How do I make Vim open new splits below and to the right instead of above and left?

Explanation

How it works

By default, Vim opens horizontal splits (:split or :sp) above the current window and vertical splits (:vsplit or :vsp) to the left. This can feel counterintuitive because most editors and terminals open new panes below and to the right.

Two options fix this:

• :set splitbelow - New horizontal splits open below the current window
• :set splitright - New vertical splits open to the right of the current window

These options affect all split commands:

• :split / :sp - Now opens below
• :vsplit / :vsp - Now opens to the right
• :new - New empty buffer opens below
• :vnew - New empty buffer opens to the right
• Ctrl-W s - Horizontal split opens below
• Ctrl-W v - Vertical split opens to the right

You can temporarily override these settings for a single command by using the modifier commands:

• :topleft split - Force split above regardless of setting
• :botright split - Force split below
• :leftabove vsplit - Force split to the left
• :rightbelow vsplit - Force split to the right

Example

Add to your ~/.vimrc:

set splitbelow
set splitright

Before this change, running :vsplit file.txt with a file open would create:

| file.txt | current |

After setting splitright:

| current | file.txt |

The new split appears on the right, which feels more natural. Similarly, :split puts the new window below instead of above. This small change significantly improves the split workflow and matches the behavior of most modern IDEs.