Zed · Knowledge Base

Zed

23 May 20268 min read

High-performance code editor built in Rust by the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter. GPU-rendered UI (GPUI framework) — stays fast at any file size. Designed for speed, collaboration, and AI-assisted development.

Key Features

• GPU-rendered UI via GPUI — no Electron

• Tree-sitter for syntax and semantic parsing

• First-class LSP integration

• Vim mode (modal editing with LSP/Tree-sitter awareness)

• Inline AI editing, agent panel, edit prediction

• SSH remote development (UI local, everything else remote)

• Real-time collaboration via Channels

• Multi-buffer editing — compose views across multiple files

• Built-in debugger (DAP)

• Tasks system with editor context variables

Config using Nix

Home Manager module programs.zed-editor:

nix

programs.zed-editor = {

enable = true;

package = pkgs.zed-editor;

installRemoteServer = true; # symlinks headless server for SSH remote dev

defaultEditor = true; # sets $EDITOR and $VISUAL

# mutable = Zed can still write changes from the GUI

mutableUserSettings = true;

mutableUserKeymaps = true;

extensions = [ "toml" "nix" "catppuccin" "html" ];

userSettings = {

vim_mode = true;

theme = "Catppuccin Mocha";

buffer_font_family = "Zed Mono";

buffer_font_size = 14;

format_on_save = "on";

assistant = {

default_model = {

provider = "anthropic";

model = "claude-sonnet-4-6";

};

version = "2";

};

userKeymaps = [

{

context = "Editor && vim_mode == normal";

bindings = { "space f" = "file_finder::Toggle"; };

}

];

userTasks = [

{

label = "cargo check";

command = "cargo check";

cwd = "$ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT";

reveal = "always";

}

];

};

Important: by default Home Manager writes a read-only settings.json. Zed cannot modify read-only files, so GUI settings changes won't persist unless you set mutableUserSettings = true.

Config (~/.config/zed/settings.json)

json

{

"vim_mode": true,

"theme": "One Dark",

"buffer_font_family": "Zed Mono",

"buffer_font_size": 14,

"tab_size": 2,

"hard_tabs": false,

"soft_wrap": "none",

"format_on_save": "on",

"autosave": "off",

"ensure_final_newline_on_save": true,

"remove_trailing_whitespace_on_save": true,

"cursor_shape": "bar",

"current_line_highlight": "all",

"show_edit_predictions": true,

"git": {

"git_gutter": "tracked_files",

"inline_blame": { "enabled": true }

"assistant": {

"default_model": {

"provider": "anthropic",

"model": "claude-sonnet-4-6"

}

"lsp": {

"rust-analyzer": {

"initialization_options": {

"check": { "command": "clippy" }

}

Key Settings

Setting	Default	Description
`vim_mode`	`false`	Enable Vim keybindings
`helix_mode`	`false`	Enable Helix keybindings
`base_keymap`	`"VSCode"`	Base keymap style (VSCode/Atom/JetBrains/None)
`buffer_font_size`	`15`	Editor font size (6–100)
`tab_size`	`4`	Spaces per indent level
`hard_tabs`	`false`	Use tabs instead of spaces
`soft_wrap`	`"none"`	Line wrap mode
`format_on_save`	`"on"`	Auto-format on save
`autosave`	`"off"`	`off` / `on_focus_change` / `on_window_change` / `after_delay`
`cursor_shape`	`"bar"`	`bar` / `block` / `underline` / `hollow`
`semantic_tokens`	`"off"`	LSP semantic highlighting: `off` / `combined` / `full`
`code_lens`	`"off"`	LSP inline metadata: `off` / `on` / `menu`
`inlay_hints`	—	Type/param hints (object)
`show_edit_predictions`	`true`	AI inline edit suggestions
`disable_ai`	`false`	Disable all AI features
`formatter`	`"auto"`	`language_server` / `external` / `code_actions` / `none`
`preferred_line_length`	`80`	Soft-wrap column

Settings can also be scoped per-language:

json

{

"languages": {

"Python": { "tab_size": 4, "format_on_save": "off" }

}

Project-level overrides go in .zed/settings.json at the worktree root.

