---
title: Themes
description: Select a built-in theme or define your own.
---

With opencode you can select from one of several built-in themes, use a theme that adapts to your terminal theme, or define your own custom theme.

By default, opencode uses our own `opencode` theme.

---

## Built-in themes

opencode comes with several built-in themes.

| Name | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `system` | Adapts to your terminal's background color |
| `tokyonight` | Based on the Tokyonight theme |
| `everforest` | Based on the Everforest theme |
| `ayu` | Based on the Ayu dark theme |
| `catppuccin` | Based on the Catppuccin theme |
| `gruvbox` | Based on the Gruvbox theme |
| `kanagawa` | Based on the Kanagawa theme |
| `nord` | Based on the Nord theme |
| `matrix` | Hacker-style green on black theme |
| `one-dark` | Based on the Atom One Dark theme |

And more, we are constantly adding new themes.

---

## System theme

The `system` theme is designed to automatically adapt to your terminal's color scheme. Unlike traditional themes that use fixed colors, the _system_ theme:

- **Generates gray scale**: Creates a custom gray scale based on your terminal's background color, ensuring optimal contrast.
- **Uses ANSI colors**: Leverages standard ANSI colors (0-15) for syntax highlighting and UI elements, which respect your terminal's color palette.
- **Preserves terminal defaults**: Uses `none` for text and background colors to maintain your terminal's native appearance.

The system theme is for users who:

- Want opencode to match their terminal's appearance
- Use custom terminal color schemes
- Prefer a consistent look across all terminal applications

---

## Using a theme

You can select a theme by bringing up the theme select with the `/theme` command. Or you can specify it in your [config](/docs/config).

```json title="opencode.json" {3}
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "theme": "tokyonight"
}
```

---

## Custom themes

opencode supports a flexible JSON-based theme system that allows users to create and customize themes easily. 

---

### Hierarchy

Themes are loaded from multiple directories in the following order where later directories override earlier ones:

1. **Built-in themes** - These are embedded in the binary
2. **User config directory** - Defined in `~/.config/opencode/themes/*.json` or `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/opencode/themes/*.json`
3. **Project root directory** - Defined in the `<project-root>/.opencode/themes/*.json`
4. **Current working directory** - Defined in `./.opencode/themes/*.json`

If multiple directories contain a theme with the same name, the theme from the directory with higher priority will be used.

---

### Creating a theme

To create a custom theme, create a JSON file in one of the theme directories.

For user-wide themes:

```bash no-frame
mkdir -p ~/.config/opencode/themes
vim ~/.config/opencode/themes/my-theme.json
```

And for project-specific themes.

```bash no-frame
mkdir -p .opencode/themes
vim .opencode/themes/my-theme.json
```

---

### JSON format

Themes use a flexible JSON format with support for:

- **Hex colors**: `"#ffffff"`
- **ANSI colors**: `3` (0-255)
- **Color references**: `"primary"` or custom definitions
- **Dark/light variants**: `{"dark": "#000", "light": "#fff"}`
- **No color**: `"none"` - Uses the terminal's default color or transparent

---

### Color definitions

The `defs` section is optional and it allows you to define reusable colors that can be referenced in the theme.

---

### Terminal defaults

The special value `"none"` can be used for any color to inherit the terminal's default color. This is particularly useful for creating themes that blend seamlessly with your terminal's color scheme:

- `"text": "none"` - Uses terminal's default foreground color
- `"background": "none"` - Uses terminal's default background color

