Migrate to Warp from VS Code terminal

Warp lets VS Code users choose their own path: keep VS Code for editing and run Warp as the terminal alongside it, or replace both with Warp’s built-in code editor. This page walks through reconfiguring your terminal settings for either path.

What transfers automatically

Warp doesn’t ship a VS Code importer — it’s a standalone application, not a VS Code extension — but it can do most of the work for you agentically. Your VS Code terminal settings live in your user settings.json under keys like:

"terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.osx": "zsh",
"terminal.integrated.fontFamily": "MesloLGS NF",
"terminal.integrated.fontSize": 14,
"terminal.integrated.cursorStyle": "line",
"terminal.integrated.profiles.osx": { ... }

Use Warp’s agent to migrate your settings (recommended)

The fastest way to bring over your VS Code terminal setup is to ask Warp’s agent to translate settings.json directly. Warp ships a settings.toml file and a bundled modify-settings skill that lets the agent read your existing config and write equivalent values into Warp’s settings.

1. In Warp, open a new tab and switch to Agent Mode with ⌘+I (macOS) or Ctrl+I (Linux/Windows).

2. Paste a prompt like:

   Read my VS Code settings.json (~/Library/Application Support/Code/User/settings.json on macOS) and port the equivalent terminal settings (terminal.integrated.* keys) 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.

If you’d rather configure each setting manually through the Settings UI, the steps below cover the most common cases.

What to reconfigure manually

Shell

Warp auto-detects your login shell. To override - for example, to match terminal.integrated.defaultProfile.* - go to Settings > Features > Session and pick a shell from Startup shell for new sessions.

Font and cursor

In Warp’s Settings > Appearance > Text, fonts, & cursor, set the font family and size to match terminal.integrated.fontFamily and terminal.integrated.fontSize.

Theme

VS Code’s terminal uses the color scheme from your overall editor theme. In Warp, pick a comparable theme from Settings > Appearance > Themes, or create a custom theme that matches your VS Code theme’s terminal.* color tokens.

Keybindings

Warp’s default keyboard shortcuts are largely consistent with VS Code terminal shortcuts (splits, new tab, find). For any custom bindings you configured in VS Code, add them in Warp’s Settings > Keyboard shortcuts.

Choosing your setup

Use Warp alongside VS Code

Many developers keep VS Code as their editor and use Warp as the terminal they switch to for long-running commands, SSH sessions, or AI-assisted workflows. No changes to VS Code needed - just install Warp and open it when you want a richer terminal.

VS Code’s integrated terminal still works; use it for quick one-off commands, and jump to Warp when you need blocks, Agent Mode, or persistent sessions.

Replace VS Code with Warp

Warp includes a built-in code editor with Language Server Protocol (LSP) support, a file tree, find and replace, and Vim keybindings. Combined with Code Review, many developers use Warp as their primary editor and drop VS Code entirely.

Open a directory with warp . from the command line to start editing.

Warp-native equivalents

VS Code terminal features and their Warp equivalents:

From VS Code terminal	In Warp
Split terminal	Split panes
Multiple terminals (tab strip)	Tabs, vertical tabs
Tasks (tasks.json)	YAML workflows or tab configs
Terminal profiles	Tab configs + per-session shell overrides
Shell integration	Built in via Warpify; enables working-directory tracking and command-level blocks

For an overview of what Warp adds beyond a terminal, see Coding in Warp.