Lazygit Config

name: lazygit-config description: Configure lazygit TUI including config.yml setup, custom pagers (especially delta integration), themes, keybindings, and custom commands. Use when setting up lazygit, configuring git diff viewers, integrating delta, or customizing lazygit behavior. Keywords: lazygit, delta, git diff, pager, lazygit config, config.yml, git TUI, diff viewer

Lazygit Configuration Expert

Expert guidance for configuring lazygit with delta integration, custom pagers, themes, and keybindings.

Core Concepts

Lazygit is a terminal UI for git that prioritizes:

• Minimal configuration: Only override what you need
• YAML-based config: Clean, hierarchical settings
• Custom pagers: Enhanced diff viewing with tools like delta
• Keybinding flexibility: Adapt to any layout (Vim, Emacs, Colemak)
• Repository-specific configs: Override settings per repo

Configuration File Locations

Platform-Specific Paths

Standard locations (current):

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/lazygit/config.yml
• Linux: ~/.config/lazygit/config.yml
• Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\lazygit\config.yml

Legacy locations (older installs):

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/jesseduffield/lazygit/config.yml
• Linux: ~/.config/jesseduffield/lazygit/config.yml
• Windows: %APPDATA%\jesseduffield\lazygit\config.yml

Repository-Specific Configs

Project-level overrides:

• .lazygit.yml in any parent directory (applies to child repos)
• <repo>/.git/lazygit.yml (repo-specific only)

Precedence: Repo configs override global configs

Quick Access

Press e in lazygit's Status panel to edit config directly.

Configuration Structure

Lazygit config uses YAML organized into major sections:

# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/master/schema/config.json

gui:
  # Visual appearance, themes, UI elements

git:
  # Git behavior, pagers, diffing, merging

os:
  # External commands (editor, opener, clipboard)

keybinding:
  # Universal and context-specific key mappings

customCommands:
  # User-defined git commands and workflows

Best practice: Only include settings you want to change from defaults.

Delta Integration (Recommended)

Delta is a syntax-highlighting pager that dramatically improves diff readability.

Quick Setup

1. Install delta:

# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install git-delta

# Nix
nix profile install nixpkgs#delta

# Add to your flake.nix
packages = [ pkgs.delta ];

2. Configure lazygit:

Add to config.yml:

git:
  paging:
    colorArg: always
    pager: delta --dark --paging=never

3. Configure delta in ~/.gitconfig:

[core]
    pager = delta

[interactive]
    diffFilter = delta --color-only

[delta]
    navigate = true
    line-numbers = true
    side-by-side = false
    syntax-theme = Monokai Extended

Advanced Delta Setup

Multiple pagers (cycle with | key):

git:
  paging:
    colorArg: always
    pager: delta --dark --paging=never --line-numbers
  pagers:
    - pager: delta --dark --paging=never --line-numbers
    - pager: delta --dark --paging=never --side-by-side
    - pager: diff-so-fancy

Delta with hyperlinks (clickable line numbers):

git:
  paging:
    pager: delta --dark --paging=never --line-numbers --hyperlinks --hyperlinks-file-link-format="lazygit-edit://{path}:{line}"

External diff tool (difftastic, difft):

git:
  pagers:
    - pager: delta --dark --paging=never
    - externalDiffCommand: difft --color=always

Delta Configuration

Delta is configured via ~/.gitconfig, not lazygit's config.yml.

Basic Delta Settings

[delta]
    # Enable features
    navigate = true           # n/N to jump between files
    line-numbers = true       # Show line numbers
    hyperlinks = true         # Clickable file paths

    # Appearance
    dark = true              # Dark mode (or light = true)
    syntax-theme = Monokai Extended

    # Layout
    side-by-side = false     # Unified diff (true for split view)

    # Decorations
    file-style = bold yellow
    file-decoration-style = yellow ul
    hunk-header-style = file line-number syntax

Popular Delta Themes

Available themes (check with delta --list-syntax-themes):

• Dark: Monokai Extended, Nord, OneHalfDark, Dracula
• Light: GitHub, OneHalfLight, Solarized (light)

Set theme:

[delta]
    syntax-theme = Nord

Delta Features (Presets)

Delta supports feature presets:

[delta]
    features = decorations navigate

[delta "decorations"]
    file-style = bold yellow ul
    file-decoration-style = none
    hunk-header-decoration-style = blue box

[delta "navigate"]
    navigate = true

Side-by-Side Mode

[delta]
    side-by-side = true
    line-numbers-left-format = ""
    line-numbers-right-format = "│ "

Common Lazygit Configurations

Git Settings

git:
  # Paging (covered above)
  paging:
    colorArg: always
    pager: delta --dark --paging=never