---

### Example

Here's an example of a custom theme:

```json title="my-theme.json"
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/theme.json",
  "defs": {
    "nord0": "#2E3440",
    "nord1": "#3B4252",
    "nord2": "#434C5E",
    "nord3": "#4C566A",
    "nord4": "#D8DEE9",
    "nord5": "#E5E9F0",
    "nord6": "#ECEFF4",
    "nord7": "#8FBCBB",
    "nord8": "#88C0D0",
    "nord9": "#81A1C1",
    "nord10": "#5E81AC",
    "nord11": "#BF616A",
    "nord12": "#D08770",
    "nord13": "#EBCB8B",
    "nord14": "#A3BE8C",
    "nord15": "#B48EAD"
  },
  "theme": {
    "primary": {
      "dark": "nord8",
      "light": "nord10"
    },
    "secondary": {
      "dark": "nord9",
      "light": "nord9"
    },
    "accent": {
      "dark": "nord7",
      "light": "nord7"
    },
    "error": {
      "dark": "nord11",
      "light": "nord11"
    },
    "warning": {
      "dark": "nord12",
      "light": "nord12"
    },
    "success": {
      "dark": "nord14",
      "light": "nord14"
    },
    "info": {
      "dark": "nord8",
      "light": "nord10"
    },
    "text": {
      "dark": "nord4",
      "light": "nord0"
    },
    "textMuted": {
      "dark": "nord3",
      "light": "nord1"
    },
    "background": {
      "dark": "nord0",
      "light": "nord6"
    },
    "backgroundPanel": {
      "dark": "nord1",
      "light": "nord5"
    },
    "backgroundElement": {
      "dark": "nord1",
      "light": "nord4"
    },
    "border": {
      "dark": "nord2",
      "light": "nord3"
    },
    "borderActive": {
      "dark": "nord3",
      "light": "nord2"
    },
    "borderSubtle": {
      "dark": "nord2",
      "light": "nord3"
    },
    "diffAdded": {
      "dark": "nord14",
      "light": "nord14"
    },
    "diffRemoved": {
      "dark": "nord11",
      "light": "nord11"
    },
    "diffContext": {
      "dark": "nord3",
      "light": "nord3"
    },
    "diffHunkHeader": {
      "dark": "nord3",
      "light": "nord3"
    },
    "diffHighlightAdded": {
      "dark": "nord14",
      "light": "nord14"
    },
    "diffHighlightRemoved": {
      "dark": "nord11",
      "light": "nord11"
    },
    "diffAddedBg": {
      "dark": "#3B4252",
      "light": "#E5E9F0"
    },
    "diffRemovedBg": {
      "dark": "#3B4252",
      "light": "#E5E9F0"
    },
    "diffContextBg": {
      "dark": "nord1",
      "light": "nord5"
    },
    "diffLineNumber": {
      "dark": "nord2",
      "light": "nord4"
    },
    "diffAddedLineNumberBg": {
      "dark": "#3B4252",
      "light": "#E5E9F0"
    },
    "diffRemovedLineNumberBg": {
      "dark": "#3B4252",
      "light": "#E5E9F0"
    },
    "markdownText": {
      "dark": "nord4",
      "light": "nord0"
    },
    "markdownHeading": {
      "dark": "nord8",
      "light": "nord10"
    },
    "markdownLink": {
      "dark": "nord9",
      "light": "nord9"
    },
    "markdownLinkText": {
      "dark": "nord7",
      "light": "nord7"
    },
    "markdownCode": {
      "dark": "nord14",
      "light": "nord14"
    },
    "markdownBlockQuote": {
      "dark": "nord3",
      "light": "nord3"
    },
    "markdownEmph": {
      "dark": "nord12",
      "light": "nord12"
    },
    "markdownStrong": {
      "dark": "nord13",
      "light": "nord13"
    },
    "markdownHorizontalRule": {
      "dark": "nord3",
      "light": "nord3"
    },
    "markdownListItem": {
      "dark": "nord8",
      "light": "nord10"
    },
    "markdownListEnumeration": {
      "dark": "nord7",
      "light": "nord7"
    },
    "markdownImage": {
      "dark": "nord9",
      "light": "nord9"
    },
    "markdownImageText": {
      "dark": "nord7",
      "light": "nord7"
    },
    "markdownCodeBlock": {
      "dark": "nord4",
      "light": "nord0"
    },
    "syntaxComment": {
      "dark": "nord3",
      "light": "nord3"
    },
    "syntaxKeyword": {
      "dark": "nord9",
      "light": "nord9"
    },
    "syntaxFunction": {
      "dark": "nord8",
      "light": "nord8"
    },
    "syntaxVariable": {
      "dark": "nord7",
      "light": "nord7"
    },
    "syntaxString": {
      "dark": "nord14",
      "light": "nord14"
    },
    "syntaxNumber": {
      "dark": "nord15",
      "light": "nord15"
    },
    "syntaxType": {
      "dark": "nord7",
      "light": "nord7"
    },
    "syntaxOperator": {
      "dark": "nord9",
      "light": "nord9"
    },
    "syntaxPunctuation": {
      "dark": "nord4",
      "light": "nord0"
    }
  }
}
```
