KiCad

The KiCad Team

Table of Contents
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.
Introduction
. . . . . . . . .Requirements
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.
. . . . . . . .files
KiCad . . . . .and
. . . . .folders
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.
. . . . . . . . . . . and
Installing . . . . . Upgrading
. . . . . . . . . . . . .KiCad
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.
. . . . . . . . . . . .settings
Importing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.
. . . . . . . . . . . .files
Migrating . . . . .from
. . . . . .previous
. . . . . . . . . . versions
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.
. . . . . . . the
Using . . . . .KiCad
. . . . . . .project
. . . . . . . . manager
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .mode
Standalone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.
. . . . . . . . . . .a. .new
Creating . . . . .project
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.
. . . . . . . . . . . .a. .project
Importing . . . . . . . . .from
. . . . . .another
. . . . . . . . .EDA
. . . . . tool
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.
. . . . . . . . and
Saving . . . . . loading
. . . . . . . . . project
. . . . . . . . .archives
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
...
. . . . integration
Git . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
...
. . . . . . . .configuration
KiCad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
...
. . . . . . . . . . .preferences
Common . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
...
. . . . . . . . .and
Mouse . . . . .touchpad
. . . . . . . . . . .preferences
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
...
. . . . . . . . .preferences
Hotkey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
...
. . . . . . . configuration
Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
...
. . . . . . . . . . .configuration
Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Jobsets ...
. . . . . . . . . . jobs
Defining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
...
. . . . . . . . . . jobset
Defining . . . . . . . .destinations
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
...
. . . . . . . . . . . job
Available . . . . types
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
...
. . . . . . . . .templates
Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
...
. . . . . . . templates
Using . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
...
. . . . . . . . . . . .locations
Template . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
...
. . . . . . . . . . .templates
Creating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
...
. . . . . . . .and
Plugin . . . . .Content
. . . . . . . . . .Manager
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
...
. . . . . . . . . . . packages
Browsing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
...
. . . . . . . . . . . packages
Installing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
...
. . . . . . . . . . . . repositories
Managing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
...
. . . . . . . . . . .packages
Creating . . . . . . . . . . .and
. . . . .repositories
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
...
. . . . . . . . . reference
Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
...
. . . . . . . .Project
KiCad . . . . . . . .Manager
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
...
KiCad 9.0 Reference Manual

Copyright

This document is Copyright © 2010-2024 by its contributors as listed below. You may distribute it and/or
modify it under the terms of either the GNU General Public License (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html),
version 3 or later, or the Creative Commons Attribution License
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), version 3.0 or later.

All trademarks within this guide belong to their legitimate owners.

Contributors

Jean-Pierre Charras, Fabrizio Tappero, Jon Evans, Graham Keeth.

Feedback

The KiCad project welcomes feedback, bug reports, and suggestions related to the software or its
documentation. For more information on how to submit feedback or report an issue, please see the
instructions at https://www.kicad.org/help/report-an-issue/

Software and Documentation Version

This user manual is based on KiCad 9.0.2. Functionality and appearance may be different in other versions of
KiCad.

Documentation revision: 0ff7a64b .

1
Introduction
KiCad is an open-source software suite for creating electronic circuit schematics and printed circuit boards
(PCBs). KiCad supports an integrated design workflow in which a schematic and corresponding PCB are
designed together, as well as standalone workflows for special uses. KiCad also includes several utilities to
help with circuit and PCB design, including a PCB calculator for determining electrical properties of circuit
structures, a Gerber viewer for inspecting manufacturing files, and an integrated SPICE simulator for
inspecting circuit behavior.

KiCad runs on all major operating systems and a wide range of computer hardware. It supports PCBs with
up to 32 copper layers and is suitable for creating designs of all complexities. KiCad is developed by a
volunteer team of software and electrical engineers around the world with a mission of creating free and
open-source electronics design software suitable for professional designers.

The latest version of this documentation is available at https://docs.kicad.org.

System Requirements
KiCad is capable of running on a wide variety of hardware and operating systems, but some tasks may be
slower or more difficult on lower-end hardware. For the best experience, a dedicated graphics card and
display with 1920x1080 or higher resolution is recommended.

Please check the KiCad website for the latest system requirements: https://kicad.org/help/system-
requirements/

KiCad files and folders

KiCad creates and uses files with the following specific file extensions (and folders) for schematic and board
editing.

Many of these files include important design information, especially the project file ( .kicad_pro ), the
schematic file(s) ( .kicad_sch ), and the board file ( .kicad_pcb ). Other files may also be necessary. Such
files should always be included when distributing the project. Some files are not necessary to distribute with
the project, such as the project-local settings file ( .kicad_prl ) or the fp-info-cache file. Files that are
unnecessary to distribute are noted in the table below.

Project files
*.kicad_pro Project file, containing settings that are shared between the schematic and PCB

*.pro Legacy (KiCad 5.x and earlier) project file. Can be read and will be converted to a
.kicad_pro file by the project manager.

2
Schematic editor files
*.kicad_sch Schematic files, containing all symbol and connection information.

*.kicad_sym Schematic symbol library file, containing the symbol descriptions: graphic shape,
pins, fields.

*.kicad_blocks Schematic design block library folders. The folder itself is the library.

*.kicad_block Schematic design block folder for defining a reusable schematic design. The folder
is the design block, and contains a .kicad_sch file defining the design block’s
schematic and a .json file defining the design block’s metadata.

*.wbk Simulator workbook file containing SPICE simulation setup information.

*.sch Legacy (KiCad 5.x and earlier) schematic file. Can be read and will be converted to a
.kicad_sch file on write.

*.lib Legacy (KiCad 5.x and earlier) schematic library file. Can be read but not written.

*.dcm Legacy (KiCad 5.x and earlier) schematic library documentation. Can be read but not
written.