Keybindings

Open the keymap editor: Cmd+K Cmd+S (macOS) / Ctrl+K Ctrl+S.

Custom bindings go in ~/.config/zed/keymap.json.

Action	macOS	Linux/Win
Command palette	`Cmd+Shift+P`	`Ctrl+Shift+P`
Open file	`Cmd+P`	`Ctrl+P`
Project symbol search	`Cmd+T`	`Ctrl+T`
File symbol outline	`Cmd+Shift+O`	`Ctrl+Shift+O`
Project search	`Cmd+Shift+F`	`Ctrl+Shift+F`
Go to definition	`F12`	`F12`
Find all references	`Alt+Shift+F12`	`Alt+Shift+F12`
Project panel	`Cmd+Shift+E`	`Ctrl+Shift+E`
Outline panel	`Cmd+Shift+B`	`Ctrl+Shift+B`
Tab switcher	`Ctrl+Tab`	`Ctrl+Tab`

Editing

Action	macOS	Linux/Win
Multi-cursor (next match)	`Cmd+D`	`Ctrl+D`
Select all matches	`Cmd+Shift+L`	`Ctrl+Shift+L`
Rename symbol	`F2`	`F2`
Code actions	`Cmd+.`	`Ctrl+.`
Format document	`Cmd+Shift+I`	`Ctrl+Shift+I`
Toggle comment	`Cmd+/`	`Ctrl+/`
Move line up/down	`Ctrl+Cmd+↑/↓`	`Alt+↑/↓`

Panes & Tabs

Action	macOS	Linux/Win
Split right	`Cmd+K →`	`Ctrl+K →`
Split down	`Cmd+K ↓`	`Ctrl+K ↓`
Focus pane (direction)	`Cmd+K Cmd+←/→`	`Ctrl+K Ctrl+←/→`
Close tab	`Cmd+W`	`Ctrl+W`
Open terminal	Ctrl+`	Ctrl+`

Git

Action	macOS	Linux/Win
Stage all	`Cmd+Ctrl+Y`	`Ctrl+Space`
Commit	`Cmd+Enter`	`Ctrl+Enter`
Push	`Ctrl+G ↑`	`Ctrl+G ↑`
Pull	`Ctrl+G ↓`	`Ctrl+G ↓`
Fetch	`Ctrl+G Ctrl+G`	`Ctrl+G Ctrl+G`

Action	macOS	Linux/Win
Inline assistant	`Ctrl+Enter`	`Ctrl+Enter`
Accept edit prediction	`Tab`	`Tab`
Open agent panel	`Cmd+?`	`Ctrl+?`
Generate commit message	`Alt+Tab`	`Alt+L`

Vim Mode

Enable with vim_mode: true or toggle via workspace: toggle vim mode.

Zed's Vim mode integrates with LSP and Tree-sitter rather than emulating Vim exactly.

LSP-aware commands

Command	Action
`gd`	Go to definition
`gD`	Go to declaration
`cd`	Rename symbol
`g.`	Code actions
`gA`	Find all references

Tree-sitter text objects

Object	Inner	Around
Function	`if`	`af`
Class	`ic`	`ac`
Argument	`ia`	`aa`
HTML/XML tag	`it`	`at`

Tree-sitter motions

Key	Action
`]m` / `[m`	Next/prev method
`]]` / `[[`	Next/prev section

Git motions (Vim)

Key	Action
`]c` / `[c`	Next/prev diff hunk
`do`	Expand hunk
`dO`	Toggle staging

Built-in plugin equivalents

Feature	Keys
Surround add	`ys<motion><char>`
Surround change	`cs<old><new>`
Surround delete	`ds<char>`
Comment (normal)	`gcc`
Comment (visual)	`gc`
vim-exchange	`cx`
ReplaceWithRegister	`gR`

Vim settings

json

{

"vim": {

"default_mode": "normal",

"use_system_clipboard": "always",

"use_smartcase_find": true,

"toggle_relative_line_numbers": true,

"highlight_on_yank_duration": 200

}

Regex differences from Vim

Zed uses its own regex engine — capture groups use ( ) not , backreferences use $1 not \1, and substitutions are global by default (no /g needed).

