powerlevel10k/docs/source/includes/features.md

Features

Configuration Wizard

p10k configure

Type p10k configure to access the builtin configuration wizard right from your terminal.

All styles except Pure are functionally equivalent. They display the same information and differ only in presentation.

Configuration wizard creates ~/.p10k.zsh based on your preferences. Additional prompt customization can be done by editing this file. It has plenty of comments to help you navigate through configuration options.

Tip: Install the recommended font before running p10k configure to unlock all prompt styles.

FAQ:

• What is the best prompt style in the configuration wizard?
• What do different symbols in Git status mean?
• How do I change prompt colors?

Troubleshooting:

• Some prompt styles are missing from the configuration wizard.
• Question mark in prompt.
• Icons, glyphs or powerline symbols don't render.
• Sub-pixel imperfections around powerline symbols.
• Directory is difficult to see in prompt when using Rainbow style.

Uncomprising Performance

When you hit ENTER, the next prompt appears instantly. With Powerlevel10k there is no prompt lag. If you install Cygwin on Raspberry Pi, cd into a Linux Git repository and activate enough prompt segments to fill four prompt lines on both sides of the screen... wait, that's just crazy and no one ever does that. Probably impossible, too. The point is, Powerlevel10k prompt is always fast, no matter what you do!

Note how the effect of every command is instantly reflected by the very next prompt.

timew start hack linux

touch x y

rm COPYING

echo 3.7.3 >.python-version

Command	Prompt Indicator	Meaning
timew start hack linux	🛡️ hack linux	time tracking enabled in timewarrior
touch x y	?2	2 untracked files in the Git repo
rm COPYING	!1	1 unstaged change in the Git repo
echo 3.7.3 >.python-version	🐍 3.7.3	the current python version in pyenv

Other Zsh themes capable of displaying the same information either produce prompt lag or print prompt that doesn't reflect the current state of the system and then refresh it later. With Powerlevel10k you get fast prompt and up-to-date information.

FAQ: Is it really fast?

Powerlevel9k compatibility

Powerlevel10k understands all Powerlevel9k configuration parameters.

Migration from Powerlevel9k to Powerlevel10k is a straightforward process. All your POWERLEVEL9K configuration parameters will still work. Prompt will look the same as before (almost) but it will be much faster (certainly).

FAQ:

• I'm using Powerlevel9k with Oh My Zsh. How do I migrate?
• Does Powerlevel10k always render exactly the same prompt as Powerlevel9k given the same config?
• What is the relationship between Powerlevel9k and Powerlevel10k?

Pure compatibility

Powerlevel10k can produce the same prompt as Pure. Type p10k configure and select Pure style.

You can still use Powerlevel10k features such as transient prompt or instant prompt when sporting Pure style.

To customize prompt, edit ~/.p10k.zsh. Powerlevel10k doesn't recognize Pure configuration parameters, so you'll need to use POWERLEVEL9K_COMMAND_EXECUTION_TIME_THRESHOLD=3 instead of PURE_CMD_MAX_EXEC_TIME=3, etc. All relevant parameters are in ~/.p10k.zsh. This file has plenty of comments to help you navigate through it.

FAQ: What is the best prompt style in the configuration wizard?

Instant prompt

If your ~/.zshrc loads many plugins, or perhaps just a few slow ones (for example, pyenv or nvm), you may have noticed that it takes some time for Zsh to start.

Powerlevel10k can remove Zsh startup lag even if it's not caused by a theme.

This feature is called Instant Prompt. You need to explicitly enable it through p10k configure or manually. It does what it says on the tin -- prints prompt instantly upon Zsh startup allowing you to start typing while plugins are still loading.

Other themes increase Zsh startup lag -- some by a lot, others by a just a little. Powerlevel10k removes it outright.

FAQ: How do I enable instant prompt?

Show on command

The behavior of some commands depends on global environment. For example, kubectl run ... runs an image on the cluster defined by the current kubernetes context. If you frequently change context between "prod" and "testing", you might want to display the current context in Zsh prompt. If you do likewise for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud credentials, prompt will get pretty crowded.

Enter Show On Command. This feature makes prompt segments appear only when they are relevant to the command you are currently typing.

# Show prompt segment "kubecontext" only when the command you are typing
# invokes kubectl, helm, kubens, kubectx, oc, istioctl, kogito, k9s or helmfile.
typeset -g POWERLEVEL9K_KUBECONTEXT_SHOW_ON_COMMAND='kubectl|helm|kubens|kubectx|oc|istioctl|kogito|k9s|helmfile'

Configs created by p10k configure enable show on command for several prompt segments by default. Here's the relevant parameter for kubernetes context:

To customize when different prompt segments are shown, open ~/.p10k.zsh, search for SHOW_ON_COMMAND and either remove these parameters to display affected segments unconditionally, or change their values.

