10 Tips to Customize Fluent Terminal Like a Pro

Fluent Terminal: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

What is Fluent Terminal?

Fluent Terminal is a Windows terminal emulator built with Fluent Design principles. It provides a modern, customizable interface for command-line shells like PowerShell, Command Prompt (cmd), WSL distributions, and other shells that support standard input/output.

Why use Fluent Terminal?

• Modern UI: Fluent Design elements (acrylic blur, rounded corners) make it visually pleasant.
• Multiple shells: Easily add and switch between PowerShell, cmd, and WSL.
• Tabs and panes: Manage multiple sessions in one window.
• Customization: Themes, fonts, keybindings, and startup commands.
• Open source: Community-driven with regular updates.

Installation

1. Open Microsoft Store on Windows ⁄₁₁.
2. Search for “Fluent Terminal”.
3. Click Install. Alternative: Download the latest release from the project’s GitHub releases page and run the installer if you prefer not to use the Store.

Setting up your first profile

1. Open Fluent Terminal.
2. Click the settings icon (gear) or press Ctrl+,.
3. Under Profiles, click “Add profile”.
4. Choose shell type (PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL, or custom).
5. Set:
   • Name: Friendly label (e.g., PowerShell).
   • Command line: Path to shell executable (e.g., C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe).
   • Starting directory: Optional folder to open on launch.
6. Save and select the profile to open a new tab.

Basic usage

• Open a new tab: Ctrl+T
• Close current tab: Ctrl+W
• Split pane horizontally/vertically: Alt+Shift+Plus / Alt+Shift+Minus (or use UI split controls)
• Switch tabs: Ctrl+Tab / Ctrl+Shift+Tab
• Rename tab: Right-click tab → Rename

Customization tips

• Themes: In Settings → Appearance, choose or create a theme. Adjust background acrylic, opacity, and accent color.
• Fonts: Pick a monospaced font (Cascadia Code, Fira Code). Enable ligatures if desired.
• Keybindings: Edit keybindings in Settings → Keybindings to match your workflow (e.g., map copy/paste to Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V).
• Startup actions: Set a default profile or configure multiple profiles to open on launch via Settings → Startup.
• Background images: Use a subtle background image with low opacity for a personalized look.

Integrating WSL

• Ensure WSL is installed and your preferred distribution is set up.
• Add a profile with the command: wsl.exe -d
• Optionally set the starting directory to the Linux home path via %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\LocalState\rootfs\home\ or use wsl commands to change directories after launch.

Useful workflows

• Development: Keep one pane running your dev server, another for git, and a third for editing or logs.
• Remote work: Use SSH in a dedicated profile for remote servers.
• Automation: Create profiles that run predefined scripts or command sequences on startup.

Troubleshooting

• If fonts look wrong: Ensure the chosen font is installed system-wide and restart Fluent Terminal.
• Missing shells: Verify the executable path for custom profiles.
• Performance issues: Disable heavy acrylic blur or reduce opacity in Appearance settings.

Alternatives

• Windows Terminal (official, highly performant, supports GPU rendering)
• ConEmu (feature-rich, legacy users)
• Alacritty (fast, GPU-accelerated, less UI customization)

Quick reference table

Final tips

• Use a consistent set of keybindings across terminals to reduce friction.
• Back up your settings (export JSON from Settings) before major changes.
• Explore community themes and plugins on GitHub for ready-made customizations.

Happy terminaling—start with one profile, customize gradually, and build the layout that fits your workflow.