*-cache.lib Legacy (KiCad 5.x and earlier) schematic component library cache file. Required for
proper loading of a legacy schematic ( .sch) file.

sym-lib-table Symbol library table: list of symbol libraries available in the schematic editor.

design-block- Design block library table: list of design block libraries available in the schematic
lib-table editor.

Board editor files and folders

*.kicad_pcb Board file containing all info but the page layout.

*.pretty Footprint library folders. The folder itself is the library.

*.kicad_mod Footprint files, containing one footprint description each.

*.kicad_dru Design rules file, containing custom design rules for a certain .kicad_pcb file.

*.brd Legacy (KiCad 4.x and earlier) board file. Can be read, but not written, by the
current board editor.

*.mod Legacy (KiCad 4.x and earlier) footprint library file. Can be read by the footprint or
the board editor, but not written.

fp-lib-table Footprint library table: list of footprint libraries available in the board editor.

fp-info-cache Cache to speed up loading of footprint libraries. Does not need to be distributed
with the project or put under version control.

3
Common files
*.kicad_prl Local settings for the current project; helps KiCad remember the last used settings
such as layer visibility or selection filter. Does not need to be distributed with the
project or put under version control.

*.kicad_wks Page layout (drawing border and title block) description file.

*.kicad_jobset Jobset definition file containing output jobsets.

*.net Netlist file created from the schematic, and read by the board editor. Note that the
recommended workflow for transferring information from the schematic to the
board does not require the use of netlist files.

*.cmp Association between components used in the schematic and their footprints. It can
be created by the Board Editor and imported by the Schematic Editor. Its purpose is
to import changes from the board to the schematic, for users who change footprints
in the Board Editor (for instance using Exchange Footprints command) and want
to import these changes back to the schematic. Note that the recommended
workflow for transferring information from the board to the schematic does not
require the use of .cmp files.

Fabrication and documentation files

*.gbr Gerber files, for fabrication.

*.drl Drill files (Excellon format), for fabrication.

*.pos Position files (ASCII format), for automatic insertion machines.

*.rpt Report files (ASCII format), for documentation.

*.ps Plot files (Postscript), for documentation.

*.pdf Plot files (PDF format), for documentation.

*.svg Plot files (SVG format), for documentation.

*.dxf Plot files (DXF format), for documentation.

*.plt Plot files (HPGL format), for documentation.

Storing and sending KiCad files

KiCad schematic and board files contain all the schematic symbols and footprints used in the design, so you
can back up or send these files by themselves with no issue. Some important design information is stored in
the project file ( .kicad_pro ), so if you are sending a complete design, make sure to include it.

Some files, such as the project-local settings file ( .kicad_prl ) and the fp-info-cache file, are not
necessary to send with your project. If you use a version control system such as Git to keep track of your
KiCad projects, you can add these files to the list of ignored files so that they are not tracked.

4
Installing and Upgrading KiCad
Importing settings
Each major release of KiCad has its own configuration, so that you may run multiple KiCad versions on the
same computer without the configurations interfering. The first time you run a new version of KiCad, you
will be asked how to initialize the settings:

If a previous version of KiCad is detected, you will have the option to import the settings from that version.
The location of the previous configuration files is detected automatically, but you may override it to choose
another location if desired.

Please note that, the schematic symbol and footprint library tables from the previous version of KiCad will
not be imported.

You may also choose to start with default settings if you do not want to import settings from a previous
version.

KiCad stores the settings files in a folder inside your user directory. Each KiCad version will use a different
versioned subfolder. For KiCad 9, those folders are:

Windows %APPDATA%\kicad\9.0

Linux ~/.config/kicad/9.0

macOS /Users/<username>/Library/Preferences/kicad/9.0

Migrating files from previous versions

Modern versions of KiCad can open files created in earlier versions, but can only write files in the latest
formats. This means that in general, there are no special steps to migrate files from a previous version
besides opening the files. In some cases, the file extension for a file has changed from one KiCad version to
the next. After opening these files, they will be saved in the new format with the new file extension. The old
files will not be deleted automatically.

5
The schematic editor documentation describes several particular considerations for opening legacy
schematics.

In general, files created or modified by one version of KiCad cannot be opened by older versions of KiCad.
For this reason, it is important to keep backup copies of your projects when testing a new KiCad release,
until you are confident that you will not need to use the older KiCad version anymore.

Hotkey configurations are not imported from previous versions at this time. You can
manually import hotkey configurations by copying the various *.hotkeys files from the
NOTE
old version configuration directory to the new one. If you do so, please note that KiCad
will not automatically detect conflicts such as one key being assigned to multiple actions.

6
Using the KiCad project manager
The KiCad project manager is a tool which creates and opens KiCad projects and launches the other KiCad
tools (schematic and board editors, Gerber viewer, and utility tools).

The KiCad project manager window is composed of a tree view on the left showing the files associated with
the open project, and a launcher on the right containing shortcuts to the various editors and tools.

The toolbar on the left side of the window provides shortcuts for common project operations:

Create a new project.

Open an existing project.

Create a zip archive of the whole project. This includes schematic files, libraries, PCB, etc.

Extract a project zip archive into a directory. Files in the destination directory will be
overwritten.

Refresh the tree view, to detect changes made on the filesystem.

Open the project working directory in a file explorer.

The tree view shows a list of files inside the project folder. Double-clicking on a file in the tree view will
open it in the associated editor. Right-clicking on a file will open a context menu with some file manipulation

7
commands. If the project is part of a Git repository, the tree shows icons indicating the version control status
of each file and lists the active branch next to the project name.

NOTE Only files that KiCad understands how to open are displayed in the project tree view.

KiCad projects contain at least a project file, a schematic, and a board design. Schematics may contain
multiple sheets, each in its own file, but a project can only contain a single board. KiCad expects the project
file, schematic root sheet file, and board file to all have the same name.

