Using Ghostty Split Panes on Linux

Ghostty provides a simple but useful split pane feature that lets you divide one terminal window into multiple working areas.

When working on Linux, I often need to run a server, check logs, use Git, or SSH into another machine at the same time. In that kind of workflow, Ghostty’s split feature is very handy. It lets me organize multiple terminal sessions in one window without always relying on tmux.

1. Basic Split Shortcuts

Here are the basic split shortcuts on Linux.

Action	Shortcut
Split to the right	Ctrl + Shift + O
Split downward	Ctrl + Shift + E
Close the current split	Ctrl + Shift + W

You can also close the current split by typing:

exit

2. Moving Between Split Panes

Once you have multiple panes open, you can move the focus between them using the following shortcuts.

Action	Shortcut
Move to the pane above	Ctrl + Alt + ↑
Move to the pane below	Ctrl + Alt + ↓
Move to the pane on the left	Ctrl + Alt + ←
Move to the pane on the right	Ctrl + Alt + →

This is useful when you have one pane running a server and another pane showing logs or Git commands.

3. Resizing Split Panes

Ghostty also allows you to resize the currently focused pane.

Action	Shortcut
Resize upward	Ctrl + Super(Win) + Shift + ↑
Resize downward	Ctrl + Super(Win) + Shift + ↓
Resize to the left	Ctrl + Super(Win) + Shift + ←
Resize to the right	Ctrl + Super(Win) + Shift + →

If the pane sizes become uneven and you want to balance them again, use:

Ctrl + Super(Win) + Shift + =

4. Zooming the Current Pane

Sometimes you may want to focus on just one pane without closing the others.

Ghostty supports a Toggle Zoom feature for this.

Action	Shortcut
Zoom or restore the current pane	Ctrl + Shift + Enter

This is especially useful when reading long logs, checking a large error message, or working with a command output that needs more space.

5. Customizing Keybindings

If the default shortcuts do not feel comfortable, you can customize them in the Ghostty config file.

The config file is usually located at:

~/.config/ghostty/config

For example, you can use Alt + \ to split to the right and Alt + - to split downward:

keybind = alt+\=new_split:right
keybind = alt+-=new_split:down

You can also use Alt + arrow keys to move between split panes:

keybind = alt+left=goto_split:left
keybind = alt+right=goto_split:right
keybind = alt+up=goto_split:up
keybind = alt+down=goto_split:down

And if you want to resize panes with Alt + Shift + arrow keys, you can add:

keybind = alt+shift+left=resize_split:left,20
keybind = alt+shift+right=resize_split:right,20
keybind = alt+shift+up=resize_split:up,20
keybind = alt+shift+down=resize_split:down,20

The number 20 means how much the pane size changes each time. You can increase or decrease it depending on your preference.

6. Reloading the Config

After editing the config file, you can reload the Ghostty configuration with:

Ctrl + Shift + ,

Most simple keybinding changes can be tested right away, but some settings may still require restarting Ghostty.

7. Checking Current Keybindings

To check the default Ghostty keybindings, run:

ghostty +list-keybinds --default

To check the current keybindings, including your custom settings, run:

ghostty +list-keybinds

This is helpful when you want to confirm whether your custom shortcuts are applied correctly.

Final Thoughts

Ghostty’s split pane feature is simple, but it can make daily terminal work much more comfortable.

For example, you can keep your layout like this:

• one pane for running the application
• one pane for logs
• one pane for Git commands
• one pane for SSH or database work

The default shortcuts are already useful, but customizing them to match your own workflow makes Ghostty even better for everyday development.