Interface Overview

The Zed Interface Philosophy

Zed's interface was designed around a few core principles:

• Minimalism: Reduce visual noise to focus on your code
• Performance: GPU-accelerated rendering for smooth experiences
• Keyboard-driven: Efficient workflows without leaving the keyboard
• Discoverability: Features are accessible through the Command Palette and searchable settings
• Agentic when you need it: AI panels stay available without forcing a cluttered default layout

The result is a clean workspace that stays out of your way while providing powerful features when needed.

Workspace Overview

The Zed workspace consists of several key components:

1. Project Panel

   Usually on the left, the Project Panel shows your project's file tree. Toggle it with the shortcuts below.

   Action	macOS	Linux/Windows
   Toggle Project Panel	⌘ShiftE	CtrlShiftE

2. Editor Area

   The central area where you edit code. Zed supports multiple panes arranged in splits so you can view files side by side.

   Split and pane commands can vary by keybinding set. Prefer the Command Palette (⌘ShiftP / CtrlShiftP and search for pane: split when you need a reliable cross-platform action.

3. Command Palette

   The Command Palette is the primary way to discover and run Zed features beyond basic editing. Use quick open for files and the palette for commands.

   Action	macOS	Linux/Windows
   Quick open file	⌘P	CtrlP
   Command Palette	⌘ShiftP	CtrlShiftP

4. Status Bar

   At the bottom of the window, the Status Bar shows language, cursor position, Git branch, diagnostics, collaboration status, and quick entry points to related panels.

5. Terminal Panel

   Toggle the integrated terminal without leaving Zed:

   Action	macOS	Linux/Windows
   Toggle terminal	Ctrl`	Ctrl`

Agent Panel and Agentic Layout

Zed's AI surface is centered on the Agent Panel, where you run longer coding tasks, review tool use, and continue conversations over time.

Threads Sidebar

The Threads Sidebar keeps prior agent conversations organized so you can resume work, compare approaches, or switch between task threads without losing context.

Panel Layout: Agentic vs Classic

• Agentic layout: Emphasizes the Agent Panel and related AI UI alongside your editor — useful for agent-driven changes
• Classic layout: Feels closer to a traditional IDE: project panel, editor, terminal, and collaboration panels front and center

Navigation Components

Project Panel

The Project Panel helps you navigate files and folders:

• Expanding/Collapsing: Click folders or use arrow keys
• Opening Files: Click a file to open it in the editor
• Context Menu: Right-click for create, rename, delete, and related actions
• File Operations: Create, rename, or delete files and folders

Outline Panel

The Outline Panel shows symbols in the current file (functions, classes, methods) for quick jumps.

Git Panel

Open the Git Panel from the status bar (branch / Git indicator) to review changes, stage files, and run common Git actions without leaving the editor. See the Git Integration tutorial for details.

Collaboration Panel

Manage channels, contacts, and shared projects from the Collaboration Panel:

Tabs and Editor Groups

Zed organizes open files in tabs within editor groups:

• Tabs: Each open file appears as a tab at the top of an editor group
• Editor Groups: Split panes that can contain their own set of tabs
• Tab Navigation: Cycle tabs with the shortcuts below

Command Bar and Palette

The Command Palette family is one of Zed's most powerful interface elements:

File Search

Open the fuzzy file finder:

• Type part of a filename to find it quickly
• Use arrow keys to navigate results
• Press Enter to open the selected file

Command Palette

Open the Command Palette to access commands and see their shortcuts:

Symbol Search

Jump to symbols in the current file:

• Quickly jump to functions, classes, and methods
• See symbol hierarchy and structure

Status Bar Information

The Status Bar provides contextual information about your current state:

• File Information: File type and encoding
• Position: Current line and column numbers
• Git Status: Current branch and change indicators — click to open the Git Panel
• Collaboration: Connected collaborators and channel status
• Language Server: Diagnostics and language server health

Notifications and Dialogs

Zed uses several types of notifications to communicate with you:

Toast Notifications

Brief messages that appear in the corner of the screen to provide temporary feedback.

Dialogs

Modal windows that require your attention or input before continuing.

Status Messages

Persistent messages that appear in the status bar for ongoing processes.

View Management

Customize your workspace view in several ways:

Splits and Panes

Create multiple editor panes to view different files side by side. Because default split bindings can differ across platforms and keymaps, use the Command Palette:

1. Open the Command Palette
2. Search for pane: split right, pane: split down, or related split commands
3. Select the command to create the split

Zen Mode

Enter distraction-free editing with Zen Mode:

• Open the Command Palette and search for Zen Mode
• Hides UI chrome for focused editing
• Toggle panels as needed without fully abandoning the focused layout

Theme and Appearance

Zed includes built-in themes and appearance options, with more available via Extensions.

Changing Themes

Use the theme picker chord:

You can also open the Command Palette and search for theme.

UI Scaling

Adjust UI and buffer fonts in Settings:

Settings Editor and settings.json

Zed's Settings Editor is a searchable UI over the same JSON configuration the editor reads on disk. Use the UI for discovery, then drop into JSON when you want precise control.

• macOS / Linux user settings: ~/.config/zed/settings.json
• Windows user settings: %APPDATA%\Zed\settings.json
• Project settings: .zed/settings.json in the project root

What's Next?

Now that you're familiar with Zed's interface, continue to Editing Basics to learn selection, multi-cursor editing, AI-assisted edits, and formatting workflows.