Standalone mode
You can also run the KiCad editor tools in standalone mode, by launching them directly from your operating
system’s application launcher rather than from the project manager. It is usually not recommended to run
the tools in standalone mode, except for some specific situations where it is necessary, such as when
importing projects from other EDA tools. When running in standalone mode, some project features are not
available, including:

cross probing between the schematic editor and the board editor

design synchronization between the schematic and the board

Creating a new project

Most KiCad designs start with the creation of a project. There are two ways to create a project from the
KiCad project manager: you may create an empty project, or create a project based on an existing template.
This section will cover the creation of a new, empty project. Creating projects from templates is covered in
the Project Templates section.

To create a new project, use the New Project…​command in the File menu, click the New Project button in
the top toolbar, or use the keyboard shortcut ( Ctrl+N by default).

You will be prompted for a name to give your project. By default, a directory will be created for your project
with the same name. For example, if you enter the name MyProject , KiCad will create the directory
MyProject and the project file MyProject/MyProject.kicad_pro inside it.

If you already have a directory to store your project files in, you can uncheck the Create a new directory for
the project checkbox in the New Project dialog.

8
 NOTE It is strongly recommended that you store each KiCad project inside its own directory.

Once you select the name of your project, KiCad will create the following files inside the project directory:

example.kicad_pro KiCad project file.

example.kicad_sch Main schematic file.

example.kicad_pcb Printed circuit board file.

Importing a project from another EDA tool

KiCad is able to import files created by some other software packages. Some software formats can be
imported as complete projects. Others can only be imported as standalone schematics or boards at the
moment, and must be manually linked together into a KiCad project. Currently the following types of project
are supported:

*.sch , *.brd Eagle 6.x or newer (XML format)

*.csa , *.cpa CADSTAR archive format

\*.zip EasyEDA (JLCEDA) Standard Backup

*.epro , *.zip EasyEDA (JLCEDA) Pro Project

To import a project from one of these tools, choose the appropriate option from the Import Non-KiCad
Project submenu of the File menu.

You will be prompted to select either a schematic or a board file in the import file browser dialog. The
imported schematic and board files should have the same base file name (e.g. project.sch and project.brd).
Once the requested files are selected, you will be asked to select a directory to store the resulting KiCad
project.

Currently the following types of documents can be imported standalone. To import these documents, start
the KiCad Schematic Editor or PCB Editor standalone (do not open the KiCad project manager first) and
choose File > Import > Non-KiCad Schematic or File > Import > Non-KiCad Board File. When importing
Altium projects, we recommend importing the PCB first, saving the resulting project, and then copying each
schematic sheet into the project after importing it in a standalone Schematic Editor window.

*.SchDoc Altium Designer, Circuit Studio, Circuit Maker schematic documents

*.PcbDoc Altium Designer PCB

*.CMPcbDoc Altium Circuit Maker PCB

*.CSPcbDoc Altium Circuit Studio PCB

*.pcb P-Cad 200x ASCII PCB

*.txt , *.fab Fabmaster PCB

9
 KiCad does not support schematics with multiple top-level sheets. When importing
designs from other tools that do support this feature, each schematic sheet must be
NOTE
imported, and then the imported sheets must be placed as hierarchical sheets in a new
KiCad project.

Saving and loading project archives

You can archive your project’s files into a zip archive with the Archive tool (File → Archive Project…​).

You can also unarchive a project using the Unarchive tool (File → Unarchive Project…​). When you
unarchive a project into the currently loaded project directory, the project will be reloaded automatically to
reflect any changes that were in the archived version of the project.

The archive tool saves the following files from your project folder into the archive:

*.kicad_prl , *.kicad_pro , KiCad design files

*.kicad_sch , *.kicad_sym ,
*.kicad_pcb , *.kicad_mod ,
*.kicad_dru , *.kicad_wks ,
*.kicad_jobset , *.wbk , *.json , fp-
lib-table , sym-lib-table , design-
block-lib-table

*.pro , *.sch , *.lib , *.dcm , *.cmp , Legacy KiCad design files

*.brd , *.mod

*.stp , *.step 3D models

*.g? , *.g?? , *.gm?? , *.gbrjob Gerber files

*.pos , *.drl , *.nc , *.xnc , *.d356 , Manufacturing files

*.rpt

*.net Netlists

*.py Python scripts

*.pdf , *.txt Documentation files

*.cir , *.sub , *.model SPICE models

*.ibs , *.pkg IBIS models

Git integration
The KiCad Project Manager integrates with the Git version control tool for tracking changes in your projects.
It can work with an existing local Git repository, clone a project from a remote repository, or create a new
repository in an existing project. You can use the tool to commit changes from your project, push and pull
from a remote repository, and switch branches.

10
If you open a project that is already under version control with Git, i.e. it is part of an existing Git repository,
you can use KiCad’s version control features to track changes in the project without any additional
configuration. The active branch is displayed next to the project name, and the version control status of each
file in your project is shown graphically in the project files tree. For example, the icon indicates a file is
unchanged, indicates a file has uncommitted changes, and indicates a file is not tracked. No icons are
shown if the project is not part of a Git repository.

You can disable KiCad’s Git integration features in the Version Control page of the
NOTE Preferences dialog. The preferences also let you configure the remote update interval and
the default commit author information.

Adding version control to an existing project

If an existing project is not already under version control, you can initialize a new Git repository in the
project by right clicking on one of the files in the project files tree and clicking Version Control → Add
Project to Version Control…​. You must configure a remote when initializing a repository in this way.
Configuring the repository requires the following information:

Location: The URL or file path to the remote. HTTPS, SSH, and local (file) connections are supported. The
format of the URL is used to automatically determine the type of connection and set the authentication
options accordingly.

SSH private key: The SSH private keyfile to use for authentication (SSH connections only).

User name: The user name to use for authentication. For SSH connections, the user name is often git .

Password: The password to use for authentication (HTTPS connections only).

SSH key password: The passphrase for your SSH key, if you have configured one (SSH connections only).

You can check the connection and authentication by clicking the Test Connection button.

