How I set up Claude Code in iTerm2 to launch all my AI coding projects in one click

## Summary
Go down the page and choose the colors you want for your profile: Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET To set the tab color, scroll all the way down and choose a custom tab color: Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET I chose a green background with yellow text when working in the parent directory of the two projects. You specify text size by choosing Profiles→Text and then going down to the Font selector: Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET Setting each profile's starting directory As I mentioned earlier, Claude treats the current working directory when it launches as the root of the current project. Make sure Profile Type is set to Terminal (at 1), and then go down to Initial Directory→Advanced Configuration (at 2) and hit Edit: Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET Next, for the current project whose profile you're in, paste the full path to that project into all three Working Directory fields. Also: How to install and configure Claude Code, step by step This task is done by setting Command to Login Shell on the General tab of the profile, then pasting a "Send text at start" line that's a command line to be executed at profile launch: Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET The command line consists of three parts: choosing the project directory, clearing the screen, and launching Claude with a starting prompt.

## Article Content
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How I set up Claude Code in iTerm2 to launch all my AI coding projects in one click
Managing multiple Claude Code projects doesn't have to be chaotic. My iTerm2 setup dramatically reduces friction in my daily AI-assisted coding workflows - here's how.
Written by
David Gewirtz,
Senior Contributing Editor
Senior Contributing Editor
April 6, 2026 at 5:29 a.m. PT
David Gewirtz/ZDNET
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ZDNET's key takeaways
One-click iTerm2 setup launches Claude projects, creating a coding hub.
Profiles auto-load context and memory files on startup.
Color-coded tabs eliminate project confusion instantly.
Sure,
vibe coding is a powerful tool
that can save time compared to hand-cutting code line by line. But anyone who has built anything with vibe coding can tell you this: there's
still a lot of work involved
.
For the past few months, I've been
using Claude Code to build two apps
that will eventually be delivered for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. One has reached the testing stage, while another is still very much in early-stage development.
At first, I did what everyone does when they
start using Claude Code
. I used a terminal window. But my Claude Code work actually involves working in three contexts, one for each of the two apps I'm building and one that's one level up and can look at both apps.
Also:
I built two apps with just my voice and a mouse - are IDEs already obsolete?
Whatever directory you're in when you launch Claude Code becomes the project's home directory. It's the directory Claude looks in for the CLAUDE.MD file, which tells the AI about your project. Claude treats this current working directory as the root directory for your project.
In my case, /Users/david/Documents/Development/xcode holds both project directories, MyFilamentStash and MySewingPatternStash.
For months, my process was to open Terminal, change directory (using the cd command) to one of the three directories, launch Claude, and provide a set of startup commands to help the session get up to speed with previous work.
Then, if I wanted to switch to a different context, I quit Claude, issued a cd to another project directory, and did the same. I know. It's cumbersome. I also know I could have had multiple terminal windows open at once, but I found myself getting confused about which project was active at any given time.
Also:
Google's Gemma 4 model goes fully open-source
Even though I was vibe coding and the AI was writing the actual code, it was still time to optimize my work environment.
iTerm2 vs. Mac Terminal
The
Mac's native Terminal application
has come a long way since the early days of the Mac. The app supports tabs, profiles, and many configuration options. But
iTerm2
, a free, GPL-licensed, open-source terminal program, is even more configurable. Plus, iTerm2 has vertical panes in addition to tabs, which can come in handy from time to time.
Over the years, I've generally used Mac Terminal for system-level tweaks to my Mac and iTerm2 when using the command line for coding work. That's not a necessary distinction, but it's what my practice has been.
Also:
I built an iOS app in just two days with just my voice
I'll be discussing how to set up iTerm2 for an optimal vibe-coding startup, but Mac Terminal's profile features support a similar set of capabilities. You can get to those capabilities from the Settings menu.
Windows Terminal also supports this kind of profile customization. You can manage these settings by clicking the dropdown arrow next to the tabs and selecting Settings in Windows Terminal.
Color coding the tabs
For my development process, I set up four profiles in iTerm2. You get to profiles by selecting the Settings menu and then tapping the profiles icon. As mentioned above, I have one profile for each project, one for the parent of both projects, and one that works in my Mac home directory in case I need to do anything there.
For clarity, I have color-coded each profile. That approach makes it immediately clear what project I'm working on when in that tab. The two projects have distinct color identities. The filament project is blue and gold with jewel tones. The sewing patterns project is in pinks and purples.
I applied those color identities to the terminal profiles. You can see the color difference below. This process is how I set up the profile for my filament app project. Note the blue and gold hues taken from the app user interface. You can see that even the tab itself matches the color theme:
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET
By contrast, note the purple and pink taken from the sewing pattern app. You can see the tab is also purple for this project:
Screenshot by David Gewirtz/ZDNET
This kind of color differentiation makes it super easy to tell which project I'm working on at any time. Setting up is easy. Open Settings in iTerm2, click Profiles, and then the Colors tab. Go down the page and choose the colors you wa

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- Innovation Home Innovation Artificial Intelligence How I set up Claude Code in iTerm2 to launch all my AI coding projects in one click Managing multiple Claude Code projects doesn't have to be chaotic.
- By contrast, the && operator only runs subsequent commands if earlier commands return an exit status that indicates success.

### Areas for Consideration
N/A

### Implications
- For the past few months, I've been using Claude Code to build two apps that will eventually be delivered for Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch.
- For months, my process was to open Terminal, change directory (using the cd command) to one of the three directories, launch Claude, and provide a set of startup commands to help the session get up to speed with previous work.
- I also know I could have had multiple terminal windows open at once, but I found myself getting confused about which project was active at any given time.
- All three Working Directory fields will get the same path.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers claude, project, directory topics. Notable strengths include discussion of claude. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 2156.