---
name: "watch"
section: "1"
platform: "openbsd"
package: "man"
version: "8.0-current-20261101"
release: "OpenBSD 8.0-current (2026-11-01)"
platforms: ["linux", "openbsd"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/watch"
---

# watch(1)

periodically execute a command and display its output

## NAME

**watch** – periodically execute a command and display its output

## SYNOPSIS

**watch** \[**-celwx**\] \[**-s** *seconds*\] *command* \[*arg* *...*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **watch** utility periodically executes and displays the output of *command*. Differences between successive runs can be highlighted.

The options are as follows:

- **-c**

  Highlight changed characters.

- **-e**

  Pause updating if *command* exits with a non-zero exit code.

- **-l**

  Highlight changed lines.

- **-s** *seconds*

  Set the interval between updates to *seconds*. The default is 1 second.

- **-w**

  Highlight changed words.

- **-x**

  Pass *command* to [execl(3)](/execl/3.md) instead of **sh** **-c**, for different quoting and shell escaping behaviour.

## INTERACTIVE COMMANDS

Certain characters cause immediate action by **watch**. These are:

- ⟨**Space**⟩

  Run *command* again.

- ⟨**Page** **Down**⟩

  Scroll down a screenful.

- ⟨**Page** **Up**⟩

  Scroll up a screenful.

- **\[** \| ⟨**left** **arrow**⟩

  Scroll left by one column.

- **\]** \| ⟨**right** **arrow**⟩

  Scroll right by one column.

- **c**

  Highlight changed characters.

- **e**

  Pause command executions if the command exits with a non-zero exit code.

- **g**

  Scroll to top.

- **H**

  Scroll left half a screen.

- **h** \| **?**

  Display a summary of the commands (help screen).

- **J**

  Scroll down half a screen.

- **j** \| ⟨**down** **arrow**⟩

  Scroll down one line.

- **K**

  Scroll up half a screen.

- **k** \| ⟨**up** **arrow**⟩

  Scroll up one line.

- **L**

  Scroll right half a screen.

- **l**

  Highlight changed lines.

- **r**

  Display information about resource utilization.

- **s**

  Change the update interval.

- **p**

  Pause or resume command executions. ⟨**Space**⟩ can be used while paused.

- **w**

  Highlight changed words.

- **q**

  Quit **watch**.

## SEE ALSO

[sh(1)](/sh/1.md), [getrusage(2)](/getrusage/2.md), [execl(3)](/execl/3.md)

## HISTORY

**watch** was first published in 1991 and has been available since OpenBSD 7.8.

## AUTHORS

Takuya Sato, Kazumasa Utashiro, YASUOKA Masahiko ⟨*yasuoka@openbsd.org*⟩, and Job Snijders ⟨*job@openbsd.org*⟩.