---
title: "Delta: A Syntax-Highlighting Pager for Git Output"
url: https://stacklist.com/card/ab9ac50d-cbc3-4bc6-82d0-24c191de97be
source_url: "https://github.com/dandavison/delta"
stack: https://stacklist.com/stack/e311a40b-2cff-4429-b917-63135f507d81
summary: "Delta is a syntax-highlighting pager for git, diff, and grep output that enhances diff readability with features like side-by-side view, line numbering, word-level highlighting, and customizable themes. It integrates with git via configuration settings and supports advanced features including merge conflict display, git blame enhancement, and terminal hyperlinks to hosting providers."
tags: "git-delta, diff-viewer, syntax-highlighting, command-line-tool, git-configuration, side-by-side-diff, terminal-pager"
key_entities: "delta (technology), git (technology), bat (technology), ripgrep (technology), syntax-highlighting (concept), side-by-side-diff (concept), dandavison (person), th1000s (person), GitHub (organization), GitLab (organization), Levenshtein edit inference (concept)"
classification: "tutorial"
content_hash: "sha256:1eec38a35a1875305adf48ad112a5a4c3cb90c8eeeeaee555d2a4a4bbfa4853f"
acp_version: "0.2"
token_counts_approximate: 829
visibility: public
agent_accessible: true
status: "final"
---

# Delta: A Syntax-Highlighting Pager for Git Output

Get Started Install it (the package is called "git-delta" in most package managers, but the executable is just delta ) and add this to your ~/.gitconfig : [ core ] pager = delta [ interactive ] diffFilter = delta --color-only [ delta ] navigate = true # use n and N to move between diff sections dark = true # or light = true, or omit for auto-detection [ merge ] conflictStyle = zdiff3 Or run: git config --global core.pager delta git config --global interactive.diffFilter ' delta --color-only ' git config --global delta.navigate true git config --global delta.dark true # or `delta.light true`, or omit for auto-detection git config --global merge.conflictStyle zdiff3 Delta has many features and is very customizable; please see delta -h (short help) or delta --help (full manual), or the online user manual . Features Language syntax highlighting with the same syntax-highlighting themes as bat Word-level diff highlighting using a Levenshtein edit inference algorithm Side-by-side view with line-wrapping Line numbering n and N keybindings to move between files in large diffs, and between diffs in log -p views ( --navigate ) Improved merge conflict display Improved git blame display (syntax highlighting; --hyperlinks formats commits as links to hosting provider etc. Supported hosting providers are: GitHub, GitLab, SourceHut, Codeberg) Syntax-highlights grep output from rg , git grep , grep , etc Support for Git's --color-moved feature. Code can be copied directly from the diff ( -/+ markers are removed by default). diff-highlight and diff-so-fancy emulation modes Commit hashes can be formatted as terminal hyperlinks to the hosting provider page ( --hyperlinks ). File paths can also be formatted as hyperlinks for opening in your OS. Stylable box/line decorations to draw attention to commit, file and hunk header sections. Style strings (foreground color, background color, font attributes) are supported for >20 stylable elements, using the same color/style language as git Handles traditional unified diff output in addition to git output Automatic detection of light/dark terminal background A syntax-highlighting pager for git, diff, and grep output Code evolves, and we all spend time studying diffs. Delta aims to make this both efficient and enjoyable: it allows you to make extensive changes to the layout and styling of diffs, as well as allowing you to stay arbitrarily close to the default git/diff output. delta with line-numbers activated delta with side-by-side and line-numbers activated Here's what git show can look like with git configured to use delta: "Dracula" theme "GitHub" theme Syntax-highlighting themes All the syntax-highlighting color themes that are available with bat are available with delta: delta --show-syntax-themes --dark delta --show-syntax-themes --light Side-by-side view [ User manual ] [ delta ] side-by-side = true By default, side-by-side view has line-numbers activated, and has syntax highlighting in both the left and right panels: [ config ] Side-by-side view wraps long lines automatically: Line numbers [ User manual ] [ delta ] line-numbers = true Merge conflicts [ User manual ] Git blame [ User manual ] Ripgrep, git grep [ User manual ] Installation and usage Please see the user manual and delta --help . Maintainers @dandavison @th1000s