How to Enable and Use the Right-Click Menu in Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal is the modern command-line app for Windows 11, combining Command Prompt, PowerShell, Azure Cloud Shell, and other shells into one powerful interface. By default, Windows Terminal supports right-click actions, but many users notice that the right-click menu doesn’t appear, or it only pastes text instead of showing options.

This happens because Windows Terminal uses different context-menu behavior depending on your settings. The good news is that you can fully enable, customize, and use the right-click menu inside Windows Terminal.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to enable and use the right-click menu in Windows Terminal, including how to switch between paste-only mode and the full context menu.

1. Enable Right-Click Menu in Windows Terminal Settings

Windows Terminal allows you to choose whether right-click pastes text or opens a full context menu.

1. Open Windows Terminal.
2. Click the down arrow (˅) on the title bar.
3. Select Settings.
4. In the left sidebar, go to Interaction.
5. Look for the option:
   Right-click opens context menu
6. Turn this toggle On.
7. Click Save at the bottom-right.

Now, when you right-click inside the Terminal, you’ll see a full menu that includes:

• Copy
• Paste
• Open in new tab
• Open in new pane
• Settings
• Find
• Split pane commands

This restores the classic right-click behavior.

2. Disable “Right-Click Paste” Mode

If right-clicking only pastes text, that means paste-only mode is active.

1. Open Windows Terminal Settings.
2. Go to Interaction.
3. Turn off the option:
   Right-click pastes
4. Save your changes.

This forces Windows Terminal to show the context menu instead of pasting automatically.

3. Enable Right-Click Context Menu by Editing the Settings JSON (Advanced Users)

Some older Terminal versions require editing the JSON file manually.

1. Open Windows Terminal.
2. Press Ctrl + , to open Settings.
3. Click Open JSON file in the bottom-left corner.
4. Look for this line under "actions" or "defaults": "copyOnSelect": true, "rightClickBehavior": "default"
5. If it says "rightClickBehavior": "paste", change it to "default".

Valid values:

• "default" → Shows context menu
• "paste" → Right-click pastes only

6. Save the JSON file and restart Windows Terminal.

4. Use the Right-Click Menu in Windows Terminal

Once enabled, you can access powerful shortcuts directly from the right-click menu.

Common actions you can perform:

Copy selected text

Right-click → Copy

Paste commands

Right-click → Paste

Open new tab

Right-click → New tab → PowerShell / CMD / WSL

Open in split pane

Right-click → Split pane → Vertical / Horizontal

Find text inside the terminal

Right-click → Find

Customize appearance or behavior

Right-click → Settings

This makes Windows Terminal much easier to use, especially for users switching from Command Prompt or PowerShell ISE.

5. Enable Right-Click on the Windows Terminal Taskbar Icon

You can also right-click the taskbar icon for quick actions.

1. Right-click the Windows Terminal icon on the taskbar.
2. You’ll see shortcuts like:
   • Open Windows Terminal
   • Open Windows Terminal (Admin)
   • Unpin from taskbar

For older versions of Terminal, you can enable jump list support under Settings → Startup.

6. Add Windows Terminal to File Explorer Right-Click Menu

If you want to open Terminal directly in a folder with right-click:

1. Open Settings → Privacy & security → For developers.
2. Turn on Developer mode.
3. Now open File Explorer.
4. Right-click any folder and click:
   Open in Terminal

This launches Windows Terminal at that directory path.

7. Reset Windows Terminal If the Right-Click Menu Still Doesn’t Work

If the right-click menu still doesn’t appear, the Terminal settings may be corrupted.

1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed apps.
2. Search for Windows Terminal.
3. Click the three-dot menu → Advanced options.
4. Scroll down and click Reset.
5. Restart Windows Terminal.

After resetting, right-click behavior should return to default.

Wrapping Up

Enabling the right-click menu in Windows Terminal makes it much easier to manage tabs, panes, text, and settings. Whether you prefer the full context menu or the simpler paste-only interaction, Windows Terminal gives you full control through its Interaction settings and JSON configuration.

Once enabled, you can use right-click for powerful shortcuts, making Terminal far more user-friendly and efficient.