# Project settings Project settings apply to the current project only. They are stored in the `.xml` format together with other project files in the `.idea` directory. Project settings can include VCS configuration, code style options, the list of language inspections, and other settings. To configure project settings, select `IntelliJ IDEA | Settings` on macOS or `File | Settings` on Windows and Linux from the main menu. Alternatively, you can press `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Windows), `⌘ Comma` (macOS), `⌘ Comma` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ Comma` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ Comma` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ Comma` (Eclipse (macOS)) to show the IDE settings. In the Settings dialog, project settings that apply only to the current project are marked with the ![Project settings](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.projectConfigurable.svg) icon. Other settings are [global](configuring-project-and-ide-settings.html) and apply to all existing projects. ![the Settings dialog](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/sett-pref-dialog.png) For the detailed description of every option in the settings, refer to [Settings](settings-preferences-dialog.html). ## Default settings for new projects You can configure project settings not only for the current project, but for all projects that you will create later. This means that you can set the new default settings for your projects. Procedure: Access default settings for new projects * In the main menu, go to `File | New Projects Setup | Settings for New Projects`. If you want to share project settings between already existing projects, you can use the [Backup and Sync](sharing-your-ide-settings.html#IDE_settings_sync) plugin. You can also [export the settings to a ZIP archive](sharing-your-ide-settings.html#import-export-settings) and import it later to other IDE instances. ## Share project settings through VCS > **Warning:** > This information is valid for Git and Mercurial. If you use another version control system, refer to [How to manage projects under Version Control Systems](https://intellij-support.jetbrains.com/hc/en-us/articles/206544839) for information on how to share projects manually. Project settings are stored in the project directory as a set of XML files under the `.idea` folder. This folder contains both user-specific settings that should not be placed under version control and project settings that are normally shared among developers working in a team, for example, the code style configuration. When you [enable version control in your project](enabling-version-control.html#associate_directory_with_VCS), IntelliJ IDEA automatically moves the `workspace.xml` file with your personal settings to the .gitignore list to avoid conflicts with other developers' settings. > **Warning:** > If you use [Git worktrees](use-git-worktrees.html) and have already committed the `.idea/workspace.xml`, you need to delete this file from your newly created Git worktrees (or remove the `ProjectId` inside it), and reopen the project to avoid IDE conflicts. Configuration files are processed according to your choice. Once you modify the project settings, and a new configuration file is created, the IDE shows a notification at the bottom of the screen prompting you to select how you want to treat configuration files in this project: * View files: view the list of created configuration files and select which of them you want to place under version control. After that, the selected files will be scheduled for addition to VCS. * Always Add: silently schedule all configuration files created in the `.idea` directory for addition to VCS (applies only to the current project). * Don't Ask Again: never schedule configuration files for addition to VCS; they will have the unversioned status until you manually add them to VCS (applies only to the current project). If you close the notification without selecting any option, it will appear again after a new configuration file is created. The new file will also go to the list that will be there until you select one of the options even if you restart the IDE. ![Notification prompting to select how to treat configuration files](https://resources.jetbrains.com.cn/help/img/idea/2026.2/sharing-project-notification.png) > **Note:** > If the `misc.xml` or the `.ipr` file is already under version control, project configuration files are silently scheduled for addition to VCS. ### List of non-shareable configuration files IntelliJ IDEA identifies configuration files and adds them to the list of ignored files automatically. However, if you are sharing your project manually, we recommend that you avoid placing these files and folders under version control: * `.idea/workspace.xml` * `.idea/usage.statistics.xml` * `.idea/dictionaries` folder * `.idea/shelf` folder * `.idea/libraries` if they are generated from Gradle and Maven projects * `*.iml` and `.idea/modules.xml` files in Maven and Gradle projects * `gradle.xml` * `*.iws` file in file-based projects * `out` folder For the full list of files, refer to [How to manage projects under Version Control Systems](https://intellij-support.jetbrains.com/hc/en-us/articles/206544839) and [JetBrains.gitignore](https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/master/Global/JetBrains.gitignore). ### Copy global settings to the project level Global (IDE) settings are stored separately from projects. That is why these settings are not shared through version control together with the project. Some settings, however, can be copied to the project level. For example, you can create a copy of your [code style configuration](configuring-code-style.html#create-copy) , [inspection profiles](customizing-profiles.html), the list of classes and packages [excluded from code completion and auto-import](creating-and-optimizing-imports.html#exclude-from-auto-import) . If you do so, the IDE creates the corresponding configuration files in the `.idea` directory that you can share together with the project through VCS. IntelliJ IDEA also provides several ways of sharing settings between different IDE instances. For more information, refer to [IDE settings backup and sync](sharing-your-ide-settings.html).