---
name: "polybar"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "polybar"
version: "3.7.2-3"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/polybar"
---

# polybar(1)

A fast and easy-to-use tool status bar

## NAME

polybar - A fast and easy-to-use tool status bar

## SYNOPSIS

**polybar** \[*OPTIONS*\]... \[*BAR*\]

## DESCRIPTION

Polybar aims to help users build beautiful and highly customizable status bars for their desktop environment, without the need of having a black belt in shell scripting. If the *BAR* argument is not provided and the configuration file only contains one bar definition, polybar will display this bar.

## OPTIONS

- **-h, --help**

  Display help text and exit

- **-v, --version**

  Display build details and exit

- **-l, --log=LEVEL**

  ```
  Set the logging verbosity (default: notice)
  LEVEL is one of: error, warning, notice, info, trace
  ```

- **-q, --quiet**

  Be quiet (will override -l)

- **-c, --config=FILE**

  Specify the path to the configuration file. By default, the configuration file is loaded from:

  - •

    **$XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/polybar/config**

  - •

    **$XDG\_CONFIG\_HOME/polybar/config.ini**

  - •

    **$HOME/.config/polybar/config**

  - •

    **$HOME/.config/polybar/config.ini**

  - •

    **$XDG\_CONFIG\_DIRS/polybar/config.ini**

  - •

    **/etc/xdg/polybar/config.ini** (only if **XDG\_CONFIG\_DIRS** is not set)

  - •

    **/etc/polybar/config.ini**

- **-r, --reload**

  Reload the application when the config file has been modified

- **-d, --dump=PARAM**

  Print the value of the specified parameter *PARAM* in bar section and exit

- **-m, --list-monitors**

  ```
  Print list of available monitors and exit.
  If some monitors are cloned, this will exclude all but one of them.
  If polybar was compiled with RandR monitor support, only monitors are listed and not physical outputs.
  ```

- **-M, --list-all-monitors**

  ```
  Print list of all available monitors and exit.
  This includes cloned monitors as well as both physical outputs and RandR monitors (if supported).
  Only the names listed here can be used as monitor names in polybar.
  ```

- **-w, --print-wmname**

  Print the generated *WM\_NAME* and exit

- **-s, --stdout**

  Output the data to stdout instead of drawing it to the X window

- **-p, --png=FILE**

  Save png snapshot to *FILE* after running for 3 seconds

## AUTHORS

```
Polybar was created by Michael Carlberg and is currently maintained by Patrick Ziegler.
Contributors can be listed on GitHub.
```

## REPORTING BUGS

Report issues on GitHub \<\<https://github.com/polybar/polybar\>\>

## SEE ALSO

[**polybar-msg**(1)](/polybar-msg/1.md), [**polybar**(5)](/polybar/5.md)

```
Full documentation at: <<https://github.com/polybar/polybar>>
Project wiki: <<https://github.com/polybar/polybar/wiki>>
```

## Copyright

2016-2026, Michael Carlberg & contributors