11
Cloning an existing repository
To clone an existing repository and open the cloned project, use File → Clone Project from Repository…​.
You can clone a remote repository using SSH or HTTPS, or clone a local repository. The configuration settings
for cloning are the same as the settings for configuring a new repository and remote for an existing project.

Tracking project changes with Git

When you have made changes that you want to commit, you can commit either the entire project (right click
→ Version Control → Commit Project…​) or a specific file (right click the file → Version Control → Commit
File…​). Both actions open the Commit Changes dialog, but the Commit Project action shows all changed files
in the repository, while the Commit File action shows only the file that was right clicked. The Commit
Changes dialog lets you select the changed files you want to include in the commit, provide a commit
message and author, and commit the changes.

12
To push changes to the remote, right click in the project files tree and select Version Control → Push. To
pull from the remote, right click and select Version Control → Pull. You can switch branches by selecting the
desired branch from the Version Control → Switch to Branch menu.

Finally, you can remove version control entirely, deleting all tracked history from the local repository, by
right clicking and selecting Version Control → Remove Version Control.

13
KiCad configuration
The KiCad preferences can always be accessed from the Preferences menu, or by using the hotkey (default
Ctrl + , ). The Preferences dialog is shared between the running KiCad tools. Some preferences apply to all
tools, and some are specific to a certain tool (such as the schematic or board editor).

Common preferences

Accelerated graphics antialising: KiCad can use different methods to prevent aliasing (jagged lines) when
rendering using a graphics card. Different methods may look better on different hardware, so you may want
to experiment to find the one that looks best to you.

Fallback graphics antialiasing: KiCad can also apply antialiasing when using the fallback graphics mode.
Enabling this feature may result in poor performance on some hardware.

Text editor: Choose a text editor to use when opening text files from the project tree view.

PDF viewer: Choose a program to use when opening PDF files.

Show icons in menus: Enables icons in drop-down menus throughout the KiCad user interface.

NOTE Icons in menus are not displayed on some operating systems.

Show scrollbars in editors: When enabled, scrollbars are displayed next to the editing canvases in each
tool. When disabled, scrollbars are not shown.

14
Focus follows mouse between schematic and PCB editors: When enabled, the window under the mouse
cursor will automatically become focused.

Icon scale: Sets the size of the icons used in menus and buttons throughout KiCad. Choose Automatic to pick
an appropriate icon scale automatically based on your operating system settings.

Icon theme: Sets whether to use the icon theme designed for light window backgrounds or dark window
backgrounds. The default setting of Automatic will choose the theme based on the lightness of the operating
system window theme.

High-contrast mode dimming factor: Sets how much non-focused items are dimmed in high-contrast
display mode.

Warp mouse to origin of moved object: When enabled, the mouse cursor will be repositioned (warped) to
the origin of an object when you start a move command on that object.

First hotkey selects tool: When disabled, pressing the hotkey for a command such as Add Wire will
immediately start the command at the current cursor location. When enabled, pressing the hotkey the first
time will just select the Add Wire tool but will not immediately begin a wire.

Remember open files for next project launch: When enabled, KiCad will automatically re-open any files
that were previously open when a project is re-opened.

Auto save: When editing schematics and board files, KiCad can automatically save your work periodically.
Set to 0 to disable this feature.

File history size: Configure the number of entries in the list of recently-opened files

3D cache file duration: KiCad creates a cache of 3D models in order to speed up the 3D viewer. You can
configure how long to keep this cache before deleting old files.

Automatically backup projects: When enabled, KiCad projects will be archived to ZIP files automatically
according to the settings below. The archives will be stored in a subfolder of the project folder. Backups are
created when saving files in the project.

Create backups when auto save occurs: When enabled, a backup will be created every time an automatic
file save occurs (if the backup is permitted by the settings below). This setting has no effect if the auto save
interval is set to 0 (disabled).

Maximum backups to keep: When creating a new backup, the oldest backup file will be deleted to keep the
total number of backup files below this limit.

Maximum backups per day: When creating a new backup, the oldest backup file created on the current day
will be deleted to stay below this limit.

Minimum time between backups: If backup is triggered (for example, by saving a board file), the backup
will not be created if an existing backup file is newer than this limit.

Maximum total backup size: When creating a new backup file, the oldest backup files will be deleted to
keep the total size of the backup files directory below this limit.

15
Mouse and touchpad preferences

Center and warp cursor on zoom: When enabled, zooming using the hotkeys or mouse wheel will cause
the view to be centered on the cursor location.

Use zoom acceleration: When enabled, scrolling the mouse wheel or touchpad faster will cause the zoom
to change faster.

Zoom speed: Controls how much the zoom changes for a given amount of scrolling the mouse wheel or
touchpad. Use Automatic to set a default value depending on your operating system.

Automatically pan while moving object: When enabled, the view can be panned while moving an object
by moving close to the edge of the canvas.

Auto pan speed: Controls how fast the canvas pans while moving an object.

Mouse buttons: You can set the behavior of dragging the middle and right mouse buttons to zoom the view,
pan the view, or have no effect. You can also set the behavior of dragging the left mouse button depending
on whether or not any objects are already selected in the editing canvas.

NOTE The left mouse button is always used for selecting and manipulating objects.

Mouse wheel and touchpad scrolling: You can set the behavior of scrolling the mouse wheel or vertical
motion of the touchpad while pressing certain modifier keys.

16
Pan left/right with horizontal movement: When enabled, you can pan the view using the touchpad or
horizontal scroll wheel (if present on your mouse).

Hotkey preferences

You can use this dialog to customize the hotkeys used to control KiCad. The hotkeys in the Common section
are shared between every KiCad program. Hotkeys for each specific KiCad program are shown when that
program is running. You can assign the same hotkey to a different action in different KiCad programs (for
example, the schematic editor and the board editor), but you cannot assign a hotkey to more than one action
in the same program.

