Guide · Open source

How to use Vundle.vim: install, configure and manage Vim plugins

Updated 2026-10-29 · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

Vundle (short for Vim bundle) is a plugin manager for Vim, the text editor. This guide shows you how to clone it, list the plugins you want in your .vimrc file, and install, update, search for and remove them from inside Vim. By the end you will have a working Vundle setup managed from a single configuration file.

VundleVundleVim/Vundle.vim · ★ 23.9k · MIT Install options & downloads

Quick start

1Install Git and Vim. Make sure Git and Vim are installed. Install curl as well if you want to use :PluginSearch.
2Clone Vundle. Run git clone https://github.com/VundleVim/Vundle.vim.git ~/.vim/bundle/Vundle.vim in your terminal.
3Create your .vimrc. Add the setup block to ~/.vimrc, including the runtime path line and vundle#begin() and vundle#end() calls.
4List your plugins. Add a Plugin line for each plugin between vundle#begin() and vundle#end(), using the 'user/repo' format for GitHub plugins.
5Install the plugins. Open vim and run :PluginInstall, or run vim +PluginInstall +qall from the command line.
6Maintain your plugins. Use :PluginUpdate to update, :PluginSearch to find scripts and :PluginClean to remove unused ones.

What Vundle does and what you need first

Vundle lets you keep track of and configure your plugins in your .vimrc file. It installs the plugins you list, updates them, searches for Vim scripts by name, and removes plugins you no longer use. It also manages the runtime path of installed scripts and regenerates help tags after installs and updates.

Installation requires Git, and Vundle clones each configured repository into ~/.vim/bundle/ by default. Curl is needed only for search. Vundle was developed and tested with Vim 7.3 on OS X, Linux and Windows.

Git
Vim
curl (needed for search)

Install Vundle by cloning it into your bundle directory

Clone the Vundle repository into ~/.vim/bundle/. This is the only installation step Vundle itself requires. Vundle then manages every other plugin for you.

git clone https://github.com/VundleVim/Vundle.vim.git ~/.vim/bundle/Vundle.vim

Configure your .vimrc to load Vundle and your plugins

Put the setup block at the top of your .vimrc. If the file does not exist yet, create it at ~/.vimrc. The example lists several plugin formats; remove the ones you do not need. Keep all Plugin commands between vundle#begin() and vundle#end(). Vundle also accepts a custom install path by passing it to vundle#begin().

Plugins hosted on GitHub are written as 'user/repo'. Plugins on other Git hosts use a full git:// or file:// address, and a plugin inside a subdirectory can be given an rtp option so the runtime path is set correctly.

Plugin 'tpope/vim-fugitive' loads a plugin from a GitHub repo.
Plugin 'file:///home/gmarik/path/to/plugin' loads a local Git repo, useful when you work on your own plugin.
Plugin 'rstacruz/sparkup', {'rtp': 'vim/'} points the runtime path at a subdirectory.
Plugin 'ascenator/L9', {'name': 'newL9'} avoids a naming conflict with a copy installed elsewhere.

set nocompatible              " be iMproved, required
filetype off                  " required

" set the runtime path to include Vundle and initialize
set rtp+=~/.vim/bundle/Vundle.vim
call vundle#begin()

" let Vundle manage Vundle, required
Plugin 'VundleVim/Vundle.vim'

" plugin on GitHub repo
Plugin 'tpope/vim-fugitive'

" All of your Plugins must be added before the following line
call vundle#end()            " required
filetype plugin indent on    " required

Install your plugins with PluginInstall

Open Vim and run :PluginInstall. To install from the command line without opening the editor interactively, use the second form below.

vim +PluginInstall +qall

Update, search and clean plugins

Vundle has a short set of commands. Run :PluginList to see the plugins you have configured. Append ! to :PluginInstall to update, or use :PluginUpdate. Use :PluginSearch followed by a term to search Vim scripts by name; append ! to refresh the local cache. :PluginClean asks you to confirm removal of unused plugins, and appending ! approves the removal automatically.

Vundle's interactive mode lets you run these actions with a single keypress. Full details are in the Vimdoc, which you open with :h vundle.

:PluginList lists configured plugins
:PluginInstall installs plugins; add ! to update, or use :PluginUpdate
:PluginSearch foo searches for foo; add ! to refresh the local cache
:PluginClean confirms removal of unused plugins; add ! to auto-approve removal

Fix common setup problems

If you use the fish shell, Vundle needs an extra line. Add set shell=/bin/bash to your .vimrc. Windows users should follow the separate Windows setup page rather than the steps above, and the wiki FAQ covers other issues.

Vundle is still under active development, and its interface is changing, so check the changelog after updating. Use :h vundle in Vim for the current reference.

Fish shell: add set shell=/bin/bash to .vimrc
Windows: follow the separate Windows setup guide
Other problems: check the FAQ on the project wiki

set shell=/bin/bash

What people use it for

Keep all Vim plugins listed in one .vimrc file so your setup is easy to copy to another machine.
Install a GitHub-hosted Vim plugin such as tpope/vim-fugitive by adding one Plugin line.
Find a Vim script by name from inside Vim with :PluginSearch.
Remove plugins you no longer use with :PluginClean after reviewing the confirmation prompt.
Load a plugin from a local Git repository while you develop it yourself.

Frequently asked questions

Is Vundle.vim free to use?

Yes. Vundle.vim is released under the MIT licence, according to the project's listing. You can use it, and the source is public on GitHub.

What do I need to install Vundle.vim?

You need Git and Vim. Curl is also required, but only for the search feature. Vundle clones each plugin with git clone into ~/.vim/bundle/ by default.

How do I install Vundle on Windows?

The README sends Windows users to a separate Windows setup page instead of the standard steps. Follow that page rather than the Unix paths shown in this guide.

Does Vundle work with the fish shell?

Not without extra configuration. The README says non-POSIX shells such as fish need additional setup, and suggests adding set shell=/bin/bash to your .vimrc.

Can I use Vundle with Neovim?

The README only describes Vim setup, so it does not cover Neovim. If you use Neovim, check whether Vundle supports your setup before relying on it.

How does Vundle compare to vim-plug or pathogen.vim?

Vundle keeps your plugin list in .vimrc and adds commands for install, update, search and clean. Pathogen, which inspired Vundle, is a different manager, and vim-plug and lazy.nvim are other options that people compare with it.

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Our verdict

Vundle suits Vim users who already work with Git and are comfortable editing a .vimrc file, especially if they want to search for scripts from inside Vim. If you use Neovim, Windows without extra setup, or a non-POSIX shell, check the project's setup pages first or consider another manager such as vim-plug, lazy.nvim or Packer.nvim.

Install options & downloads