  # Main branches
  mainBranches:
    - master
    - main

  # Auto-refresh
  autoFetch: true
  autoRefresh: true
  fetchInterval: 60  # seconds

  # Commit behavior
  commit:
    signOff: false
    autoWrapCommitMessage: true
    autoWrapWidth: 72

  # Merging
  merging:
    manualCommit: false
    args: ""

  # Log
  log:
    order: topo-order  # or date-order
    showGraph: always
    showWholeGraph: false

  # Diffing
  diff:
    pager: ""  # Uses git.paging.pager if empty

GUI Settings

gui:
  # Theme
  theme:
    activeBorderColor:
      - green
      - bold
    inactiveBorderColor:
      - default
    selectedLineBgColor:
      - blue
    selectedRangeBgColor:
      - blue

  # Window management
  windowSize: normal  # normal, half, full
  sidePanelWidth: 0.3333
  expandFocusedSidePanel: false
  mainPanelSplitMode: flexible  # flexible or horizontal

  # Display
  showFileTree: true
  showListFooter: true
  showRandomTip: false
  showCommandLog: true
  showBottomLine: true
  showBranchCommitHash: false

  # Scroll behavior
  scrollHeight: 2
  scrollPastBottom: true
  scrollOffMargin: 2
  scrollOffBehavior: margin  # margin or jump

  # Mouse support
  mouse: true

  # Commit length
  commitLength:
    show: true

  # Skip hooks
  skipDiscardChangeWarning: false
  skipStashWarning: false
  skipNoStagedFilesWarning: false
  skipRewordInEditorWarning: false

OS Settings

os:
  # Editor (uses $GIT_EDITOR, $VISUAL, $EDITOR in that order if not set)
  edit: "nvim {{filename}}"
  editAtLine: "nvim +{{line}} {{filename}}"
  editAtLineAndWait: "nvim +{{line}} {{filename}}"

  # Open command
  open: "open {{filename}}"
  openLink: "open {{link}}"

  # Clipboard
  copyToClipboardCmd: ""  # Auto-detected if empty

Keybindings

Universal keybindings:

keybinding:
  universal:
    quit: 'q'
    quit-alt1: '<c-c>'
    return: '<esc>'
    quitWithoutChangingDirectory: 'Q'
    togglePanel: '<tab>'
    prevItem: '<up>'
    nextItem: '<down>'
    prevItem-alt: 'k'
    nextItem-alt: 'j'
    prevPage: ','
    nextPage: '.'
    scrollLeft: 'H'
    scrollRight: 'L'
    gotoTop: '<'
    gotoBottom: '>'
    prevBlock: '<left>'
    nextBlock: '<right>'
    prevBlock-alt: 'h'
    nextBlock-alt: 'l'
    nextMatch: 'n'
    prevMatch: 'N'
    startSearch: '/'
    optionMenu: 'x'
    optionMenu-alt1: '?'
    select: '<space>'
    goInto: '<enter>'
    remove: 'd'
    new: 'n'
    edit: 'e'
    openFile: 'o'
    scrollUpMain: '<pgup>'
    scrollDownMain: '<pgdown>'
    scrollUpMain-alt1: 'K'
    scrollDownMain-alt1: 'J'
    scrollUpMain-alt2: '<c-u>'
    scrollDownMain-alt2: '<c-d>'
    executeCustomCommand: ':'
    createRebaseOptionsMenu: 'm'
    pushFiles: 'P'
    pullFiles: 'p'
    refresh: 'R'
    createPatchOptionsMenu: '<c-p>'
    nextTab: ']'
    prevTab: '['
    nextScreenMode: '+'
    prevScreenMode: '_'
    undo: 'z'
    redo: '<c-z>'
    filteringMenu: '<c-s>'
    diffingMenu: 'W'
    diffingMenu-alt: '<c-e>'
    copyToClipboard: '<c-o>'

Context-specific keybindings:

keybinding:
  files:
    commitChanges: 'c'
    commitChangesWithoutHook: 'w'
    amendLastCommit: 'A'
    commitChangesWithEditor: 'C'
    findBaseCommitForFixup: '<c-f>'
    confirmDiscard: 'x'
    ignoreFile: 'i'
    refreshFiles: 'r'
    stashAllChanges: 's'
    viewStashOptions: 'S'
    toggleStagedAll: 'a'
    viewResetOptions: 'D'
    fetch: 'f'
    toggleTreeView: '`'
    openMergeTool: 'M'
    openStatusFilter: '<c-b>'

  branches:
    createPullRequest: 'o'
    viewPullRequestOptions: 'O'
    copyPullRequestURL: '<c-y>'
    checkoutBranchByName: 'c'
    forceCheckoutBranch: 'F'
    rebaseBranch: 'r'
    renameBranch: 'R'
    mergeIntoCurrentBranch: 'M'
    viewGitFlowOptions: 'i'
    fastForward: 'f'
    createTag: 'T'
    pushTag: 'P'
    setUpstream: 'u'
    fetchRemote: 'f'

Custom Commands

Add custom git workflows:

customCommands:
  - key: 'C'
    command: 'git cz'
    description: 'commit with commitizen'
    context: 'files'
    loadingText: 'opening commitizen commit tool'
    subprocess: true

  - key: 'p'
    command: 'git push --force-with-lease'
    description: 'push with lease'
    context: 'global'
    loadingText: 'pushing...'

