My zsh prompt

July 21, 2025

% echo $PROMPT 
%(?.✓.❗️%F{244}%?%f) %F{green}%(4~|%-1~/../%2~|%~)%f %#
% 

Let's break it down:

1. Exit status

   This is the first part:

   %(?.✓.❗️%F{244}%?%f)
   

   ? checks for the exit status of the last command. If it indicates success, it shows a ✓. If the last command failed, it shows a ❗️ followed by a space, followed by the error code in gray.

2. Current working directory

   This is the second part:

   %F{green}%(4~|%-1~/../%2~|%~)%f
   

   Use the color green.

   If the path to the current working directory has 4 or more segments, show the first segment, followed by /../, followed by the last two segments. If not, show the entire path.

3. Prompt symbol

   This is the third part:

   %#
   

   If the user is root, show #, otherwise show %.

This zsh prompt has served me well for over a year now.