How to Configure the Syntax Highlighting in Notepad++

One of the best features of Notepad++ is its ability to highlight syntax for dozens of programming and scripting languages. Whether you’re working with Python, C++, HTML, CSS, or JavaScript, syntax highlighting makes your code much easier to read and debug by color-coding keywords, variables, comments, and strings.

However, many users don’t realize that Notepad++ allows you to customize syntax highlighting — you can choose color schemes, modify existing themes, or even define your own language highlighting rules.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to configure and customize syntax highlighting in Notepad++ on Windows 11.

What Is Syntax Highlighting?

Syntax highlighting is a feature in code editors that visually differentiates elements of source code using colors and text styles. For example:

• Keywords like if, else, and for appear in one color.
• Strings appear in another.
• Comments are usually in gray or green.
• Numbers and functions often have distinct colors for clarity.

This visual distinction helps developers quickly spot syntax errors, mismatched braces, or missing semicolons.

Step 1: Enable Syntax Highlighting in Notepad++

Notepad++ automatically detects and highlights syntax based on the file extension. However, if syntax highlighting isn’t appearing, you can manually select the programming language.

1. Open your file in Notepad++.
2. Click on the Language menu in the top toolbar.
3. You’ll see a long list of supported languages — everything from C, C++, HTML, Java, PHP, Python, to YAML.
4. Choose the one that matches your file type.

For example:

• For a .py file → select Python.
• For a .html file → select HTML.
• For a .js file → select JavaScript.

Your code should now be color-coded according to that language’s syntax.

Tip: To have syntax highlighting applied automatically, make sure your file is saved with the correct extension (.html, .py, .cpp, etc.).

Step 2: Change or Customize Syntax Highlighting Colors

Notepad++ comes with several built-in color themes. You can easily switch between them or customize individual syntax colors to suit your preferences.

1. Go to Settings → Style Configurator.
2. From the Select theme dropdown menu, pick one of the available themes (like Default, Monokai, Solarized Dark, Twilight, etc.).
3. Choose the language you want to customize from the “Language” list on the left (e.g., Python).
4. Under the “Style” list, pick the element you want to modify — like Keyword, Comment, Number, or String.
5. Use the Foreground color and Background color boxes to change colors.
6. Click Save & Close when done.

Your syntax highlighting colors will change immediately.

Pro Tip: Dark themes like Monokai or Obsidian are easier on the eyes, especially for long coding sessions.

Step 3: Apply Dark Mode with Syntax Highlighting

If you’re using Windows 11’s dark theme, you can enable dark mode in Notepad++ for a consistent look.

1. Go to Settings → Preferences → Dark Mode.
2. Enable Dark Mode (Enable Dark Theme).
3. Restart Notepad++ for full effect.

You can also fine-tune syntax colors for dark mode using the Style Configurator, ensuring your text remains readable against the darker background.

Step 4: Create a Custom Syntax Highlighter (User Defined Language)

If you’re working with a programming or scripting language that’s not included in Notepad++ by default, you can create your own syntax highlighting rules using the User Defined Language (UDL) feature.

Here’s how:

1. Click on Language → User Defined Language → Define Your Language…
2. In the dialog box, click Create New and give your language a name (e.g., “MyScript”).
3. Configure the following tabs:
   • Keywords Lists: Define keywords that should be highlighted.
   • Operators & Delimiters: Specify comment symbols or string delimiters.
   • Styler: Set colors and font styles for various elements.
4. Click Save As… once you’re done.
5. Restart Notepad++ to apply your new language configuration.

Now, you can apply your custom highlighting anytime from Language → User Defined → MyScript.

Example: You can use this feature to highlight SQL queries, JSON files, or any proprietary scripting language.

Step 5: Export and Share Your Syntax Configuration

You can export your custom syntax definitions or themes and share them with others.

1. Open Language → User Defined Language → Define Your Language.
2. Select your custom language.
3. Click Export to save it as an .xml file.

To import it on another computer:

1. Go to the same menu → Import → select the .xml file.
2. Restart Notepad++.

Your theme or language syntax rules will now appear in the Language menu.

Step 6: Adjust Font Style and Size for Code Readability

You can customize the font size and style of your syntax highlighting to improve readability.

1. Go to Settings → Style Configurator.
2. Choose the Language and Style you want to modify.
3. Use the Font name and Font size dropdowns to adjust your preferences.
4. Click Save & Close.

Monospaced fonts like Consolas, Courier New, or Fira Code are ideal for coding as they align text neatly.

Step 7: Enable Auto-Detection of Syntax

By default, Notepad++ automatically detects the language based on the file extension. But if it doesn’t, you can force it to auto-detect syntax for certain file types:

1. Go to Settings → Preferences → File Association.
2. Select the programming language category on the left (like “HTML” or “C++”).
3. Add the file extensions you want to associate (like .html, .cpp, .h, etc.).
4. Click Close.

Now, whenever you open those files, Notepad++ will automatically apply the correct syntax highlighting.

Step 8: Restore Default Syntax Settings

If you’ve made too many changes and want to go back to the original theme:

1. Open Settings → Style Configurator.
2. Choose Default (stylers.xml) from the theme list.
3. Click Save & Close.

Alternatively, you can delete the custom configuration file from the Notepad++ AppData folder:

C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Roaming\Notepad++\

Deleting the stylers.xml file will reset all syntax color settings to default.

Wrapping Up

Configuring syntax highlighting in Notepad++ is one of the easiest ways to make your coding experience more productive and visually appealing. Whether you’re customizing colors, switching to dark mode, or defining your own language rules, Notepad++ gives you full control over how your code looks.

With a few tweaks, you can transform Notepad++ into a clean, colorful, and efficient code editor that matches your workflow — without the complexity of heavy IDEs.