  - key: 'T'
    prompts:
      - type: 'input'
        title: 'Tag name'
        key: 'TagName'
      - type: 'input'
        title: 'Tag message'
        key: 'TagMessage'
    command: 'git tag -a {{.Form.TagName}} -m "{{.Form.TagMessage}}"'
    description: 'Create annotated tag'
    context: 'commits'

Common Workflows

Setup Lazygit from Scratch

1. Check current config location:

# macOS
ls -la ~/Library/Application\ Support/lazygit/
# Linux
ls -la ~/.config/lazygit/

2. Create config file: Use Write tool to create config at appropriate path.

3. Install delta: Add to your flake.nix or install via package manager.

4. Configure delta in ~/.gitconfig: Use Edit tool to add delta settings.

5. Test:

lazygit
# Press 'e' in status panel to verify config
# Use '|' to cycle between pagers if multiple configured

Migrate Existing Config

1. Read current config:

# Find config location
lazygit --print-config-dir

# macOS example
cat ~/Library/Application\ Support/lazygit/config.yml

2. Add delta integration: Merge delta pager settings into existing config.

3. Backup before changes:

cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/lazygit/config.yml \
   ~/Library/Application\ Support/lazygit/config.yml.backup

Repository-Specific Overrides

Use case: Different pager for work vs personal repos

Create .lazygit.yml in parent directory:

# ~/Code/work/.lazygit.yml
git:
  paging:
    pager: delta --light --paging=never --side-by-side

All repos under ~/Code/work/ inherit these settings.

Troubleshooting

Delta Not Working

Check installation:

which delta
delta --version

Verify git config:

git config --global core.pager
git config --global interactive.diffFilter

Test delta directly:

git diff | delta

Check lazygit pager setting:

lazygit --print-config-dir
cat "$(lazygit --print-config-dir)/config.yml" | grep -A 5 paging

Colors Not Showing

Ensure colorArg: always:

git:
  paging:
    colorArg: always

Check terminal color support:

echo $TERM  # Should be xterm-256color or similar

Config Not Loading

Check file location:

lazygit --print-config-dir

Validate YAML syntax:

# Use yq or Python to validate
yq eval . config.yml
# or
python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('config.yml'))"

Check for schema errors: Add schema directive at top of config.yml:

# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/master/schema/config.json

IDE will highlight errors if schema is loaded.

Output Instructions

When helping with lazygit configuration:

1. Determine User's Platform

uname  # Darwin (macOS), Linux, Windows

Set correct config path based on platform.

2. Check Existing Config

lazygit --print-config-dir
# Read current config if it exists

Use Read tool to check existing settings before making changes.

3. Delta Integration Priority

• Always suggest delta as the default pager (best experience)
• Provide gitconfig delta setup alongside lazygit config
• Include side-by-side option for users who prefer it

4. Use Appropriate Tools

• Read: Check existing configs (lazygit and gitconfig)
• Write: Create new config files
• Edit: Modify existing configs (safer than overwriting)
• Bash: Test delta, verify installation, check config location

5. Provide Complete Configs

• Include schema directive for IDE support
• Only include changed settings (don't copy entire default config)
• Add comments explaining non-obvious settings
• Test configs are valid YAML

6. Consider Project Context

• Check if delta is in flake.nix packages
• Verify git is configured properly
• Respect existing editor settings (nvim, vim, etc.)
• Follow dotfiles structure (config/ directory, symlinks)

7. Validation Steps

After making config changes:

1. Validate YAML syntax
2. Test delta works standalone: git diff | delta
3. Launch lazygit and verify pager works
4. Test pager cycling with | if multiple pagers configured

Related Tools

Other pagers to consider:

• diff-so-fancy: Colorful diffs with good defaults
• difftastic: Structural diff tool (compares syntax trees)
• delta alternatives: bat (syntax highlighting), colordiff

Complementary tools:

• commitizen: Structured commit messages
• git-absorb: Automatic fixup commits
• git-branchless: Advanced rebasing workflows

Reference Documentation

• Lazygit config docs: https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/blob/master/docs/Config.md
• Custom pagers: https://github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/blob/master/docs/Custom_Pagers.md
• Delta configuration: https://dandavison.github.io/delta/configuration.html
• Delta GitHub: https://github.com/dandavison/delta