There are many available commands, and so not all of them have a hotkey assigned by default. You can add a
hotkey to any command by double-clicking on the command in the list. If you choose a hotkey that is already
assigned to a different command, you can choose to use that hotkey on your chosen command, which will
remove the hotkey assignment from the conflicting command.

Changes that you have made to hotkey assignments are shown with a * character at the end of the
command name. You can undo changes to a specific command by right-clicking that command and selecting
Undo Changes, or you can undo all changes with the button below the command list.

Importing hotkeys

Hotkey preferences are stored in .hotkeys files in the KiCad settings directory (see the Settings section for
information about where the settings directory is on your operating system). If you have configured KiCad

17
hotkeys the way you like on one computer, you can transfer that configuration to another computer by
importing the appropriate .hotkeys file(s).

Paths configuration
In KiCad, one can define paths using a path variable. A few path variables are internally defined by KiCad,
and can be used to define paths for libraries, 3D shapes, etc.

This is useful when absolute paths are not known or are subject to change (e.g. when you transfer a project
to a different computer), and also when one base path is shared by many similar items. Consider the
following which may be installed in varying locations:

Schematic symbol libraries

Footprint libraries

3D model files used in footprint definitions

For instance, the path to the connect.pretty footprint library, when using the KICAD9_FOOTPRINT_DIR path
variable, would be defined as ${KICAD9_FOOTPRINT_DIR}/connect.pretty .

The Preferences → Configure Paths…​ menu allows you to define paths for some built-in KiCad path
variables, and add your own path variables to define personal paths, if needed.

KiCad will automatically resolve versioned path variables from older versions of KiCad to
the value of the corresponding variable from the current KiCad version, as long as the old
NOTE variable is not explicitly defined itself. For example, ${KICAD8_FOOTPRINT_DIR} will
automatically resolve to the value of ${KICAD9_FOOTPRINT_DIR} if there is no
KICAD8_FOOTPRINT_DIR variable defined.

KiCad path variables

KICAD9_3DMODEL_DIR Base path of KiCad’s standard 3D footprint model library files.

KICAD9_3RD_PARTY Location for plugins, libraries, and color themes installed by the Plugin
and Content Manager.

KICAD9_FOOTPRINT_DIR Base path of KiCad’s standard footprint library files.

KICAD9_SYMBOL_DIR Base path of KiCad’s standard symbol library files.

KICAD9_TEMPLATE_DIR Location of KiCad’s standard project template library files.

KICAD_USER_TEMPLATE_DIR Location of personal project templates.

SPICE_LIB_DIR Location of personal simulation model libraries. This variable is not

defined by default.

KIPRJMOD Absolute path to the current project directory. This variable is set
automatically and cannot be redefined.

18
Paths set in the Configure Paths dialog are internal to KiCad and are not visible as environment variables
outside of KiCad. They are stored in KiCad’s user configuration files.

Paths can also be set as system environment variables outside of KiCad, which will override any settings in
the user’s configuration.

You cannot override a system environment variable that has been set outside of KiCad by
NOTE using the Configure Paths dialog. Any variable that has been set externally will be shown
as read-only in the dialog.

Note also that the path variable KIPRJMOD is always internally defined by KiCad, and expands to the
current project absolute path. For instance, ${KIPRJMOD}/connect.pretty is always the connect.pretty
folder (the footprint library) inside the current project folder. The KIPRJMOD variable cannot be changed in
the Configure Paths dialog or overridden by an external environment variable.

Advanced environment variables

Some advanced environment variables can be set to customize where KiCad expects certain files to be
located. By default, these locations are set based on your platform, but they can be overridden by system
environment variables. These variables are not shown in the Configure Paths dialog and cannot be used in
path substitutions.

Changing these variables will not result in KiCad moving any files from the default location to the new
location, so if you change these variables you will need to copy any desired settings or files manually.

19
 KICAD_CONFIG_HOME Base path of KiCad configuration files. Subdirectories will be created
within this directory for each KiCad minor version.

KICAD_DOCUMENTS_HOME Base path of KiCad user-modifiable documents, such as projects,

templates, Python scripts, libraries, etc. Subdirectories will be created
within this directory for each KiCad minor version. This directory is
provided as a suggested user data location, but does not need to be used.

KICAD_STOCK_DATA_HOME Base path of KiCad stock data, including default libraries. The data in this
directory is managed by the KiCad installer or system package manager,
and is not intended for user-writeable data.

If you modify the configuration of paths, please quit and restart KiCad to avoid any issues
WARNING
in path handling.

Libraries configuration
The Preferences → Manage Symbol Libraries…​menu lets you manage the list of symbol libraries (symbol
library table).

Likewise, use the Preferences → Manage Footprint Libraries…​ menu to manage the list of footprint
libraries (footprint library table).

For each type of library (symbol and footprint), there are 2 library tables: global and project specific. The
global library table is located in the user configuration directory and contains a list of libraries available to
all projects. The project-specific library table is optional and contains a list of libraries specific to the project.
It is located in the project directory.

20
Jobsets
KiCad lets you configure a list of outputs that are all generated with a single click. The list of output jobs and
the destinations where they will be saved is called a jobset. For example, a jobset might contain jobs to
generate Gerber files, assembly data, a bill of materials, PDF plots of the schematic and PCB, while also
running ERC and DRC checks, with all of the outputs saved to a compressed archive. The full list of available
jobs is given below.

Each job in a jobset defines a single type of generated output, such as a bill of materials or a set of Gerbers. A
job can be configured in the same way as if the output was manually generated from the schematic or board
editor. The configuration for each job is stored in the jobset and remembered when you load the jobset
later. Jobs are configured individually, so if you include the same type of job multiple times in a single jobset,
each job will have its own independent configuration. For example, this lets you generate PDF outputs in
color as well as black and white.

