Xshell Highlight Sets ⚡ Updated

Highlight Sets is a powerful visual feature that tracks specific text strings (keywords) or regular expressions in the terminal output and emphasizes them using custom colors or font styles NetSarang Computer How to Set Up Highlight Sets You can create and manage these sets directly through the Xshell Terminal interface: netsarang.atlassian.net Open the Dialog : Go to the menu and select Terminal Highlight Sets Create a New Set

and give your set a descriptive name (e.g., "Log Errors" or "Cisco Syntax"). Add Keywords Select your set and click Enter the keyword you want to track. : You can enable Case Sensitive matching or use Regular Expressions

(Perl-compatible DEELX engine) for complex patterns like IPs or timestamps. Customize Appearance

area, choose your highlight style, such as bold text or specific terminal colors. netsarang.atlassian.net Applying the Highlight Set

Once created, you must apply the set to your session to see it in action: Per Session : Open the Session Properties of a specific host, navigate to the category, and select your desired set from the Highlight Set dropdown menu. Global Default

: You can also set a default highlight set for all new sessions in the program options. netsarang.atlassian.net Common Use Cases Error Tracking xshell highlight sets

: Automatically turn words like "ERROR," "FAILED," or "CRITICAL" red to make them stand out in busy log files. Configuration Management

: Highlight specific syntax for network devices (e.g., Cisco or Juniper) to improve readability. Data Parsing

: Use regex to highlight phone numbers, email addresses, or specific IP patterns within terminal streams. netsarang.atlassian.net regular expressions for common logs like IP addresses or dates? How do I create syntax highlighting for exact matches?

Answer: Try exact matching of regular expressions. The following keyword in the "keyword to highlight" field would work. \bDOWN\b. netsarang.atlassian.net Xshell​®​ 6 - NetSarang Computer

Tip 4: Regex for Multi-line Matches?

No. Xshell highlight sets work strictly on a per-line basis. For multi-line patterns (e.g., Java stack traces spanning 10 lines), consider using an external tool like multitail or lnav. Highlight Sets is a powerful visual feature that

---

"My highlight isn't working!"

1. Verify the set is enabled: Check Session Properties > Terminal > Highlighting > Enable highlight sets.
2. Test your RegEx: Use an online tool like regex101.com (select PCRE mode). Paste a sample line of your terminal output to see if the pattern matches.
3. Check ordering: If two rules match the same text, the last rule applied takes precedence. In the manager, use Move Up / Move Down to prioritize rules.
4. Disable "Case sensitive": Unless you specifically need case sensitivity, keep it off or use (?i).

Key Benefits:

• Instant anomaly detection – Spot "ERROR", "FAILED", or "Timeout" in bright red.
• Improved readability – Highlight SQL queries, IP addresses, or timestamps.
• Focus on what matters – Dim or grey-out less critical informational lines.
• Cross-session consistency – Apply the same highlight logic to all your servers.

---

Step 3: Add Individual Highlighting Rules

With your new set selected, click Add. A "Highlight Properties" window will appear.

Example 1: Highlighting Errors

• Name: Error Pattern
• Expression: (?i)error|fatal|exception
  • Note: (?i) makes the pattern case-insensitive.
• Text color: Red
• Style: Bold
• Case sensitive: Uncheck (since we used (?i), we leave this unchecked).

Click OK.

Example 2: Highlighting IP Addresses

• Name: IPv4 Address
• Expression: \b(?:\d1,3\.)3\d1,3\b
• Text color: Yellow
• Background color: (Leave as default, or choose dark blue for contrast).
• Style: Normal.

Example 3: Highlighting Timestamps

• Name: Timestamp
• Expression: \d4-\d2-\d2 \d2:\d2:\d2
• Text color: Cyan
• Style: Bold.

Conclusion: Turn Your Terminal into a Visual Powerhouse

Mastering Xshell highlight sets is one of the fastest ways to double your terminal efficiency. By investing 30 minutes to build a customized set of highlighting rules, you save hundreds of hours of squinting at monochrome text over the course of your career.

Start simple. Create three rules today: one for errors, one for warnings, and one for transaction IDs. Once you experience the joy of having critical information instantly pop out of the scrollback buffer, you will find yourself constantly adding new rules. Export your masterpiece, share it with your team, and never miss a critical log line again.

Call to Action: Download the free trial of Xshell from NetSarang’s official website, open your most complex log file, and start building your first highlight set right now. Your eyes will thank you.

---

Keywords: Xshell highlight sets, Xshell regex highlighting, terminal color coding, Xshell tips, network engineer tools

---

Importing and Exporting Highlight Sets

This is critical for team collaboration. "My highlight isn't working

1. In the Highlight Sets manager, select a set.
2. Click Export.
3. Save as a .xhs file (Xshell Highlight Set).

To import:

1. Click Import.
2. Browse to the .xhs file.
3. The set will be added to your list.

Pro Tip: Store your .xhs files in a company GitHub repository or shared network drive so your entire team can maintain consistent highlighting standards.

For Linux/Unix System Administrators

• Kernel Panic: ^.*Kernel panic.*$ (White text, Red background, Bold)
• Root Login: ^.*root@.*$ (Magenta, Italic)
• FAILED Password: (?i)failed password (Red, Bold)
• sudo: ^.*sudo:.*COMMAND=.*$ (Yellow)