---
title: "Split View: Two Documents Side by Side | Prettify Docs"
description: Open two documents side by side or stacked, each with its own tabs,
  format, and views. Focus a pane to act on it. A Pro feature.
url: https://prettify.tools/docs/split-view
---

[Docs](https://prettify.tools/docs) / Editing tools

# Split view

Last updated: October 16, 2026

Split view opens two documents at once in one editor window, so you can read or edit them next to each other. Split view is a Pro feature in [Prettify](https://prettify.tools/app/editor). Free users see a preview with an upgrade prompt. Select Try it free today in the preview to use split view until the end of your local day.

## Open split view

Start from a document in the left pane, then split the window.

- Click Split right in the tab bar to place the second pane beside the first.
- Click Split down in the tab bar to place the second pane below the first.
- Press `Cmd+\` (Mac) / `Ctrl+\` (Windows, Linux) to split right.
- Press `Cmd+Shift+\` (Mac) / `Ctrl+Shift+\` (Windows, Linux) to split down.

You can also open the Command Palette with `Cmd+K` (Mac) / `Ctrl+K` (Windows, Linux) and choose Split Right or Split Down.

When you open a split, Prettify copies the active left-pane tab into the new pane as a starting point. You can then load any other document in that pane.

## Work in each pane

Each pane is a full editor. A pane holds its own tabs, format, view, and query panels. The two panes can hold different formats, for example JSON next to YAML.

Click a pane to focus it. The focused pane gets a highlighted border. The shared toolbar, modals, and Command Palette act on the focused pane.

Drag the divider to resize the panes. Each pane keeps at least a quarter of the space.

## Close a pane

Close the right pane to return to a single pane. Closing the right pane also closes its tabs. The left pane keeps its content.

## Limits

- Split view needs a wide screen. It is not available at phone width.
- The right pane does not store its state in the URL. A split layout is not shareable by link; only the left pane appears in a shared or bookmarked URL.

## Related

- [Tabs: work with several documents](https://prettify.tools/docs/tabs)
- [Diff and compare two documents](https://prettify.tools/docs/diff)
- [Prettify Pro](https://prettify.tools/docs/pro)

* [PreviousDiff and compare](https://prettify.tools/docs/diff)
* [Next Tabs](https://prettify.tools/docs/tabs)

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