In addition to the jobs, jobsets also contain destinations, which define a list of jobs to run and how to store
their outputs. A jobset destination can simply store the chosen jobs' output files in a specified location, or it
can add the output files to a compressed archive. Each jobset destination can select a different subset of jobs
from the full list of jobs in the jobset. You can run each jobset destination individually or run all jobset
destinations at once. As an example, you could set up one jobset destination that generates PDFs of the
board and schematic and copies them to an external location, while another destination generates the
fabrication files and compresses them in a zip archive to send to the board manufacturer.

Projects can have multiple jobsets, with each jobset defining a different list of jobs and output
configurations. Each jobset is stored in a .kicad_jobset file, which can be specific to a single project, copied
between projects, or even stored in a central location and shared between projects.

To use a jobset, first create a new jobset file in the KiCad project manager (File → New Jobset File…​) and
choose a name and location for it. Alternatively, you can open an existing jobset file with File → Open Jobset
File…​. Jobset files that are stored in the project directory are considered part of the project and are
displayed in the project file tree. You can open a jobset file in the project file tree by double clicking on it.

21
Once you create or open a jobset, it is displayed in a new tab in the project manager. The list of jobs is shown
in the middle and the list of jobset destinations is shown on the right. New jobsets will not contain any jobs,
but a destination is automatically created to save outputs to a folder. When you make changes to a jobset,
you can save the changes by clicking the Save Jobset button.

Defining jobs
To add a new job, click the button under the Jobs list. In the Add New Job dialog that appears, select the
desired type of job. You can filter which types of jobs are shown in the list by typing in the Filter textbox at
the bottom.

When you select a job and press OK, the settings dialog for that type of output will appear. Each job settings
dialog provides the same options you would have if you manually generated that type of output from the
schematic or board editor.

Output filenames and paths specified in job settings are relative to the jobset destination
NOTE folder or archive root. You can use certain text variables, like ${PROJECTNAME} ,
${CURRENT_DATE} , and project text variables.

When you accept the job settings dialog, the job is added to the list of jobs, where you can optionally change
the new job’s description from its default. To change a job’s description or settings later, right click the job in
the list and select Edit Job Description or Edit Job Settings…​. Double clicking on a job also edits its settings.
To remove a job, select the job and click the button. To reorder the list, select a job and move it up or
down using the or buttons.

Defining jobset destinations

You cannot generate any outputs from a jobset until you add a jobset destination. One destination is created
automatically when a jobset is created, but you can add as many destinations as you need.

22
To add a jobset destination, click the button under the Destinations list. When the Add New Destination
dialog appears, select a type of destination:

Archive saves the outputs generated by the jobs in a compressed zip archive.

Folder saves the outputs generated by the jobs uncompressed in a folder.

Once you have selected a type of output, the Destination options dialog appears.

Here you can select which jobs will be run as part of this jobset destination, as well as the folder or archive
name that will be used to store them. By default all jobs are enabled. You can also set a description for the
destination to be displayed in the Destinations list. The output path controls where the files generated by the
jobs will be saved. The path here can be absolute or relative to the project directory, and it can use path
variables or certain text variables ( ${PROJECTNAME} , ${CURRENT_DATE} , and project text variables).
Filenames defined in job configurations are relative to the jobset destination directory or archive root.

When you click OK in this dialog, the new jobset destination is added to the Destinations list. You can modify
an existing jobset destination by clicking its button, or remove it by clicking its button.

After configuring your jobs and destinations, you can generate an individual set of outputs by clicking the
Generate button for the desired destination. You can run all destinations at once by clicking the Generate
All Destinations button.

If a jobset destination runs and generates its outputs successfully, a blue check is shown that indicates the
last run was successful. If a jobset destination fails to complete successfully, a red exclamation point is
shown to indicate the run was not successful. Clicking on the success/failure indicator will display the Jobset
Run Log dialog, which displays the status of each job in the jobset destination. Clicking on a specific job will
display the logged output from that job, if there is any.

23
Available job types
The following types of jobs are available:

24
Job Description

PCB: Export 3D Model Exports a 3D model of the board. The model format can be STEP, GLB
(binary glTF), XAO, BREP (OCCT), PLY, or STL.

PCB: Export Drill Data Exports a drill file from the board.

PCB: Export DXF Exports the board design to a DXF file.

PCB: Export Gerbers Exports the board design to Gerber files, with one file per selected layer.

PCB: Export IPC-2581 Exports the board design in IPC-2581 format.

PCB: Export ODB++ Exports the board design in ODB++ format.

PCB: Export PDF Exports the board design to PDF files, with one file per selected board
layer. You can also generate a single PDF with multiple layers depending
on the plot configuration.

PCB: Export Position Data Exports a position (component placement) file from the board.

PCB: Export SVG Exports the board design to a SVG file.

PCB: Perform DRC Performs a Design Rule Check on the board and generates a report. If
DRC violations are found, this job can optionally report a job failure.

PCB: Render Generates a raytraced rendering of the 3D model of the board as a PNG
or JPG file.

Schematic: Export DXF Exports the schematic to a DXF file.

Schematic: Export HPGL Exports the schematic to a HPGL file.

Schematic: Export Netlist Exports a netlist from the schematic, with various formats available.

Schematic: Export PDF Exports the schematic to a PDF file.

Schematic: Export Postscript Exports the schematic to a PostScript file.

Schematic: Export SVG Exports the schematic to a SVG file.

Schematic: Generate Bill of Exports a bill of materials from the schematic.

Materials

Schematic: Perform ERC Performs an Electrical Rule Check on the schematic and generates a
report. If ERC violations are found, this job can optionally report a job
failure.

Special: Copy Files Copies the specified file to the specified location. A failure to copy the
files can optionally cause the output job to fail. You can control whether
files in the output location should be overwritten or not.

Special: Execute Command Executes an arbitrary command. Output from the command can
optionally be logged to a file. You can either ignore non-zero output
codes or cause them to fail the output job.