AI Features

Edit Prediction

Inline suggestions on each keystroke, accepted with Tab. Disable per file glob:

json

{

"edit_predictions": {

"disabled_globs": ["**/.env", "**/secrets/**"]

}

Inline Assistant

Select code → Ctrl+Enter → describe the change → model rewrites in place. Works on multiple cursors simultaneously.

Agent Panel

Full conversation interface for multi-step tasks. The agent can read/write files, run terminal commands, and use MCP tools. Open with Cmd+?.

Supported AI Providers

Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, GitHub Copilot, Ollama, Codestral, and others. Bring your own API key or use local models. Configure in settings:

json

{

"assistant": {

"default_model": {

"provider": "anthropic",

"model": "claude-opus-4-7"

"version": "2"

}

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

Extend the agent with external tools and data sources. Add servers to settings:

json

{

"context_servers": {

"my-server": {

"command": "npx",

"args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],

"env": { "GITHUB_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_TOKEN}" }

"remote-server": {

"url": "https://example.com/mcp",

"headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer <token>" }

}

Also installable as Zed extensions (GitHub, Puppeteer, Brave Search, Figma, etc.).

Tool permissions:

json

{

"agent": {

"tool_permissions": {

"default": "confirm",

"mcp:my-server:read_file": "allow"

}

Rules

Configure agent behavior and constraints via ~/.config/zed/rules.md or .zed/rules.md in the project.

SSH Remote Development

Local machine handles UI, syntax highlighting, and AI. Remote handles LSP, terminal, and tasks. No FUSE, no file sync — Zed runs a headless server instance on the remote.

Connect: Ctrl+Cmd+Shift+O (macOS) / Alt+Ctrl+Shift+O → "Connect New Server"

json

{

"ssh_connections": [

{

"host": "myserver.example.com",

"username": "user",

"port": 22,

"args": ["-i", "~/.ssh/work_key"],

"nickname": "dev-box",

"upload_binary_over_ssh": true

}

]

}

Port forwarding:

json

{

"port_forwards": [

{ "local_port": 8080, "remote_port": 3000, "local_host": "127.0.0.1" }

]

}

Limitations: Cannot open files from remote terminal with zed CLI. Avoid opening very large directories (>100k files).

Tasks

Run commands with access to editor context. Define in ~/.config/zed/tasks.json (global) or .zed/tasks.json (project).

json

[

{

"label": "Run tests",

"command": "cargo test",

"args": ["--", "$ZED_SYMBOL"],

"cwd": "$ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT",

"env": { "RUST_BACKTRACE": "1" },

"use_new_terminal": false,

"allow_concurrent_runs": false,

"reveal": "always",

"hide": "on_success",

"save": "all"

}

]

Available Variables

Variable	Value
`$ZED_FILE`	Absolute path of current file
`$ZED_FILENAME`	Filename only
`$ZED_DIRNAME`	Directory of current file
`$ZED_RELATIVE_FILE`	Path relative to worktree root
`$ZED_STEM`	Filename without extension
`$ZED_ROW` / `$ZED_COLUMN`	Cursor position
`$ZED_SELECTED_TEXT`	Current selection
`$ZED_SYMBOL`	Symbol under cursor
`$ZED_LANGUAGE`	Language of current buffer
`$ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT`	Project root
`$ZED_MAIN_GIT_WORKTREE`	Main git worktree root

Run: task: spawn (task picker), task: rerun (repeat last).

