add target...

Add targets to the source state. If any target is already in the source state, then its source state is replaced with its current state in the destination directory.

Flags

-a, --autotemplate

Automatically generate a template by replacing strings that match variable values from the data section of the config file with their respective config names as a template string. Longer substitutions occur before shorter ones. This implies the --template option.

!!! warning

`--autotemplate` uses a greedy algorithm which occasionally generates
templates with unwanted variable substitutions. Carefully review any
templates it generates.

--create

Add files that should exist, irrespective of their contents.

Sets the create_ source state attribute on the added file.

A file will be created with the given contents if the file does not exist. If the file already exists, then its contents will not be changed. This allows for managing files with an initial state but should not be changed by chezmoi afterwards.

--encrypt

Configuration: add.encrypt

Encrypt files using the defined encryption method.

--exact

Set the exact attribute on added directories.

!!! warning

Directories with the `exact` attributes are statefully synced between target and source directories.
When running `re-add`, any files deleted from the `exact` target directory will be removed from the source directory.
Likewise, any files added to the `exact` target directory, will be added to the source directory

--follow

If the last part of a target is a symlink, add the target of the symlink instead of the symlink itself.

--new

Create a new file if the target does not exist.

-p, --prompt

Interactively prompt before adding each file.

-q, --quiet

Suppress warnings about adding ignored entries.

--secrets ignore|warning|error

Configuration: add.secrets

Action to take when a secret is found when adding a file. The default is warning.

-T, --template

Set the template attribute on added files and symlinks.

--template-symlinks

Configuration: add.templateSymlinks

When adding symlink to an absolute path in the source directory or destination directory, create a symlink template with .chezmoi.sourceDir or .chezmoi.homeDir. This is useful for creating portable absolute symlinks.

Common flags

-x, --exclude types

--8<-- "common-flags/exclude.md"

-f, --force

Add targets, even if doing so would cause a source template to be overwritten.

-i, --include types

--8<-- "common-flags/include.md"

-r, --recursive

--8<-- "common-flags/recursive.md:default-true"

Examples

chezmoi add ~/.bashrc
chezmoi add ~/.gitconfig --template
chezmoi add ~/.ssh/id_rsa --encrypt
chezmoi add ~/.vim --recursive
chezmoi add ~/.oh-my-zsh --exact --recursive

Notes

!!! bug

`chezmoi add` will fail if the entry being added is in a directory
implicitly created by an [external][external]. See [issue #1574][issue-1574]
for details.

!!! warning

`chezmoi add --exact --recursive DIR` works in predictable but surprising
ways and its use is not recommended for nested directories without taking
precautions.

If you have not previously added any files from `~/.config` to chezmoi and
run `chezmoi add --exact --recursive ~/.config/nvim`, chezmoi will consider
all files under `~/.config` to be managed, and any file *not* in
`~/.config/nvim` will be removed on your next `chezmoi apply`. This is
because `~/.config/nvim` is added as:

```text
exact_dot_config/
    exact_nvim/
      exact_lua/
        …
      …
```

To prevent this, add a `.keep` file *first* before adding the subdirectory
recursively.

```sh
touch ~/.config/.keep
chezmoi add ~/.config/.keep
chezmoi add --recursive --exact ~/.config/nvim
```

See [issue #4223][issue-4223] for details.