25
Project templates
Using a project template facilitates setting up a new project with predefined settings. Templates may contain
pre-defined board outlines, connector positions, schematic elements, design rules, etc. Complete schematics
and/or PCBs used as seed files for the new project may even be included.

Using templates
The File → New Project from Template menu will open the Project Template Selector dialog:

A single click on a template’s icon will display the template information, and a further click on the OK button
creates the new project. The template files will be copied to the new project location and renamed to reflect
the new project’s name.

26
Template locations
KiCad looks for system templates in the path defined in the KICAD9_TEMPLATE_DIR path variable, and user
templates in the path defined in KICAD_USER_TEMPLATE_DIR . However, you can browse for templates in an
arbitrary directory using the Folder control at the top of the dialog.

Creating templates
A KiCad template is simply a directory containing the template project files, as well as some required
metadata for the template in a subdirectory named meta . The name of the directory containing the template

27
files determines the name of the template. When you create a project from a template, KiCad copies the
template files to the new project directory, renaming them to match the new project name as described
below.

All files in the template are copied, with two exceptions:

Files with names beginning with the . character (dotfiles) are not copied. There is a special case for files
named .gitignore or .gitattributes , which are copied if they exist.

The meta directory is not copied

The meta directory must contain an HTML file named info.html , which is displayed in the KiCad template
browser and should contain basic information describing the template. Basic HTML features are supported,
including images. Any images referenced by info.html should also be stored in the meta directory.

The <title> tag determines the name of the template that is displayed during template selection. Note that
the project template name will be cut off if it’s too long. This display name does not need to be the same as
the template directory name.

Here is a sample info.html file:

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">

<HTML>
<HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="CONTENT-TYPE" CONTENT="text/html;
charset=windows-1252">
<TITLE>Raspberry Pi - Expansion Board</TITLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY LANG="fr-FR" DIR="LTR">
<P>This project template is the basis of an expansion board for the
<A HREF="http://www.raspberrypi.org/" TARGET="blank">Raspberry Pi $25
ARM board.</A> <BR><BR>This base project includes a PCB edge defined
as the same size as the Raspberry-Pi PCB with the connectors placed
correctly to align the two boards. All IO present on the Raspberry-Pi
board is connected to the project through the 0.1&quot; expansion
headers. <BR><BR>The board outline looks like the following:
</P>
<P><IMG SRC="brd.png" NAME="brd" ALIGN=BOTTOM WIDTH=680 HEIGHT=378
BORDER=0><BR><BR><BR><BR>
</P>
<P>(c)2012 Brian Sidebotham<BR>(c)2012 KiCad Developers</P>
</BODY>
</HTML>

Finally, meta can optionally contain an image named icon.png , which will be used as the template’s icon in
the template selection dialog. The icon should be a 64 x 64 pixel PNG image.

Template file renaming

All files and directories in a template are copied to the new project path when a project is created using a
template, except meta and any dotfiles. Files and directories containing the template directory name will be
renamed with the new project file name.

28
For example, using a template named example (left) to create a project named newproject (right), with
renamed files shown in bold:

Files in template example directory Files created in project newproject directory

example.kicad_pro newproject.kicad_pro
example.kicad_sch newproject.kicad_sch
example.kicad_pcb newproject.kicad_pcb
example-first.kicad_sch newproject-first.kicad_sch
second-example.kicad_sch second-newproject.kicad_sch
third.kicad_sch third.kicad_sch
third.kicad_pcb third.kicad_pcb

A template does not need to contain a complete project. If a required project file is missing, KiCad will create
the file using the default create project behavior:

Files in template example directory Files created in newproject directory

example.kicad_sch newproject.kicad_sch
first-example.kicad_sch first-newproject.kicad_sch
first-example.kicad_pcb first-newproject.kicad_pcb
second-example.kicad_sch second-newproject.kicad_sch
second-example.kicad_pcb second-newproject.kicad_pcb
newproject.kicad_pro (default)
newproject.kicad_pcb (default)

As an exception to the template name renaming rule, if the template contains one project file ( .kicad_pro )
and its name doesn’t match the template name, KiCad will do the renaming based on that project file name
instead:

Files in template example directory Files created in newproject directory

example.kicad_sch example.kicad_sch
example.kicad_pcb example.kicad_pcb
first-example.kicad_pro newproject.kicad_pro
first-example.kicad_sch newproject.kicad_sch
first-example.kicad_pcb newproject.kicad_pcb
second-example.kicad_sch second-example.kicad_sch
second-example.kicad_pcb second-example.kicad_pcb

NOTE It is not recommended to create a template with multiple project files.

29
Plugin and Content Manager
KiCad has a Plugin and Content Manager that lets you browse, install, and manage packages submitted by
other users and organizations. Packages can be plugins offering specialized functionality, tools for ordering
PCBs from specific manufacturers, libraries of symbols and footprints, or new editor color schemes. You can
access the PCM by launching it from the main KiCad Project Manager window.

The PCM downloads packages from repositories on the internet. Each repository is a collection of packages
that is managed by an individual or an organization. By default, the PCM uses a single repository managed
by the KiCad organization. Users and organizations are free to create their own repositories, which other
users can can then add as additional repositories in their own KiCad installation. Third-party repositories
can be public or private.

Packages may install code that runs on your computer. Packages are not developed by the
KiCad developers. The KiCad organization does not make any guarantees about the
NOTE
quality or safety of packages installed through the PCM. Make sure you only install
packages that you trust.

If you have feedback regarding a package, please submit it to the package’s developer, not
NOTE the KiCad team. Contact information for each package is shown in the package’s
description.

To share a package that you have developed, you can submit it to the KiCad official repository. If it is
accepted, it will then be available to other users browsing the KiCad repository. You can also create your
own repository or submit your package to a repository managed by another person or group, but in that
case users will not see your package unless they have configured that repository in their own installation.
More information about creating your own packages and repositories is available below.

Browsing packages
All of the packages in a repository are shown in the PCM’s Repository tab. You can choose which repository
to browse by selecting the repository in the dropdown at the top of the tab. By default, only the KiCad
official repository is enabled.

