+* Linux and Mac: `~/.config/helix/config.toml`

+* Windows: `%AppData%\helix\config.toml`

+> Hint: You can easily open the config file by typing `:config-open` within Helix normal mode.

+## Editor

+### `[editor]` Section

+| Key | Description | Default |

+|--|--|---------|

+| `scrolloff` | Number of lines of padding around the edge of the screen when scrolling. | `3` |

+| `mouse` | Enable mouse mode. | `true` |

+| `middle-click-paste` | Middle click paste support. | `true` |

+| `scroll-lines` | Number of lines to scroll per scroll wheel step. | `3` |

+| `shell` | Shell to use when running external commands. | Unix: `["sh", "-c"]`<br/>Windows: `["cmd", "/C"]` |

+| `line-number` | Line number display: `absolute` simply shows each line's number, while `relative` shows the distance from the current line. When unfocused or in insert mode, `relative` will still show absolute line numbers. | `absolute` |

+| `gutters` | Gutters to display: Available are `diagnostics` and `line-numbers`, note that `diagnostics` also includes other features like breakpoints | `["diagnostics", "line-numbers"]` |

+| `auto-completion` | Enable automatic pop up of auto-completion. | `true` |

+| `idle-timeout` | Time in milliseconds since last keypress before idle timers trigger. Used for autocompletion, set to 0 for instant. | `400` |

+| `completion-trigger-len` | The min-length of word under cursor to trigger autocompletion | `2` |

+| `auto-info` | Whether to display infoboxes | `true` |

+| `true-color` | Set to `true` to override automatic detection of terminal truecolor support in the event of a false negative. | `false` |

+| `rulers` | List of column positions at which to display the rulers. Can be overridden by language specific `rulers` in `languages.toml` file. | `[]` |

+

+### `[editor.lsp]` Section

+

+| Key | Description | Default |

+| --- | ----------- | ------- |

+| `display-messages` | Display LSP progress messages below statusline[^1] | `false` |

+

+[^1]: A progress spinner is always shown in the statusline beside the file path.

+

+### `[editor.cursor-shape]` Section

+

+Defines the shape of cursor in each mode. Note that due to limitations

+of the terminal environment, only the primary cursor can change shape.

+Valid values for these options are `block`, `bar`, `underline`, or `none`.

+

+| Key | Description | Default |

+| --- | ----------- | ------- |

+| `normal` | Cursor shape in [normal mode][normal mode] | `block` |

+| `insert` | Cursor shape in [insert mode][insert mode] | `block` |

+| `select` | Cursor shape in [select mode][select mode] | `block` |

+

+[normal mode]: ./keymap.md#normal-mode

+[insert mode]: ./keymap.md#insert-mode

+[select mode]: ./keymap.md#select--extend-mode

+

+### `[editor.file-picker]` Section

+

+Sets options for file picker and global search. All but the last key listed in

+the default file-picker configuration below are IgnoreOptions: whether hidden

+files and files listed within ignore files are ignored by (not visible in) the

+helix file picker and global search. There is also one other key, `max-depth`

+available, which is not defined by default.

+

+| Key | Description | Default |

+|--|--|---------|

+|`hidden` | Enables ignoring hidden files. | true

+|`parents` | Enables reading ignore files from parent directories. | true

+|`ignore` | Enables reading `.ignore` files. | true

+|`git-ignore` | Enables reading `.gitignore` files. | true

+|`git-global` | Enables reading global .gitignore, whose path is specified in git's config: `core.excludefile` option. | true

+|`git-exclude` | Enables reading `.git/info/exclude` files. | true

+|`max-depth` | Set with an integer value for maximum depth to recurse. | Defaults to `None`.

+

+### `[editor.auto-pairs]` Section

+

+Enable automatic insertion of pairs to parentheses, brackets, etc. Can be

+a simple boolean value, or a specific mapping of pairs of single characters.

+

+| Key | Description |

+| --- | ----------- |

+| `false` | Completely disable auto pairing, regardless of language-specific settings

+| `true` | Use the default pairs: <code>(){}[]''""``</code>

+| Mapping of pairs | e.g. `{ "(" = ")", "{" = "}", ... }`

+

+Example

+

+```toml

+[editor.auto-pairs]

+'(' = ')'

+'{' = '}'

+'[' = ']'

+'"' = '"'

+'`' = '`'

+'<' = '>'

+```

+

+Additionally, this setting can be used in a language config. Unless

+the editor setting is `false`, this will override the editor config in

+documents with this language.

+

+Example `languages.toml` that adds <> and removes ''

+

+```toml

+[[language]]

+name = "rust"

+

+[language.auto-pairs]

+'(' = ')'

+'{' = '}'

+'[' = ']'

+'"' = '"'

+'`' = '`'

+'<' = '>'

+```

+

+### `[editor.search]` Section

+

+Search specific options.

+

+| Key | Description | Default |

+|--|--|---------|

+| `smart-case` | Enable smart case regex searching (case insensitive unless pattern contains upper case characters) | `true` |

+| `wrap-around`| Whether the search should wrap after depleting the matches | `true` |

+

+### `[editor.whitespace]` Section

+

+Options for rendering whitespace with visible characters. Use `:set whitespace.render all` to temporarily enable visible whitespace.

+

+| Key | Description | Default |

+|-----|-------------|---------|

+| `render` | Whether to render whitespace. May either be `"all"` or `"none"`, or a table with sub-keys `space`, `tab`, and `newline`. | `"none"` |

+| `characters` | Literal characters to use when rendering whitespace. Sub-keys may be any of `tab`, `space`, `nbsp` or `newline` | See example below |

+

+Example

+

+```toml

+[editor.whitespace]

+render = "all"

+# or control each character

+[editor.whitespace.render]

+space = "all"

+tab = "all"

+newline = "none"

+

+[editor.whitespace.characters]

+space = "·"

+nbsp = "⍽"

+tab = "→"

+newline = "⏎"

+```