> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/nvaccess/nvda/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configuration Profiles

> Use configuration profiles to automatically apply different NVDA settings in different contexts

## Overview

Configuration profiles allow you to have different NVDA settings for different situations. For example, you might want different speech settings when using a specific application, or different reporting options when editing documents versus browsing the web.

<Note>
  Profiles contain only the settings that are changed while editing the profile. Settings not explicitly changed in a profile will use values from the base configuration.
</Note>

## Key Concepts

### Base Configuration

The base configuration contains your default NVDA settings. When no profile is active, NVDA uses the base configuration.

### Profile Activation

Profiles can be activated in two ways:

1. **Manual activation** - You explicitly activate a profile when needed
2. **Automatic activation (triggers)** - NVDA automatically activates a profile based on triggers such as:
   * Current application
   * Say All reading mode
   * Custom triggers

### Profile Priority

When multiple profiles are active:

* Manually activated profiles have the highest priority
* Among triggered profiles, the most recently activated takes precedence
* The base configuration is consulted last

## Accessing Configuration Profiles

Open the Configuration Profiles dialog:

* Press `NVDA+control+p`
* Or select **Configuration profiles** from the NVDA menu

## Creating a Profile

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Configuration Profiles dialog">
    Press `NVDA+control+p` or access it from the NVDA menu.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click the New button">
    This opens the New Profile dialog.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter a profile name">
    Choose a descriptive name for your profile (e.g., "Microsoft Word", "Web Browsing", "Work Environment").
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select activation method">
    Choose how the profile should be activated:

    * **Manual activation** - You control when the profile is active
    * **Current application** - Activates automatically when using the current app
    * **Say all** - Activates during Say All reading

    <Tip>
      If you select a trigger, NVDA will automatically suggest a profile name based on the trigger.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click OK">
    The profile is created and the dialog closes, allowing you to configure the profile's settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure profile settings">
    Now open NVDA Settings (`NVDA+control+g`) and adjust the settings you want to be different in this profile. Only the settings you change will be saved to the profile.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Managing Profiles

### Profile List

The Configuration Profiles dialog shows all available profiles with information about:

* **Profile name**
* **Status indicators:**
  * `(manual)` - Manually activated
  * `(triggered)` - Automatically activated by a trigger
  * `(editing)` - Currently being edited (settings changes save to this profile)

### Renaming a Profile

1. Open the Configuration Profiles dialog
2. Select the profile you want to rename
3. Click the **Rename** button
4. Enter the new name and click OK

<Note>
  When you rename a profile, any input gestures assigned to it will remain associated.
</Note>

### Deleting a Profile

1. Open the Configuration Profiles dialog
2. Select the profile you want to delete
3. Click the **Delete** button
4. Confirm the deletion

<Warning>
  Deleting a profile is permanent and cannot be undone. All settings and associated gestures will be removed.
</Warning>

## Manual Activation

To manually activate a profile:

1. Open the Configuration Profiles dialog (`NVDA+control+p`)
2. Select the desired profile
3. Click the **Manual activate** button
4. The profile is now active and will override settings from triggered profiles

### Deactivating a Manual Profile

1. Open the Configuration Profiles dialog
2. Select the currently active profile
3. Click the **Manual deactivate** button

<Tip>
  You can assign keyboard shortcuts to activate specific profiles. See [Activating Profiles with Gestures](#activating-profiles-with-input-gestures) below.
</Tip>

## Triggers

Triggers allow NVDA to automatically activate profiles based on context.

### Configuring Triggers

1. Open the Configuration Profiles dialog
2. Click the **Triggers** button
3. Select a trigger from the list
4. Choose the profile to activate for that trigger from the dropdown
   * Select `(normal configuration)` to use no profile for that trigger
5. Click **Close** to save trigger associations

### Available Triggers

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Application Triggers" icon="window-restore">
    Automatically activate a profile when you switch to a specific application.

    **Example:** Create a "Microsoft Word" profile with specific document formatting announcements that only activates in Word.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Say All Trigger" icon="book-open">
    Activates during continuous reading (Say All mode).