30
Packages are grouped into four categories, each with its own tab within the Repository tab:

Plugins are additional tools that can be launched from the PCB Editor. Plugins can have many purposes,
for example modifying a board design or generating specific outputs. Footprint wizards can also be
distributed as plugins.

Fabrication plugins are a sub-category of plugins for ordering your PCBs from specific fabricators.
These plugins may be a convenient way to order from a manufacturer, but they are typically not
required; you can usually provide manufacturers with normal fabrication outputs instead. Consult with
your manufacturer to find out the best way to order from them.

Libraries contain symbols, footprints, and/or 3D models. By default, libraries installed by a library
package are automatically added to the appropriate symbol and/or footprint library tables when the
package is installed, and removed from the table when the package is uninstalled. Libraries installed by a
package have configurable library name prefix ( PCM_ by default). These settings are configurable in the
Packages and Updates section of Preferences.

Color themes are color themes for the Schematic, Symbol, Board, and Footprint editors. You can select
an installed theme in the Colors section of the Preferences for each editor.

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The list on the left of the window shows the packages within each category. You can filter the list of packages
by typing in the filter box at the top of the package list. Press the Refresh button to reload the list of
packages from the online repository.

When you select a package in the list, information about the package is shown on the right. This includes a
description of the package, the package’s license, and contact information for the package’s developer,
including a place to report bugs and other feedback for the package.

The package information also includes a table of the versions of the package that are currently available. For
each version, the table displays the package size, its status, and whether it is compatible with your version of
KiCad.

A package’s status can be one of the following, as indicated by the package’s developer:

Stable: the package version is suitable for general use.

Testing: the package version is in a testing phase; users should be cautious and report any issues they
encounter to the package’s developers.

Development: the package version is in a development phase; users should not expect it to work fully.

Deprecated: the package is no longer maintained.

By default, the version table only shows versions of the package that are compatible with your version of
KiCad. You can show all versions of the package, even those that will not work with your KiCad version, by
checking the Show all versions box. If multiple versions of a package are available, you can choose which to
install.

Installing packages
When you decide to to install a package, click the package’s Install button in the package’s description page.
If there are multiple versions of the package available, select the desired version in the version table before
installing. You can also install the latest version by clicking the Install button in the list of packages. This
does not immediately install the package; the package is instead queued for later installation and is shown in
the Pending tab. The package will not be installed until you click the Apply Pending Changes button, which
installs all pending packages at once.

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To remove a single package from the pending installation list, select it in the Pending tab and press the
button. To cancel the installation of all pending packages, click the Discard Pending Changes button.

Once a package is installed, it is listed in the Installed tab. In this tab you can see the list of installed
packages and update or uninstall any of them.

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If any packages have new versions available, the PCM icon in the Project Manager displays an indicator
showing the number of available updates.

To update to a different version of a package, select the new version in its version table and click the Update
button. You can also update a package to the newest version by clicking Update in the dropdown menu next
to its Uninstall button in the list of installed packages. To update all installed packages, click the Update All
button at the top of the installed package list. A package will not be updated if Pin Package is selected in its
dropdown menu.

To uninstall a package, click its Uninstall button in the list of installed packages or in the package’s
description page.

As with installation, packages are not updated or uninstalled immediately when you click the Update or
Uninstall button. Instead, the operation is queued in the Pending tab until you apply each change
individually or click the Apply Pending Changes button.

Finally, you can download a package without installing it by clicking the Download button at the bottom of
the package’s description and selecting a location to save the package. This lets you inspect the files in the
package before installing it. To install a package that has been downloaded but not yet installed, click the
Install from file…​button and select the package. The Open Package Directory button opens a file browser
in the folder where KiCad installs packages.

Managing repositories
By default, only the KiCad official repository is used by the PCM. You can add a third party repository, or
remove existing repositories, by clicking the Manage…​button at the top of the Repository tab.

To add a repository, click the button and specify the full URL to the repository. To remove a repository,
select it and press the button. Use the and buttons to reorder repositories in the list.

If you remove the default KiCad official repository, you can easily re-add it by clicking Add Default
Repository in the dropdown menu next to the button.

Creating packages and repositories

To create a package for the PCM, follow the instructions at https://dev-docs.kicad.org/en/addons/index.html.
These instructions explain how to create PCM packages for any repository, including but not limited to the
KiCad official repository. They also explain the rules for packages included in the KiCad repository and how

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to submit packages to this repository. Third-party repositories use the same package format but may have
different rules and procedures for submitting packages.

To create your own repository, publish a repository JSON file following the schema published at
https://go.kicad.org/pcm/schemas/v1.

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Actions reference
Below is a list of every available action in the KiCad Project Manager: a command that can be assigned to a
hotkey.

KiCad Project Manager

The actions below are available in the KiCad Project Manager. Hotkeys can be assigned to any of these
actions in the Hotkeys section of the preferences.

Action Default Description

Hotkey

Close Project Close the current project

Image Converter Ctrl + B Convert bitmap images to schematic or PCB components

Drawing Sheet Ctrl + Y Edit drawing sheet borders and title block
Editor

Footprint Editor Ctrl + F Edit PCB footprints

PCB Editor Ctrl + P Edit PCB

Schematic Editor Ctrl + E Edit schematic

Symbol Editor Ctrl + L Edit schematic symbols

Clone Project from Clone a project from an existing repository

Repository…​

New Project from Ctrl + T Create new project from template

Template…​

New Project…​ Ctrl + N Create new blank project

Open Demo Open a demo project

Project…​

Open Project…​ Ctrl + O Open an existing project

Open Text Editor Launch preferred text editor

Plugin and Ctrl + M Run Plugin and Content Manager

Content Manager

Calculator Tools Run component calculations, track width calculations, etc.

Gerber Viewer Ctrl + G Preview Gerber output files

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