How do I control exactly where a new split window appears in Vim?

Explanation

By default, Vim places horizontal splits below and vertical splits to the right (controlled by splitbelow and splitright). But sometimes you need a split in a specific position regardless of your settings — for example, putting a help window at the very top of the screen or a terminal at the very bottom. The position modifier commands :topleft, :botright, :leftabove, and :rightbelow give you precise control over split placement.

How it works

• :topleft split {file} — opens a horizontal split at the very top of the entire Vim layout
• :botright split {file} — opens a horizontal split at the very bottom of the entire Vim layout
• :leftabove split {file} — opens the split above or to the left of the current window
• :rightbelow split {file} — opens the split below or to the right of the current window

The key difference: :topleft and :botright position relative to the entire screen, while :leftabove and :rightbelow position relative to the current window.

Example

Open a terminal at the very bottom of the screen, regardless of your splitbelow setting:

:botright terminal

Open a reference file at the very top while editing:

:topleft 15split notes.md

This creates a 15-line window pinned to the top of the screen.

Tips

• These modifiers work with :vsplit too: :topleft vsplit creates a full-height split on the far left
• Combine with size: :botright 10split for a fixed-height split at the bottom
• These are especially useful in plugin development and custom layouts where consistent window placement matters