How to automatically use Warp Terminal's Subshells with "Warpify"

Warp Terminal is a modern terminal emulator that brings powerful features to command-line workflows. One of its standout features is subshells - isolated terminal environments for different contexts. In this post, we'll explore how to automate the use of subshells using a custom configuration I call "Warpify".

What are Warp Subshells?

Warp subshells provide isolated environments where you can run commands without affecting your main terminal session. They're perfect for things like ssh'ing to a server, or looking inside a docker container (e.g., docker exec), each with their own environment variables and working directories.

How to auto Warpify Subshells

Add the snippet to the appropriate RC file in the target environment. For SSH/containers, add it on the host you're connecting to. For local nested shells, add it to your local RC.

Local nested shells: examples

“Local nested shells” are interactive shells you start inside your current Warp session on the same machine (not SSH, not a container). If you want these inner shells to be auto‑warpified without a prompt, add the snippet to your local RC file.

• Switching shells locally
  • From zsh → bash: bash, bash -l
  • From bash → zsh: zsh, zsh -l
• Elevating or switching users locally
  • sudo -s, sudo -i
  • su - otheruser, su -l otheruser
• Dev tools that spawn subshells
  • poetry shell, pipenv shell
  • nix-shell, nix develop
  • asdf shell <tool> <version> (depending on setup)
• Multiplexers launching a fresh shell in new panes/windows
  • tmux new -s work, screen

What do NOT count as local nested shells (configure the host you enter instead):

• docker exec -it <container> /bin/bash → put the snippet in the container user’s RC file.
• ssh user@host (even ssh localhost) → put the snippet on the target/remote machine.

This protection boundary ensures it only runs inside Warp and only for interactive shells:

# zsh (~/.zshrc)
if [[ $- == *i* && $TERM_PROGRAM == "WarpTerminal" ]]; then
  printf '\eP$f{"hook":"SourcedRcFileForWarp","value":{"shell":"zsh"}}\x9c'
fi

# bash (~/.bashrc or ~/.bash_profile)
if [[ $- == *i* && $TERM_PROGRAM == "WarpTerminal" ]]; then
  printf '\eP$f{"hook":"SourcedRcFileForWarp","value":{"shell":"bash"}}\x9c'
fi

Quick add (local only — guarded) examples:

# zsh (local ~/.zshrc)
cat <<'EOF' >> ~/.zshrc

# Auto-Warpify (Warp) — only in Warp and interactive zsh
if [[ $- == *i* && $TERM_PROGRAM == "WarpTerminal" ]]; then
  printf '\eP$f{"hook":"SourcedRcFileForWarp","value":{"shell":"zsh"}}\x9c'
fi
EOF

# bash (local ~/.bashrc)
cat <<'EOF' >> ~/.bashrc

# Auto-Warpify (Warp) — only in Warp and interactive bash
if [[ $- == *i* && $TERM_PROGRAM == "WarpTerminal" ]]; then
  printf '\eP$f{"hook":"SourcedRcFileForWarp","value":{"shell":"bash"}}\x9c'
fi
EOF

For Linux (on the host you're connecting to):

# Warpify subshells on the host you're connecting to (remote server/container)
# Add this to the remote user's ~/.bashrc (or ~/.bash_profile)
printf '\eP$f{"hook": "SourcedRcFileForWarp", "value": { "shell": "bash" }}\x9c'

See this article for further documentation on this: Warpify Subshells.