    **Example:** Create a profile with faster speech rate and minimal punctuation announcements for long document reading.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Temporarily Disabling Triggers

Sometimes you may want to edit settings without triggered profiles interfering:

1. Open the Configuration Profiles dialog
2. Check **Temporarily disable all triggers**
3. Your changes will now save to the base configuration or manually activated profile only
4. Uncheck the option when you're done

<Note>
  This is useful when you want to edit your base configuration or a manually activated profile without interference from application-specific profiles.
</Note>

## Editing Profiles

### Which Profile Gets Modified?

When you change NVDA settings, they are saved based on the following priority:

1. **Manually activated profile** - If you've manually activated a profile, changes save there
2. **Most recent triggered profile** - If a profile was automatically triggered, changes save there
3. **Base configuration** - If no profiles are active, changes save to the base configuration

### Editing a Specific Profile

To edit a profile without activating it in your current context:

1. Open the Configuration Profiles dialog
2. Select the profile you want to edit
3. Manually activate it
4. Open NVDA Settings and make your changes
5. Return to Configuration Profiles and deactivate the profile

## Activating Profiles with Input Gestures

You can assign keyboard shortcuts or touch gestures to activate profiles quickly.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Input Gestures dialog">
    Press `NVDA+n`, go to Preferences > Input Gestures, or press `NVDA+control+g` then navigate to the Input Gestures category.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to Configuration profiles category">
    Expand the **Configuration profiles** category in the gesture tree.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select your profile">
    Each profile has its own entry. Select the profile you want to assign a gesture to.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Add">
    Click the **Add** button to create a new gesture assignment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Press your desired key combination">
    Press the key combination you want to use (e.g., `NVDA+shift+w` for a "Web Browsing" profile).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save">
    Click **OK** to confirm the gesture, then **OK** again to save all changes.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  By default, profiles do not have input gestures assigned. You must add them manually.
</Note>

## Profile Use Cases

Here are some common scenarios where profiles are useful:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Application-Specific Settings" icon="laptop-code">
    Create profiles for:

    * Microsoft Word (detailed formatting announcements)
    * Web browsers (minimal announcements, focus on content)
    * Email clients (announce message details)
    * Programming IDEs (code-specific settings)
  </Card>

  <Card title="Activity-Based Profiles" icon="tasks">
    * **Reading profile:** Faster speech, fewer interruptions
    * **Editing profile:** Detailed character feedback
    * **Presentation profile:** Slower, clearer speech
    * **Gaming profile:** Minimal announcements
  </Card>

  <Card title="Environment Profiles" icon="building">
    * **Office:** Professional voice, moderate volume
    * **Home:** Different voice or speech rate
    * **Public:** Quiet or braille-only mode
  </Card>

  <Card title="Task-Specific Profiles" icon="clipboard-check">
    * **Proofreading:** Announce all punctuation
    * **Data entry:** Fast feedback, error sounds
    * **Research:** Braille primary, speech secondary
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Advanced Profile Features

### Profile Scope

Most NVDA settings can be stored in profiles, with some exceptions:

<ParamField path="Settings in profiles" type="allowed">
  * Speech settings (synthesizer, voice, rate, pitch)
  * Braille settings (display, table, cursor behavior)
  * Keyboard settings (layout, echo, modifier keys)
  * Mouse settings
  * Review cursor settings
  * Document formatting announcements
  * Vision settings
  * Audio settings
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="Settings NOT in profiles" type="restricted">
  These settings only apply to the base configuration:

  * General settings (language, startup behavior, updates)
  * Add-on Store settings
  * Remote access settings
  * Math settings
  * Screen curtain settings
  * Development settings
</ParamField>

### Profile Files

Profiles are stored as separate configuration files in your NVDA user configuration directory:

```
%APPDATA%\nvda\profiles\
```

Each profile is saved as `profileName.ini`. You can:

* Back up profiles by copying these files
* Share profiles with other users
* Restore profiles by copying files back

<Warning>
  Do not manually edit profile files unless you understand the INI file format. Incorrect modifications can cause errors.
</Warning>

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="My settings aren't being saved" icon="exclamation-triangle">
    Check which profile is currently active:

    1. Open Configuration Profiles dialog
    2. Look for profiles marked `(editing)`
    3. Changes are being saved to that profile, not the base configuration

    To save to base configuration: Deactivate all manual profiles and disable all triggers temporarily.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A profile isn't activating automatically" icon="question-circle">
    Verify:

    1. The profile has a trigger configured (check in Triggers dialog)
    2. The trigger condition is being met (e.g., correct application is focused)
    3. Triggers aren't temporarily disabled (check Configuration Profiles dialog)
    4. No manual profile is overriding the triggered profile
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I can't find where a setting is saved" icon="magnifying-glass">
    To determine which profile contains a specific setting:

    1. Enable "Temporarily disable all triggers"
    2. Manually activate each profile one at a time
    3. Check if the setting changes when each profile is activated
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Profile gesture doesn't work" icon="keyboard">
    Ensure:

    1. The gesture is actually assigned (check Input Gestures dialog)
    2. The gesture doesn't conflict with another NVDA command
    3. The application isn't intercepting the key combination
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related Topics

* [NVDA Settings](/configuration/settings) - General configuration options
* [Speech Settings](/configuration/speech-settings) - Configure speech output
* [Keyboard Settings](/configuration/keyboard-settings) - Keyboard and input gesture configuration