Terminal opens inside VS Code with a keyboard shortcut, a menu click, or a right-click in the file explorer

The fastest way is Ctrl+` (that's the backtick key, usually in the top left of your keyboard below Escape). On Mac, use Ctrl+` as well — not Cmd. This toggles the terminal panel open and closed, so you can hide it when you need more screen space for your code.

If the keyboard shortcut does not work on your machine, the menu route is reliable: go to View in the top menu bar, then select Terminal. A terminal window will appear at the bottom of your screen, ready to take commands.

The third method works when you want to open a terminal in a specific folder. Right-click any folder in the file explorer on the left side of VS Code and choose Open in Integrated Terminal. The terminal will open with that folder as your working directory, so you do not have to navigate there manually.

Key Takeaways

  • Press Ctrl+` (backtick) to open or close the terminal panel when ready — this is the fastest method on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
  • If the keyboard shortcut does not respond, use the menu: View > Terminal will open the terminal at the bottom of your screen.
  • Right-click any folder in the file explorer and select Open in Integrated Terminal to start in that folder without typing a path.
  • The terminal that opens is built into VS Code and runs the same shell your computer uses — usually Bash on Mac or Linux, PowerShell on Windows.

What the integrated terminal does and why you need it

The terminal inside VS Code lets you run commands without switching to a separate window. You can install packages, run your code, check what files are in a folder, or push changes to a repository — all without leaving your editor. This saves time because your code and your command line are in one place.

The terminal uses the same shell your operating system uses by default. On Windows, that is usually PowerShell. On Mac and Linux, it is usually Bash. You can change which shell the terminal uses if you prefer a different one, but the default works for most tasks.

Opening a terminal in a specific folder

When you right-click a folder and choose Open in Integrated Terminal, VS Code opens the terminal with that folder as the working directory. This means you can run commands on files in that folder without typing the full path.

For example, if you have a folder called my-project and you right-click it, the terminal opens inside my-project. If you type ls (on Mac or Linux) or dir (on Windows), you see the files in that folder when ready. Without this, you would have to type cd my-project first.

Hiding and showing the terminal

The terminal panel takes up space at the bottom of your editor. If you need more room to see your code, press Ctrl+` again to hide it. The terminal stays open in the background — your commands and history are still there. Press Ctrl+` once more to bring it back.

You can also drag the border between your code and the terminal to make the terminal smaller or larger. Click and hold the line that separates them, then move your mouse up or down.

Switching between multiple terminals

VS Code lets you open more than one terminal at the same time. Look for the + icon next to the terminal tab at the bottom of the screen and click it to create a new terminal. Each terminal runs independently, so you can run different commands in each one.

Click the tab for each terminal to switch between them. If you want to close a terminal, click the X on its tab. Closing a terminal does not affect the others.

Troubleshooting when the terminal does not open

If Ctrl+` does not work, check whether another program on your computer has claimed that keyboard shortcut. Some tools like screen readers or window managers use the same keys. In that case, use the menu method instead: View > Terminal.

If the menu option is grayed out or missing, you may have a folder open instead of a workspace. Close the folder and open a workspace instead, or create a new folder in VS Code. You can also try restarting VS Code.

On some Linux systems, the terminal may open but not display text properly. This usually means your shell configuration file has an error. Open a terminal outside VS Code, check your .bashrc or .zshrc file for syntax errors, and fix them. Then restart VS Code.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a different shell instead of the default one?

Yes. Open the VS Code settings by pressing Ctrl+, (or Cmd+, on Mac), search for "terminal.integrated.shell", and change the path to point to a different shell like Zsh or Fish. You will need to know the full path to the shell executable on your system.

Does the terminal in VS Code work the same as a regular terminal?

Almost exactly. It runs the same shell and understands the same commands. The only difference is that it is embedded in the editor, so you cannot resize it as freely as a separate window. You can drag its border to make it taller or shorter, but not move it to a different monitor.

What if I accidentally close the terminal and lose my command history?

Open a new terminal with Ctrl+` and your history is still there. Press the up arrow key to scroll through previous commands. If you close VS Code entirely, the history is lost, but that is normal for terminal windows.

Can I run multiple commands at the same time in one terminal?

No, the terminal runs commands one at a time in order. Type your first command and press Enter, wait for it to finish, then type the next one. If you need to run commands in parallel, open a second terminal using the + button and run one command in each.