Using Command Prompt with Warp on Windows

Last reviewed: April 2, 2026

Executive summary

If you want to add Command Prompt (cmd.exe) to Warp as a native startup shell or first-class shell profile on Windows, the short answer is:

You currently cannot do that in Warp.

According to Warp's official documentation, Warp for Windows currently supports:

• PowerShell 7 (default)
• PowerShell 5
• WSL2
• Git Bash

Warp's documentation also explicitly states that Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) is not currently supported on Windows. Warp links to a GitHub feature request for updates on future support.

Why this document exists

This guide expands the original chat answer into a more complete piece of documentation. It is meant to explain three things clearly:

1. What Warp officially supports today
2. What you can still do as a workaround
3. Which setup is most practical depending on your workflow

The current official support status

What Warp officially documents on Windows

Warp's Supported Shells documentation says that on Windows, Warp supports:

• PowerShell 7 (default)
• PowerShell 5
• WSL2
• Git Bash

It also says that the Windows default shell is PowerShell 7 (pwsh).

What Warp explicitly says about Command Prompt

The same documentation page explicitly says:

Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) is not currently supported.

That is the most important fact in this entire guide.

What the GitHub issue tells us

Warp links from that documentation page to a GitHub feature request titled:

Support cmd.exe shell Warpification for Warp on Windows (#5882)

That issue is still open, which strongly suggests that native cmd.exe support is being tracked as a future capability rather than an already shipped feature.

What “not currently supported” means in practice

When a shell is not officially supported, that usually means you should not assume all of the following will work as first-class features:

• shell selection as a normal startup profile
• official startup-shell support in settings
• reliable shell-specific Warp integration behavior
• parity with the experience Warp provides for its documented Windows shells

So even if cmd.exe can be launched from inside Warp, that is not the same thing as Warp supporting it natively.

The difference between “can run” and “is supported”

This is the point that causes the most confusion.

Supported shell

A supported shell is a shell that Warp documents as compatible and intended for use as a regular shell environment.

Examples on Windows right now:

• PowerShell 7
• PowerShell 5
• WSL2
• Git Bash

Runnable program

A runnable program is simply something you can start from a shell.

For example, if you open Warp in PowerShell and then run:

cmd

Warp will start cmd.exe inside that session.

That means Command Prompt is runnable inside Warp as a child process or nested environment. It does not mean that Warp has added cmd.exe as a first-class supported shell.

The best workarounds

1. Launch Command Prompt manually from PowerShell

This is the easiest workaround and usually the best one.

Command examples

cmd

cmd /k

cmd /c dir

What each one does

• cmd starts a Command Prompt session
• cmd /k starts Command Prompt and keeps the session open
• cmd /c <command> runs one command and returns to the parent shell

Best use case

Use this when:

• you only need Command Prompt occasionally
• you have one or two old scripts that expect cmd.exe
• you mainly want to stay inside Warp but still need old batch compatibility sometimes

2. Keep PowerShell as your Warp startup shell

This is the recommended setup for most Windows users.

Why this is usually best

• it is officially supported by Warp
• it is the documented default on Windows
• it works well for modern scripting and automation
• you can still launch cmd.exe whenever needed

Recommended pattern

Use PowerShell as your main environment and call cmd /c for one-off compatibility tasks.

Examples:

cmd /c dir
cmd /c echo %USERNAME%
cmd /c my-old-script.bat

3. Switch Warp to a Shell prompt (PS1) if you want a more classic feel

Some users do not specifically need cmd.exe; they just want Warp to feel less custom and more like a traditional terminal.

Warp's Prompt documentation says you can switch between:

• Warp prompt
• Shell prompt (PS1)

How to do it

1. Open Settings
2. Go to Appearance
3. Under Input, set Input type to Shell (PS1)

Important limitation

This changes the prompt style and interaction model. It does not add native cmd.exe support.

4. Use another terminal if native cmd.exe profiles are mandatory

If your actual requirement is not "I want to stay in Warp" but rather:

• "I need a true Command Prompt profile"
• "I need cmd.exe as a native startup target"
• "My whole workflow is built around Command Prompt"

then Warp may simply not be the right terminal for that part of your workflow today.

In that case, use a terminal that explicitly treats cmd.exe as a first-class Windows profile.

Comparison of your practical options

How to check or change the Warp startup shell

Warp's documentation says the shell used for new sessions can be changed from:

Settings > Features > Session > Startup shell for new sessions

What you should expect to see on Windows

Based on the official documentation, the supported Windows options are:

• PowerShell 7
• PowerShell 5
• WSL2
• Git Bash

If cmd.exe does not appear there, that matches the current official documentation.

Recommended setup patterns

Option A — Best for most Windows users

• Startup shell: PowerShell 7
• Use cmd /c for old commands when needed
• Optionally change the prompt style to Shell (PS1) if you want a more traditional interface

Option B — Best for WSL-heavy users

• Startup shell: WSL2
• Keep PowerShell available for Windows-native commands
• Use cmd.exe only when an older Windows tool requires it

Option C — Best for Git-for-Windows users

• Startup shell: Git Bash
• Drop into PowerShell or cmd.exe only when Windows-native tooling requires it

Common misconceptions

“If I can run cmd, then Warp supports Command Prompt.”

No. Running a process inside a terminal is not the same thing as official shell support.

“If I switch the prompt to Shell (PS1), Warp becomes Command Prompt.”

No. That only changes the prompt model, not the shell-support matrix.

“Warp should automatically detect my preferred Windows shell.”

Not necessarily. Warp documents a specific set of supported shells and a specific Windows default.

Troubleshooting

cmd opens but does not behave like a normal Warp shell

That is expected. You are using a workaround rather than a natively supported shell.

I want every new Warp tab to start directly in Command Prompt

Based on the current documentation, that is not a supported Windows shell configuration in Warp.

I only need one old command or one batch file

Use:

cmd /c your-command-here

Examples:

cmd /c dir
cmd /c echo %USERNAME%
cmd /c my-old-script.bat

I want to monitor future support

Follow the GitHub feature request:

• Support cmd.exe shell Warpification for Warp on Windows (#5882)

Final recommendation

If your question is "How can I add Command Prompt to Warp?", the most accurate answer is:

1. You currently cannot add cmd.exe as a natively supported Warp shell on Windows.
2. You can still launch it manually from PowerShell using cmd, cmd /k, or cmd /c.
3. If you only want a more traditional terminal feel, switch Warp to Shell (PS1) under Settings > Appearance.
4. If native cmd.exe profiles are essential, use a terminal that explicitly supports them.

References

1. Warp Docs — Supported Shells: https://docs.warp.dev/getting-started/supported-shells
2. Warp Docs — Prompt: https://docs.warp.dev/terminal/appearance/prompt
3. Warp GitHub Issue #5882 — Support cmd.exe shell Warpification for Warp on Windows: https://github.com/warpdotdev/Warp/issues/5882