Transient prompt

When Transient Prompt is enabled through p10k configure, Powerlevel10k will trim down every prompt when accepting a command line.

Transient prompt makes it much easier to copy-paste series of commands from the terminal scrollback.

Tip: If you enable transient prompt, take advantage of two-line prompt. You'll get the benefit of extra space for typing commands without the usual drawback of reduced scrollback density. Sparse prompt (with an empty line before prompt) also works great in combination with transient prompt.

Current directory that just works

The current working directory is perhaps the most important prompt segment. Powerlevel10k goes to great length to highlight its important parts and to truncate it with the least loss of information when horizontal space gets scarce.

When the full directory doesn't fit, the leftmost segment gets truncated to its shortest unique prefix. In the screencast, ~/work becomes ~/wo. It couldn't be truncated to ~/w because it would be ambiguous (there was ~/wireguard when the session was recorded). The next segment -- projects -- turns into p as there was nothing else that started with p in ~/work/.

Directory segments are shown in one of three colors:

• Truncated segments are bleak.
• Important segments are bright and never truncated. These include the first and the last segment, roots of Git repositories, etc.
• Regular segments (not truncated but can be) use in-between color.

Tip: If you copy-paste a truncated directory and hit TAB, it'll complete to the original.

Troubleshooting: Directory is difficult to see in prompt when using Rainbow style.

Extremely customizable

Powerlevel10k can be configured to look like any other Zsh theme out there.

Pure, Powerlevel9k and robbyrussell emulations are built-in. To emulate the appearance of other themes, you'll need to write a suitable configuration file. The best way to go about it is to run p10k configure, select the style that is the closest to your goal and then edit ~/.p10k.zsh.

The full range of Powerlevel10k appearance spans from spartan:

To ridiculous extravagant:

Batteries included

Powerlevel10k comes with dozens of built-in high quality segments. When you run p10k configure and choose any style except Pure, many of these segments get enabled by default while others be manually enabled by opening ~/.p10k.zsh and uncommenting them. You can enable as many segments as you like. It won't slow down your prompt or Zsh startup.

Segment	Meaning
os_icon	your OS logo (apple for macOS, swirl for debian, etc.)
dir	current working directory
vcs	Git repository status
prompt_char	multi-functional prompt symbol; changes depending on vi mode: ❯, ❮, V, ▶ for insert, command, visual and replace mode respectively; turns red on error
context	user@hostname
status	exit code of the last command
command_execution_time	duration (wall time) of the last command
background_jobs	presence of background jobs
time	current time
direnv	direnv status
asdf	tool versions from asdf
virtualenv	python environment from venv
anaconda	virtual environment from conda
pyenv	python environment from pyenv
goenv	go environment from goenv
nodenv	node.js environment from nodenv
nvm	node.js environment from nvm
nodeenv	node.js environment from nodeenv
rbenv	ruby environment from rbenv
rvm	ruby environment from rvm
fvm	flutter environment from fvm
luaenv	lua environment from luaenv
jenv	java environment from jenv
plenv	perl environment from plenv
phpenv	php environment from phpenv
haskell_stack	haskell version from stack
node_version	node.js version
go_version	go version
rust_version	rustc version
dotnet_version	dotnet version
php_version	php version
laravel_version	laravel php framework version
java_version	java version
package	name@version from package.json
kubecontext	current kubernetes context
terraform	terraform workspace
aws	aws profile
aws_eb_env	aws elastic beanstalk environment
azure	azure account name
gcloud	google cloud cli account and project
google_app_cred	google application credentials
nordvpn	nordvpn connection status
ranger	ranger shell
nnn	nnn shell
vim_shell	vim shell (:sh)
midnight_commander	midnight commander shell
nix_shell	nix shell indicator
todo	todo items
timewarrior	timewarrior tracking status
taskwarrior	taskwarrior task count
vpn_ip	virtual private network indicator
ip	IP address and bandwidth usage for a specified network interface
load	CPU load
disk_usage	disk usage
ram	free RAM
swap	used swap
public_ip	public IP address
proxy	system-wide http/https/ftp proxy
wifi	WiFi speed
battery	internal battery state and charge level (yep, batteries literally included)

Extensible

If there is no prompt segment that does what you need, implement your own. Powerlevel10k provides public API for defining segments that are as fast and as flexible as built-in ones.

On Linux you can fetch current CPU temperature by reading /sys/class/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp. The screencast shows how to define a prompt segment to display this value. Once the segment is defined, you can use it like any other segment. All standard customization parameters will work for it out of the box.

Type p10k help segment for reference.

Tip: Prefix names of your own segments with my_ to avoid clashes with future versions of Powerlevel10k.