Migrate to Warp from iTerm2

Warp imports your iTerm2 profile automatically, bringing over theme, font, keybindings, hotkey window, and more in a few clicks. This page walks through the importer, what it covers, and what to reconfigure manually after.

What transfers automatically

Warp ships a built-in iTerm2 importer that reads your default profile from ~/Library/Preferences/com.googlecode.iterm2.plist. It imports:

• Theme - foreground, background, cursor, and all 16 ANSI colors (light and dark variants if configured).
• Font - family and size (when the font exists on your system and is supported by Warp).
• Default shell - if you’ve set a custom Command in your iTerm2 profile.
• Working directory behavior - Warp translates iTerm2’s “Reuse previous session’s directory” and similar options.
• Window dimensions - rows and columns.
• Opacity and blur.
• Copy-on-select, mouse and scroll reporting, and Option-as-Meta settings.
• Global hotkey - if you use a hotkey window or hotkey activation, Warp maps it.

To run the importer:

1. In Warp, open the Command Palette.
2. Search for Import External Settings.
3. Select iTerm2 Profile: Default. Warp only imports the profile marked as your Default Bookmark in iTerm2.
4. Choose which settings to keep or skip on the preview screen.

Select a settings profile to import.

Use Warp’s agent for follow-up settings

If the importer doesn’t pick up something you care about — a non-default profile, an unusual keybinding, a specific setting — ask Warp’s agent to translate it directly. Warp ships a settings.toml file and a bundled modify-settings skill that lets the agent read your iTerm2 plist and write equivalent values into Warp’s settings.

1. In Warp, switch to Agent Mode with ⌘+I.

2. Paste a prompt like:

   Read my iTerm2 preferences with defaults read com.googlecode.iterm2 and port any settings that the importer didn’t cover (extra profiles, custom keybindings) into my Warp settings.toml using the modify-settings skill. Show me a diff before applying.

3. Review the proposed diff and approve. Warp hot-reloads settings.toml.

What to reconfigure manually

A few iTerm2 features don’t map directly and need a manual pass after import:

• Multiple profiles. Warp imports only your Default profile. If you rely on multiple iTerm2 profiles, create equivalent tab configs in Warp.
• Keyboard shortcuts. Warp’s keyboard shortcuts cover most iTerm2 bindings out of the box, but custom bindings need to be recreated in Settings > Keyboard shortcuts.
• Split panes and arrangements. Rebuild using split panes and tab configs.
• Triggers. Warp doesn’t have a direct equivalent. Reach similar outcomes through YAML workflows or Agent Mode.

Choose your prompt

After the import, choose which prompt to use:

1. Warp prompt - Warp’s native prompt with drag-and-drop context chips for git branch, directory, timestamps, and more. Configure in Settings > Appearance > Prompt.
2. Shell prompt (PS1) - inherits your existing shell prompt configuration unchanged. Pick this if you want Warp to match your iTerm2 prompt exactly.

Warp-native equivalents

Features switchers commonly look for after leaving iTerm2, and where they live in Warp:

From iTerm2	In Warp
Hotkey window (Quake mode)	Global hotkey (imported automatically when detected in your iTerm2 profile)
Triggers	YAML workflows for repeatable actions; Agent Mode for pattern-based automation
Profiles	Tab configs for layouts; Warp Drive for shared team setups
Autocomplete menu	Autosuggestions + tab completions
Instant replay	Session restoration
Password manager integration	Warp Drive environment variables

For more on what you can configure after migrating, see the Warp quickstart and Customizing Warp.