waybar-cpu(5) File Formats Manual waybar-cpu(5)

# [NAME](#NAME)

waybar - cpu module

# [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION)

The **cpu** module displays the current CPU utilization.

# [CONFIGURATION](#CONFIGURATION)

**interval**:  
typeof: integer or float  
default: 10  
The interval in which the information gets polled.  
Minimum value is 0.001 (1ms). Values smaller than 1ms will be set to 1ms.

**format**:  
typeof: string  
default: {usage}%  
The format, how information should be displayed. On {} data gets inserted.

**format-icons**:  
typeof: array/object  
Based on the current usage, the corresponding icon gets selected.  
The order is **low** to **high**. Or by the state if it is an object.

**max-length**:  
typeof: integer  
The maximum length in character the module should display.

**min-length**:  
typeof: integer  
The minimum length in characters the module should accept.

**align**:  
typeof: float  
The alignment of the label within the module, where 0 is left-aligned and 1 is right-aligned. If the module is rotated, it will follow the flow of the text.

**justify**:  
typeof: string  
The alignment of the text within the module's label, allowing options 'left', 'right', or 'center' to define the positioning.

**rotate**:  
typeof: integer  
Positive value to rotate the text label (in 90 degree increments).

**states**:  
typeof: object  
A number of CPU usage states which get activated on certain usage levels. See [**waybar-states(5)**](/man/enterprise-packages/waybar/waybar-states.5).

**on-click**:  
typeof: string  
Command to execute when clicked on the module.

**on-click-middle**:  
typeof: string  
Command to execute when middle-clicked on the module using mousewheel.

**on-click-right**:  
typeof: string  
Command to execute when you right-click on the module.

**on-update**:  
typeof: string  
Command to execute when the module is updated.

**on-scroll-up**:  
typeof: string  
Command to execute when scrolling up on the module.

**on-scroll-down**:  
typeof: string  
Command to execute when scrolling down on the module.

**smooth-scrolling-threshold**:  
typeof: double  
Threshold to be used when scrolling.

**tooltip**:  
typeof: bool  
default: true  
Option to disable tooltip on hover.

**expand**:  
typeof: bool  
default: false  
Enables this module to consume all left over space dynamically.

# [FORMAT REPLACEMENTS](#FORMAT_REPLACEMENTS)

**{load}**: Current CPU load.

**{usage}**: Current overall CPU usage.

**{usage**{n}**}**: Current CPU core n usage. Cores are numbered from zero, so first core will be {usage0} and 4th will be {usage3}.

**{avg\_frequency}**: Current CPU average frequency (based on all cores) in GHz.

**{max\_frequency}**: Current CPU max frequency (based on the core with the highest frequency) in GHz.

**{min\_frequency}**: Current CPU min frequency (based on the core with the lowest frequency) in GHz.

**{icon}**: Icon for overall CPU usage.

**{icon**{n}**}**: Icon for CPU core n usage. Use like {icon0}.

# [EXAMPLES](#EXAMPLES)

Basic configuration:

```
"cpu": {
	"interval": 10,
	"format": "{}% ",
	"max-length": 10
}
```

CPU usage per core rendered as icons:

```
"cpu": {
	"interval": 1,
	"format": "{icon0}{icon1}{icon2}{icon3} {usage:>2}% ",
	"format-icons": ["▁", "▂", "▃", "▄", "▅", "▆", "▇", "█"],
},
```

# [STYLE](#STYLE)

•

**#cpu**

2026-11-02

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Document: waybar-cpu(5) from waybar 0.15.0-r3 (Chainguard OS)