How to Set the PATH Variable on Windows, macOS, and Linux

This guide shows how to set the PATH environment variable on each OS, including temporary (current terminal only) and permanent methods.

Windows

Permanent (GUI – Recommended)

1. Open the Start Menu and search for Environment Variables.
2. Click Edit the system environment variables.
3. Click Environment Variables….
4. Under User variables (preferred) or System variables:
   • Select Path
   • Click Edit
   • Click New
   • Add your directory (example): C:\Program Files\MyApp\bin
5. Click OK on all dialogs.
6. Restart terminals (important).

Temporary (Current Terminal Only)

Command Prompt (cmd.exe):

set PATH=C:\MyApp\bin;%PATH%

PowerShell:

$env:PATH = "C:\MyApp\bin;$env:PATH"

macOS

Permanent (Recommended – zsh default)

Edit your zsh config:

nano ~/.zshrc

Add this line:

export PATH="/usr/local/myapp/bin:$PATH"

Apply immediately:

source ~/.zshrc

launchctl setenv PATH "/usr/local/myapp/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin"

Temporary

export PATH="/usr/local/myapp/bin:$PATH"

Linux

Permanent (User-Level – Recommended)

Edit one of these files (depending on your shell/distro):

~/.bashrc
~/.bash_profile
~/.profile
~/.zshrc

Add:

export PATH="$HOME/myapp/bin:$PATH"

Apply:

source ~/.bashrc

Permanent (System-Wide)

Edit one of these (requires sudo):

sudo nano /etc/profile

or

sudo nano /etc/environment

Example (in /etc/environment):

PATH="/usr/local/myapp/bin:/usr/bin:/bin"

Temporary

export PATH="$HOME/myapp/bin:$PATH"

Verify Your PATH

macOS / Linux:

echo $PATH
which mycommand

Windows:

where mycommand

Common Mistakes

• Overwriting PATH instead of prepending/appending to it
• Forgetting to restart the terminal (or log out/in)
• Editing the wrong shell config file (.bashrc vs .profile vs .zshrc)
• On macOS/Linux, GUI apps not inheriting your shell’s PATH

Best Practice Summary