Sublime Text "subl: command not found" Fix

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Windows

   1. Add C:\Program Files\Sublime Text\ (subl.exe lives there) to the Path environment variable via "Edit the system environment variables"
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. macOS

   Copy steps
   1. Zsh: echo 'export PATH="/Applications/Sublime Text.app/Contents/SharedSupport/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.zprofile
   2. Bash: same line into ~/.bash_profile
   3. Open a new terminal
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Linux

   Copy steps
   1. Package manager installs create /usr/bin/subl automatically
   2. Tarball: sudo ln -s /opt/sublime_text/sublime_text /usr/local/bin/subl (adjust paths)
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

Running subl in a terminal says command not found or is not recognized.

Why it happens

• Install folder not in PATH (Windows)
• macOS app bin folder not in PATH
• Linux tarball install without a symlink

This guide also covers

• subl command not found
• sublime text command line mac
• subl not recognized windows

The same problem in other apps

All not loading, error messages & connection guides →

• VS Code Python Interpreter Not Found (VS Code)
• Cursor High Load Error (ERROR_RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED) (Cursor)
• Vim Requires Python 3 Support Error (YouCompleteMe) (Vim)
• IntelliJ IDEA JDK Not Found or Invalid (JetBrains IntelliJ)

Other Sublime Text errors

• Sublime Text "There are no packages available for installation" (Package Control)
• Sublime Text Package Control Not Working: Purge and Reinstall
• Sublime Text Package Control Error 12029 and 12057 on Windows
• Sublime Text Crashing or Misbehaving: Use Safe Mode
• Sublime Text "UNREGISTERED" Still Showing After Entering License
• Sublime Text License Expired? How the 3-Year Update Period Works
• Sublime Text Refund and Cancel: How to Get Your Money Back
• Sublime Text LSP Not Working: Server Not Found or Not Starting