How do I switch back to the previous working directory in Vim?

Explanation

The :cd - command switches Vim's global working directory back to the previous one, just like cd - in the shell. This is useful when toggling between two project roots or directories without retyping paths.

How it works

• :cd {path} changes the global working directory for all windows and tabs
• :cd - is the shorthand for "return to the directory I was in before the last :cd"
• Vim stores one level of directory history, so the toggle works reliably between two directories

Example

:pwd             " /home/user/project-a
:cd /home/user/project-b
:pwd             " /home/user/project-b
:cd -
:pwd             " /home/user/project-a

Tips

• Use :lcd - to toggle the previous directory for only the current window without affecting other windows
• :pwd shows the current working directory at any time
• Vim only tracks one level of history with :cd -, unlike a full directory stack
• If you opened Vim from a different directory than your project root, :cd - can quickly return to where you launched from