How to Set Default Profile in Windows Terminal

Customizing your Windows Terminal to open with your preferred profile can significantly enhance your productivity and streamline your workflow. Whether you prefer PowerShell, Command Prompt, or a WSL distribution, setting a default profile ensures that every time you launch Windows Terminal, it opens exactly how you want it without manual selection. This guide walks you through the simple steps to set your default profile, along with tips, common mistakes, troubleshooting advice, and answers to frequently asked questions to help you master Windows Terminal customization.

What You’ll Need

• A Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC with Windows Terminal installed
• Basic familiarity with editing JSON files (not mandatory but helpful)

Step-by-Step

1. Open Windows Terminal. You can do this by pressing the Windows key, typing “Windows Terminal,” and hitting Enter.
2. Access the settings menu by clicking the downward arrow next to the plus (+) tab or by pressing Ctrl + ,.
3. This opens the Settings UI in newer versions or opens a JSON file in older versions. If it opens as a JSON file, skip to step 5. Otherwise, proceed to step 4.
4. If the Settings open in the UI, look for the option labeled “Profiles” or similar. Here, you can set the default profile directly via a dropdown menu or a dedicated button, depending on your Windows Terminal version.
5. If your Windows Terminal opens the settings as a JSON file, locate the profiles section. Find the list array that contains all your profiles.
6. Identify the profile you want to set as default. Each profile has a name and a guid. You can find the GUID by looking at the guid property within each profile object.
7. Once identified, copy the guid of your preferred profile.
8. Scroll to the top of the JSON file and locate the defaultProfile setting. It should look like:
   

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   How to Set Default Profile in Windows Terminal