Manage keyboard shortcuts and terminal input
Some keystrokes should be handled by VS Code, while others need to reach the shell. The setting terminal.integrated.commandsToSkipShell controls which commands VS Code handles instead of forwarding them to the terminal. Changing shortcut routing can affect familiar editor actions, so check the Keyboard Shortcuts editor when a key combination behaves unexpectedly.
On macOS, Cmd+K is commonly bound to clear the terminal and can conflict with Cmd+K shortcut chords. If those chords do not work as expected, review the clear-terminal binding and remove or remap it. More details are in Microsoft’s Terminal Advanced documentation.
Fix common terminal problems
The wrong shell opens
Use the terminal dropdown’s Terminal: Select Default Profile command. If the intended profile is unavailable or starts incorrectly, inspect its detected source or executable path and its arguments in the profile configuration.
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This can be expected: tasks use the automation profile by default. Set terminal.integrated.automationProfile.<platform> for automation generally, or specify options.shell in the task that needs different behavior.
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Command decorations or directory-aware features are missing
Check that the shell is on the supported list, that integration is enabled, and that shell startup behavior permits injection. Consult the shell integration guide for manual setup if your particular configuration requires it.
PATH is duplicated or reordered on macOS
VS Code’s initial environment resolution and a login shell can both modify PATH. The profiles guide describes terminal.integrated.inheritEnv and changing login-shell arguments as possible remedies. Changing those behaviors can affect where aliases need to be defined in shell startup files, so check the resulting environment as well as whether the terminal starts.
Command decorations appear misplaced on Windows
Microsoft documents occasional decoration-position issues related to how the ConPTY pseudoterminal handles rendering, with VS Code heuristics adjusting positions. A misplaced decoration is not necessarily evidence of a shell profile error.
A command needs administrator privileges
The integrated shell runs with the permissions of VS Code; opening a terminal does not elevate it automatically. Use an appropriate platform mechanism when a command requires different privileges. The profiles guide mentions runas.exe as one Windows utility for launching a process with different credentials.
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