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.TH "FISH_ADD_PATH" "1" "Oct 15, 2026" "4.9" "fish-shell"
.SH NAME
fish_add_path \- add to the path
.SH SYNOPSIS
.nf
\fBfish_add_path\fP \fBpath\fP \&...
\fBfish_add_path\fP [(\fB\-g\fP | \fB\-\-global\fP) | (\fB\-U\fP | \fB\-\-universal\fP) | (\fB\-P\fP | \fB\-\-path\fP)] [(\fB\-m\fP | \fB\-\-move\fP)] [(\fB\-a\fP | \fB\-\-append\fP) | (\fB\-p\fP | \fB\-\-prepend\fP)] [(\fB\-v\fP | \fB\-\-verbose\fP) | (\fB\-n\fP | \fB\-\-dry\-run\fP)] \fIPATHS\fP \&...
.fi
.sp
.SH DESCRIPTION
.sp
\fBfish_add_path\fP is a simple way to add more directories to fish\(aqs \fBPATH\fP \%<#\:envvar-PATH>\&. It does this by adding the directories either to \fBfish_user_paths\fP \%<#\:envvar-fish_user_paths> or directly to \fBPATH\fP \%<#\:envvar-PATH> (if the \fB\-\-path\fP switch is given).
.sp
It is (by default) safe to use \fBfish_add_path\fP in config.fish, or it can be used once, interactively, and the paths will stay in future because of universal variables \%<#\:variables-universal>\&. This is a \(dqdo what I mean\(dq style command \- it tries to do the right thing by default, and follow your lead on what you have already set up (e.g. by using a global \fBfish_user_paths\fP \%<#\:envvar-fish_user_paths> if you have that already). If you need more control, consider modifying the variable yourself.
.sp
Directories are normalized with realpath \%<>\&. Trailing slashes are ignored and relative paths are made absolute (but symlinks are not resolved). If a directory is already included, it is not added again and stays in the same place unless the \fB\-\-move\fP switch is given.
.sp
Directories are added in the order they are given, and they are prepended to the path unless \fB\-\-append\fP is given. If $fish_user_paths is used, that means they are last in $fish_user_paths, which is itself prepended to \fBPATH\fP \%<#\:envvar-PATH>, so they still stay ahead of the system paths. If the \fB\-\-path\fP option is used, the paths are appended/prepended to \fBPATH\fP \%<#\:envvar-PATH> directly, so this doesn\(aqt happen.
.sp
With \fB\-\-path\fP, because \fBPATH\fP \%<#\:envvar-PATH> must be a global variable instead of a universal one, the changes won\(aqt persist, so those calls need to be stored in config.fish \%<#\:configuration>\&. This also applies to \fBfish_user_paths\fP \%<#\:envvar-fish_user_paths> if you make it global (for instance by passing \fB\-\-global\fP).
.sp
If no directory is new, the variable (\fBfish_user_paths\fP \%<#\:envvar-fish_user_paths> or \fBPATH\fP \%<#\:envvar-PATH>) is not set again or otherwise modified, so variable handlers are not triggered.
.sp
If an argument is not an existing directory, \fBfish_add_path\fP ignores it.
.SH OPTIONS
.INDENT 0.0
.TP
\fB\-a\fP or \fB\-\-append\fP
Add directories to the \fIend\fP of the variable.
.TP
\fB\-p\fP or \fB\-\-prepend\fP
Add directories to the \fIfront\fP of the variable (this is the default).
.TP
\fB\-g\fP or \fB\-\-global\fP
Use a global \fBfish_user_paths\fP \%<#\:envvar-fish_user_paths>\&.
.TP
\fB\-U\fP or \fB\-\-universal\fP
Use a universal \fBfish_user_paths\fP \%<#\:envvar-fish_user_paths> \- this is the default if it doesn\(aqt already exist.
.TP
\fB\-P\fP or \fB\-\-path\fP
Manipulate \fBPATH\fP \%<#\:envvar-PATH> directly.
.TP
\fB\-m\fP or \fB\-\-move\fP
Move already\-included directories to the place they would be added \- by default they would be left in place and not added again.
.TP
\fB\-v\fP or \fB\-\-verbose\fP
Print the set \%<> command used, and some more warnings, like when a path is skipped because it doesn\(aqt exist or is not a directory.
Verbose mode is automatically enabled when fish_add_path is used interactively and the output goes to the terminal.
.TP
\fB\-n\fP or \fB\-\-dry\-run\fP
Print the \fBset\fP command that would be used without executing it.
.TP
\fB\-h\fP or \fB\-\-help\fP
Displays help about using this command.
.UNINDENT
.sp
If \fB\-\-move\fP is used, it may of course lead to the path swapping order, so you should be careful doing that in config.fish.
.SH EXAMPLE
.INDENT 0.0
.INDENT 3.5
.sp
.EX
# I just installed mycoolthing and need to add it to the path to use it.
# It is at /opt/mycoolthing/bin/mycoolthing,
# so let\(aqs add the directory: /opt/mycoolthing/bin.
> fish_add_path /opt/mycoolthing/bin

# I want my ~/.local/bin to be checked first,
# even if it was already added.
> fish_add_path \-m ~/.local/bin

# I prefer using a global fish_user_paths
# This isn\(aqt saved automatically, I need to add this to config.fish
# if I want it to stay.
> fish_add_path \-g ~/.local/bin ~/.otherbin /usr/local/sbin

# I want to append to the entire $PATH because this directory contains fallbacks
# This needs \-\-path/\-P because otherwise it appends to $fish_user_paths,
# which is added to the front of $PATH.
> fish_add_path \-\-append \-\-path /opt/fallback/bin

# I want to add the bin/ directory of my current $PWD (say /home/nemo/)
# \-v/\-\-verbose shows what fish_add_path did.
> fish_add_path \-v bin/
set fish_user_paths /home/nemo/bin /usr/bin /home/nemo/.local/bin

# I have installed ruby via homebrew
> fish_add_path /usr/local/opt/ruby/bin
.EE
.UNINDENT
.UNINDENT
.SH Copyright
fish-shell developers
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