Layouts

Layout settings can live in wm.toml, but a dedicated layout.toml is easier to maintain. The sidecar overlays wm.toml one recognized key at a time, so an omitted value keeps the setting already loaded from wm.toml or the compiled default.

Layout engines

Engine	Best suited to
`tile`	A master area beside a stack of secondary windows
`monocle`	One full-area window at a time
`grid`	Balanced rows and columns
`rows`	Full-width windows arranged in horizontal rows
`dwindle`	Alternating recursive splits
`scrolling`	PaperWM-style horizontal columns and viewport panning
`float`	Remembered, native, or rule-provided floating geometry
`game-mode`	One anchor window with companion windows beside it

floating and game_mode are accepted aliases for float and game-mode.

A balanced starting point

[layout]
default = "scrolling"
gaps_outer = 8
gaps_inner = 4
master_ratio = 0.55
master_count = 1

# Colors use 0xAARRGGBB.
border_width = 2
border_focused = 0xFF88C0D0
border_normal = 0xFF3B4252
border_urgent = 0xFFBF616A
force_ssd = false

[layout.slots]
primary = "tile"
secondary = "scrolling"
tertiary = "monocle"
quaternary = "grid"

The four slots are targets for the set_layout_primary, set_layout_secondary, set_layout_tertiary, and set_layout_quaternary bindings.

Engine-specific options

Every [layout.options.<id>] section accepts the common gap, master, and border keys. Only monocle, dwindle, and scrolling add engine-specific keys.

[layout.options.tile]
master_ratio = 0.60
master_count = 1

[layout.options.monocle]
hide_others = true
show_borders = false

[layout.options.dwindle]
split_ratio = 0.50
start_axis = "vertical" # vertical | horizontal

[layout.options.scrolling]
column_fraction = 0.50
center_focused = true
follow_new_windows = true
snap_to_columns = false
allow_overscroll = true

[layout.options.float]
border_width = 2

Ratios must be greater than 0 and less than 1. Use TOML numbers and booleans for these options, not quoted strings.

Select layouts by output and workspace

An output can define its normal layout in either wm.toml or layout.toml. Workspace mappings are also accepted in both files; define each mapping in only one place.

[[output]]
name = "DP-1"
layout = "tile"

[[workspace]]
workspace = 2
layout = "monocle"

[[workspace]]
output = "DP-1"
workspace = 3
layout = "dwindle"

Layout selection resolves from highest to lowest priority:

A layout selected at runtime for the active workspace
An output-and-workspace mapping
A workspace-only mapping
The matching output’s default
[layout].default

Runtime selection is stored per workspace, so switching away and back preserves the layout you chose for that workspace during the session.