Documentation

1 Getting Started

LazyTerminal is a modern terminal emulator built specifically for developers using AI coding assistants like Claude Code. It combines the power of a full terminal with productivity features designed to streamline your workflow.

Key Features

🚀

Explorer Integration

Launch terminals from any folder in Windows Explorer

📐

Split Panes

Run multiple terminals side-by-side

⚡

Snippets

Save and reuse commands with dynamic placeholders

📁

Project Layouts

Save and restore your workspace configurations

System Requirements

Windows 10 (1903+) or Windows 11

.NET 8.0 Runtime (included)

64-bit processor

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl+T`	New tab
`Ctrl+W`	Close current tab
`Ctrl+Tab`	Next tab
`Ctrl+Shift+Tab`	Previous tab
`Ctrl+Shift+N`	New window
`Ctrl+Shift+Arrow`	Navigate between split panes
`Ctrl+F`	Search terminal output
`Ctrl+Shift+R`	Toggle raw mode (for TUI apps)
`Ctrl+Click`	Open link or file path

2 Installation

Download & Install

Download

Get the installer from the Download page

Install

Run the MSI and follow the wizard

Launch

Opens automatically when done

No admin required! LazyTerminal installs to %LocalAppData%\LazyTerminal - a per-user location.

Data Storage

All your settings are stored in %LocalAppData%\LazyTerminal:

settings.json Window & config

snippets.json Saved snippets

custom_commands.json Explorer commands

shell_styles.json Appearance

3 Explorer Integration

Launch LazyTerminal directly from Windows Explorer's address bar. Type a command name and press Enter to open a terminal in that folder.

Built-in Shell Replacements

Enable these in Settings > General:

cmd

Command Prompt

powershell

PowerShell

bash

Git Bash

wsl

WSL / Ubuntu

How It Works

1 Open any folder in Windows Explorer

2 Click the address bar (or press Ctrl+L)

3 Type cmd, powershell, etc. and press Enter

✓ LazyTerminal opens with a terminal in that folder!

Custom Commands

Create your own Explorer address bar commands that run specific programs or scripts.

Creating a Custom Command

Go to Settings > Explorer Commands
Click "Add Command"
Enter a command name (e.g., dev)
Add one or more steps (commands to run)
Click "Register" to enable it

Example: Claude Code Launcher

Create a command called cla that launches Claude Code:

# Step 1:

claude

Now type cla in any Explorer address bar to launch Claude Code in that folder.

Multi-Step Commands

Commands can have multiple steps that run in sequence with configurable delays between them:

Step	Command	Delay
1	`git pull`	500ms
2	`npm install`	3000ms
3	`npm run dev`	1000ms

Each step can have a custom delay before execution, allowing previous commands to complete.

Command Options

Shell Override - Use a specific shell (cmd, PowerShell, etc.) for this command
Working Directory - Override the working directory instead of using Explorer's current folder
Send Enter - Automatically press Enter after the command (enabled by default)

4 Tabs & Split Panes

Working with Tabs

Create

Ctrl+T

Ctrl+W

Reorder

Drag tabs

Rename

Double-click

Split Panes

View multiple terminals simultaneously:

↔️

Create Split

Drag a tab to any edge of a pane

⇔

Resize

Drag the divider between panes

⌨️

Navigate

Ctrl+Shift+Arrow between panes

✖️

Close the tab or drag it elsewhere

Multi-Window

✨

Chrome-style tab management: Drag tabs outside to create new windows, drag between windows to merge, or right-click for "Move to New Window".

5 Snippets

Snippets are reusable commands that can include dynamic placeholders. Perfect for commands you use frequently with slight variations.

Creating Snippets

Open the Snippets panel (sidebar)
Click "Add Snippet"
Enter a name and the command
Optionally add placeholders using the LAZY: syntax

Using Snippets

👆

Double-click

Insert snippet

🖱️

Right-click

Context menu

✋

Drag & Drop

Reorder

📤

Import/Export

Share as JSON

Snippet Options

✏️

Quick Edit Popup

Hover to edit before running

⏎

Auto Submit

Auto-press Enter after insert

⌨️

Simulate Typing

Type char-by-char for TUIs

LAZY: Placeholders

Use the LAZY: prefix to create interactive placeholders that prompt for input when the snippet runs.

Placeholder Types

Syntax	Type	Description
`LAZY: question`	Text input	Free-form text field
`LAZY:[a,b,c] question`	Dropdown	Single selection from options
`LAZY:[[a,b,c]] question`	Multi-select	Checkboxes for multiple selections

Examples

# Free text input

git commit -m "LAZY: Enter commit message"

# Dropdown selection (single choice)

npm run LAZY:[dev,test,prod] Select environment

# Multi-select checkboxes

LAZY:[[eslint,prettier,typescript]] Select linters to run

When you run a snippet with placeholders, a dialog appears asking for each value. Dropdown and multi-select options also include an "Other" option for custom input.