Git-tagged tasks

Tasks with "tags": ["git-command"] appear in Git Graph context menus:

json

{

"label": "Checkout commit",

"command": "git checkout $ZED_GIT_SHA",

"tags": ["git-command"]

}

Hooks

json

{

"label": "Copy .env to worktree",

"command": "cp",

"args": ["$ZED_MAIN_GIT_WORKTREE/.env", "$ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT/.env"],

"hooks": ["create_worktree"],

"reveal": "no_focus",

"hide": "on_success"

}

Debugger

Implements the Debug Adapter Protocol (DAP). Supports: C/C++, Go, JavaScript/TypeScript, PHP, Python, Rust (built-in) + Java, Ruby, Swift (via extensions).

Create .zed/debug.json (or loads .vscode/launch.json as fallback):

json

[

{

"adapter": "CodeLLDB",

"label": "Debug binary",

"request": "launch",

"program": "${ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT}/target/debug/myapp",

"cwd": "$ZED_WORKTREE_ROOT"

}

]

Start: F4 to open process modal, debugger: start.

Settings:

json

{

"debugger": {

"dock": "bottom",

"stepping_granularity": "line",

"save_breakpoints": true,

"inlay_hints": { "show_value_hints": true }

}

Git

• Gutter — colored bars for added/modified/deleted lines

• Inline blame — author/commit on current line (editor: toggle git blame inline)

• Diff view — split or unified, editable as multibuffers

• Git panel — stage files, write commit message, push/pull

• AI commit messages — git: generate commit message

Multi-buffer

Search results, diagnostics, and references all open as multi-buffers — excerpts from many files in one view. Edit directly; changes propagate to source files immediately. Save all with the workspace save command.

Open source file from an excerpt: click the divider, or editor: open excerpts.

Extensions

Install via command palette: zed: extensions. Adds language support, themes, debugger adapters, and MCP servers.

Rust, Python, JavaScript/TypeScript, Go, C/C++, JSON, Markdown are built-in — no extension needed.

Language Support

Extension	Adds
`nix`	Nix syntax + nixd/nil LSP
`toml`	TOML syntax + taplo LSP
`html`	HTML + Emmet
`vue`	Vue SFCs
`svelte`	Svelte
`astro`	Astro
`lua`	Lua + lua-language-server
`xml`	XML
`c-sharp`	C# via Roslyn LSP
`java`	Java via jdtls
`kotlin`	Kotlin
`php`	PHP via Intelephense
`ruby`	Ruby via Solargraph
`elixir`	Elixir via ElixirLS
`swift`	Swift
`dart`	Dart + Flutter
`zig`	Zig via ZLS
`terraform`	Terraform/HCL
`prisma`	Prisma schema
`latex`	LaTeX via texlab
`sql`	SQL syntax
`dockerfile`	Dockerfile
`scss`	SCSS/SASS
`make`	Makefile
`log`	Log file highlighting

Themes

Extension	Style
`catppuccin`	Soothing pastel — Latte, Frappé, Macchiato, Mocha
`tokyo-night`	Tokyo Night / Tokyo Storm / Tokyo Moon
`one-dark-pro`	Atom-style One Dark
`github-theme`	GitHub Light/Dark
`dracula`	Official Dracula
`nightfox-themes`	Neovim Nightfox ports
`rose-pine`	Rosé Pine
`gruvbox`	Gruvbox dark/light variants

Icon Themes

Extension	Style
`catppuccin-icons`	Catppuccin-colored file icons
`material-icon-theme`	Material Design icons

Enable file icons in tabs:

json

{ "tabs": { "file_icons": true } }

Tools

Extension	What it does
`git-firefly`	Git syntax highlighting (diff, commit messages)
`emmet`	Emmet abbreviation expansion for HTML/CSS
`opencode`	Open-source AI coding agent integration

Debugger Extensions

Java, Ruby, and Swift debugger adapters are extension-provided (built-in adapters cover C/C++, Go, JS/TS, Python, Rust).

MCP Extensions

Popular MCP servers installable as extensions: GitHub, Puppeteer, Brave Search, Figma. Browse with the MCP filter on the extensions page.

Collaboration

Real-time collaborative editing via Channels. Multiple users edit the same buffer simultaneously (Google Docs-style). Start from collab: join channel or share a channel link.