# libtmux.Server.command_prompt

- **Module:** libtmux.Server
- **Package:** libtmux
- **Language:** Python
- **Kind:** method
- **Source:** https://github.com/tmux-python/libtmux/blob/036c521c4b83ce6e434eb50afe2a0d08a6a05e46/src/libtmux/server.py#L1191
- **Page:** https://libtmux.org/reference/py/libtmux-server-command_prompt/

```
libtmux.Server.command_prompt(self, template: str, prompt: str | None = None, inputs: str | None = None, target_client: str | None = None, one_key: bool | None = None, key_only: bool | None = None, on_input_change: bool | None = None, numeric: bool | None = None, prompt_type: t.Literal["command", "search", "target", "window-target"] | None = None, expand_format: bool | None = None, literal: bool | None = None, bspace_exit: bool | None = None, no_freeze: bool | None = None) -> None
```

Open a command prompt via ``$ tmux command-prompt``.

Always uses ``-b`` (background) to avoid blocking the command queue.
Use ``send-keys -K -c <client>`` to type into the prompt and submit.

Requires tmux 3.3+ for ``-b`` flag support.

## Parameters

- `self`
- `template` (str) — Tmux command template. Use ``%1``, ``%2`` for prompt values.
- `prompt` (str | None) — Custom prompt text (``-p`` flag). Commas separate multiple prompts.
- `inputs` (str | None) — Pre-fill prompt input (``-I`` flag). Commas separate multiple.
- `target_client` (str | None) — Target client (``-t`` flag).
- `one_key` (bool | None) — Accept only one key press (``-1`` flag).
- `key_only` (bool | None) — Only accept key presses, not text (``-k`` flag).
- `on_input_change` (bool | None) — Run template on each keystroke (``-i`` flag).
- `numeric` (bool | None) — Accept only numeric input (``-N`` flag).
- `prompt_type` (t.Literal["command", "search", "target", "window-target"] | None) — Prompt type (``-T`` flag).
- `expand_format` (bool | None) — Pass the template through ``args_make_commands_prepare``
(``-F`` flag) so format strings expand. Requires tmux 3.3+.
- `literal` (bool | None) — Disable splitting *prompt* on commas — treat it as a single
prompt (``-l`` flag). Requires tmux 3.6+.
- `bspace_exit` (bool | None) — Close the prompt when the user empties it with backspace
(``-e`` flag, ``PROMPT_BSPACE_EXIT``). Requires tmux 3.7+ (upstream master).
- `no_freeze` (bool | None) — Do not freeze panes while the prompt is open (``-C`` flag,
``PROMPT_NOFREEZE``), matching ``display-message -C``. Requires
tmux 3.7+; warns and is ignored on older tmux.

## Example

Interactive prompts require tmux 3.4+; the wrapper itself works on 3.3+ but the ``send-keys -K -c <client>`` round-trip used here is unreliable on 3.3a:

```python
>>> from libtmux.common import has_gte_version
>>> if has_gte_version("3.4"):
...     with control_mode() as ctl:
...         server.command_prompt(
...             "set -g @cp_test '%1'",
...             target_client=ctl.client_name,
...         )
...         for key in ['h', 'i', 'Enter']:
...             _ = server.cmd('send-keys', '-K', '-c', ctl.client_name, key)
...         result = server.cmd('show-options', '-gv', '@cp_test').stdout[0]
... else:
...     result = 'hi'
>>> result
'hi'
```