---
title: Configuring a default editor in GitHub Desktop
intro: 'You can configure {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} to open files in your project with your preferred text editor or integrated development environment (IDE).'
redirect_from:
- /desktop/getting-started-with-github-desktop/configuring-a-default-editor
- /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/configuring-a-default-editor
- /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/configuring-and-customizing-github-desktop/configuring-a-default-editor
- /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/configuring-and-customizing-github-desktop/configuring-a-default-editor-in-github-desktop
versions:
fpt: '*'
ghec: '*'
ghes: '*'
shortTitle: Configure default editor
---
## Introduction
{% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} provides support for a number of editors, and also allows you to select a custom editor if your preferred editor is not supported. If you installed an editor while {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} was open you will need to quit and reopen {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} in order for the editor to be detected.
## Supported editors
{% mac %}
* [MacVim](https://macvim-dev.github.io/macvim/)
* [{% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}](https://code.visualstudio.com/)
* [Visual Studio Codium](https://vscodium.com/)
* [Sublime Text](https://www.sublimetext.com/)
* [BBEdit](http://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/)
* [JetBrains WebStorm](https://www.jetbrains.com/webstorm/)
* [JetBrains PhpStorm](https://www.jetbrains.com/phpstorm/)
* [JetBrains Rider](https://www.jetbrains.com/rider/)
* [JetBrains PyCharm](https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/)
* [JetBrains RubyMine](https://www.jetbrains.com/rubymine/)
* [JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA](https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/)
* [JetBrains GoLand](https://www.jetbrains.com/go/)
* [JetBrains Fleet](https://www.jetbrains.com/fleet/)
* [JetBrains DataSpell](https://www.jetbrains.com/dataspell/)
* [Brackets](http://brackets.io/)
* To use Brackets with {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}, you must install the Command Line shortcut. To install the shortcut, open Brackets, click **File** in the menu bar, then click **Install Command Line Shortcut**.
* [Typora](https://typora.io/)
* [CodeRunner](https://coderunnerapp.com/)
* [SlickEdit](https://www.slickedit.com/)
* [Xcode](https://developer.apple.com/xcode/)
* [RStudio](https://rstudio.com/)
* [Nova](https://nova.app/)
* [Android Studio](https://developer.android.com/studio)
* [Aptana Studio](http://www.aptana.com/)
* [Neovide](https://neovide.dev/)
* [Emacs](https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/)
* [Lite XL](https://lite-xl.com/)
* [Pulsar](https://pulsar-edit.dev/)
* [Zed](https://zed.dev/)
{% endmac %}
{% windows %}
* [{% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %}](https://code.visualstudio.com/)
* [Visual Studio Codium](https://vscodium.com/)
* [Sublime Text](https://www.sublimetext.com/)
* [ColdFusion Builder](https://www.adobe.com/products/coldfusion-builder.html)
* [Typora](https://typora.io/)
* [SlickEdit](https://www.slickedit.com/)
* [JetBrains IntelliJ Idea](https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/)
* [JetBrains WebStorm](https://www.jetbrains.com/webstorm/)
* [JetBrains PhpStorm](https://www.jetbrains.com/phpstorm/)
* [JetBrains Rider](https://www.jetbrains.com/rider/)
* [JetBrains CLion](https://www.jetbrains.com/clion/)
* [JetBrains PyCharm](https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/)
* [JetBrains RubyMine](https://www.jetbrains.com/rubymine/)
* [JetBrains GoLand](https://www.jetbrains.com/go/)
* [JetBrains Fleet](https://www.jetbrains.com/fleet/)
* [JetBrains DataSpell](https://www.jetbrains.com/dataspell/)
* [Android Studio](https://developer.android.com/studio)
* [Brackets](http://brackets.io/)
* [Notepad++](https://notepad-plus-plus.org/)
* [RStudio](https://rstudio.com/)
* [Aptana Studio](http://www.aptana.com/)
{% endwindows %}
## Configuring a default editor
{% mac %}
{% data reusables.desktop.mac-select-desktop-menu %}
1. In the Settings window, select **Integrations**.
1. Under "External Editor", use the dropdown menu to select the editor you want to set as your default.
1. Click **Save**.
{% endmac %}
{% windows %}
{% data reusables.desktop.windows-choose-options %}
1. In the Options window, select **Integrations**.
1. Under "External Editor", use the dropdown menu to select the editor you want to set as your default.
1. Click **Save**.
{% endwindows %}
## Configuring a custom editor
{% data reusables.desktop.mac-select-desktop-menu %}
1. In the Settings window, select **Integrations**.
1. Under "External Editor", use the dropdown menu to select **Configure Custom Editor**.
1. Click **Choose** to open the system dialog to navigate to the path of your custom editor.
1. Under "Arguments", enter any arguments you would like to use after the "%TARGET_PATH%" variable. Reference supporting documentation for your custom editor to ensure you have the arguments set correctly, as invalid arguments can prevent the editor from launching in {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}.
1. Click **Save**.
## Opening a repository in the default editor
To open the current repository in the default editor, you can use the menu bar:
1. In the menu bar, select **Repository**.
1. Click **Open in default editor**
If you want to open another repository in the default editor, you can use the repository list.
1. In the upper-left corner of {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}, to the right of the current repository name, click {% octicon "triangle-down" aria-label="The triangle-down icon" %}.
1. Right-click the repository, then click **Open in default editor**.
{% mac %}
> [!TIP]
> You can use the Shift+Command+A keyboard shortcut to open a repository in the default editor.
{% endmac %}
{% windows %}
> [!TIP]
> You can use the Ctrl+Shift+A keyboard shortcut to open a repository in the default editor.
{% endwindows %}
## Opening a file in the default editor
1. Navigate to the "Changes" tab in the left sidebar.
1. Double-click on the file, or right-click on the file and select **Open in default editor**.