6 Project Layouts

Project layouts let you save and restore your workspace configuration. Place a .lazyterminal file in your project root to automatically set up your terminal environment.

Creating a Layout

Set up your tabs and splits the way you want them
Go to File > Save Layout
Choose a location (typically your project root)
Save as .lazyterminal

Layout File Format

Layout files use a tree structure with pane and split nodes:

{
  "name": "My Project",
  "root": {
    "type": "split",
    "direction": "horizontal",
    "ratios": [0.6, 0.4],
    "children": [
      {
        "type": "pane",
        "label": "Dev Server",
        "shell": "powershell.exe",
        "workingDirectory": ".",
        "startup": [
          { "command": "npm run dev" }
        ]
      },
      {
        "type": "pane",
        "label": "Tests",
        "shell": "powershell.exe",
        "workingDirectory": ".",
        "startup": [
          { "delay": 2000 },
          { "command": "npm run test:watch" }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Layout Properties

type - Either "pane" (terminal) or "split" (container)
direction - Split direction: "horizontal" or "vertical"
ratios - Size distribution for children (should sum to 1.0)
workingDirectory - Path relative to the .lazyterminal file location
startup - Array of commands to run on pane creation

Startup Command Types

{ "command": "npm start" }

Run a terminal command

{ "snippet": "my-snippet" }

Run a saved snippet by name

{ "explorerCommand": "Build" }

Run a custom Explorer command

{ "delay": 2000 }

Wait before next command (ms)

Trust & Security

Security first: LazyTerminal asks you to trust new or modified layout files before executing their startup commands. A SHA256 hash is stored to detect modifications. Manage trusted layouts in Settings > Trusted Layouts.

7 Shell Styles

Customize the appearance of each shell type independently. Go to Settings > Shell Styles.

Customizable Options

🔤

Font Family

📏

Font Size

🎨

Background

✏️

Text Color

▮

Cursor

Per-Shell Customization

Each shell can have its own style - visually distinguish different environments:

PowerShell

Blue theme

CMD

Classic black

Git Bash

Dark gray

WSL

Ubuntu purple

8 Licensing

Free Trial

🎉

14-day free trial with full functionality. No credit card required.

License Benefits

💳

One-time

No subscriptions

♾️

Lifetime Updates

All future versions

💻

1 Device

Transferable anytime

📴

Offline Use

Works without internet

Activating Your License

Purchase a license from the Download page
Open LazyTerminal and go to Settings > License
Enter your license key (format: XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX)
Click "Activate"

Deactivating

Moving to a new computer? Go to Settings > License > Deactivate to free up an activation slot.

9 Troubleshooting

🔄 Terminal Not Responding

Try pressing Ctrl+C to interrupt
Close the tab and open a new one
If the issue persists, restart LazyTerminal

📁 Explorer Commands Not Working

Open Settings > Explorer Commands
Check that the command is registered (green status)
Try unregistering and re-registering
Ensure LazyTerminal is installed (not running from source)

🖥️ TUI Applications Display Issues

Press Ctrl+Shift+R to toggle raw mode
Try resizing the terminal window
Check that the application supports Windows terminals

🔑 License Activation Failed

Check your internet connection
Verify the license key is correct (no spaces)
Ensure you haven't exceeded the 3-device limit
Contact support@lazyterminal.com

Still need help?

Visit our support page or send us an email.

Support Page Email Us

1 Getting Started

Key Features

System Requirements

Keyboard Shortcuts

2 Installation

Download & Install

Data Storage

3 Explorer Integration

Built-in Shell Replacements

How It Works

Custom Commands

Creating a Custom Command

Example: Claude Code Launcher

Multi-Step Commands

Command Options

4 Tabs & Split Panes

Working with Tabs

Split Panes

Multi-Window

5 Snippets

Creating Snippets

Using Snippets

Categories

Snippet Options

LAZY: Placeholders

Placeholder Types

Examples

6 Project Layouts

Creating a Layout

Layout File Format

Layout Properties

Startup Command Types

Trust & Security

7 Shell Styles

Customizable Options

Per-Shell Customization

8 Licensing

Free Trial

License Benefits

Activating Your License

Deactivating

9 Troubleshooting

🔄 Terminal Not Responding

📁 Explorer Commands Not Working

🖥️ TUI Applications Display Issues

🔑 License Activation Failed

Still need help?