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How to Change the Command Prompt Title in Batch Script

When you are running a batch script, especially a long or complex one, the command prompt window's title bar defaults to showing the path to cmd.exe. This is not very descriptive and can be confusing if you have multiple scripts running. A simple but effective way to improve the user experience is to change the window's title to reflect the script's name or its current status.

This guide will teach you how to use the simple and direct TITLE command to set a custom title for your command prompt window. You'll also learn how to dynamically update the title to reflect the script's progress, a technique that adds a professional touch to your automation.

The Core Command: TITLE​

The TITLE command is a simple, built-in command with a single purpose: to set the title of the current cmd.exe window.

Syntax: TITLE Your New Window Title

  • Your New Window Title: The string of text you want to appear in the title bar. The command takes the entire rest of the line as the title string.

Basic Example: Setting a Static Title​

This is the most common use case. You set the title at the beginning of the script to clearly identify what the window is for.

@ECHO OFF
REM Set a descriptive title for the script.
TITLE Daily Backup Utility v1.2

ECHO --- Starting Daily Backup ---
ECHO.
ECHO This process may take several minutes.
ECHO Please do not close this window.
ECHO.

REM (Backup commands would go here)
TIMEOUT /T 10

ECHO --- Backup Complete ---
PAUSE
note

When you run this script, the window's title bar will immediately change from "C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe" to "Daily Backup Utility v1.2", making it easy to identify.

Dynamically Updating the Title to Show Progress​

A more advanced technique is to change the title as your script moves through different stages of its execution. This provides a live status update to the user without cluttering the main console output.

@ECHO OFF
TITLE System Maintenance Script - Initializing...

ECHO Step 1: Cleaning temporary files.
REM (Cleanup commands here)
TIMEOUT /T 3

TITLE System Maintenance Script - Backing up registry...
ECHO Step 2: Backing up the registry.
REM (Registry backup commands here)
TIMEOUT /T 3

TITLE System Maintenance Script - Defragmenting disk...
ECHO Step 3: Defragmenting the disk.
REM (Defrag commands here)
TIMEOUT /T 3

TITLE System Maintenance Script - Complete
ECHO.
ECHO --- All tasks are complete. ---
PAUSE

As this script runs, the user can see the current task just by looking at the top of the window, which is extremely helpful for long-running processes.

Restoring the Original Title​

When your script finishes, you may want to restore the window's original title, especially if the script was run from an existing, interactive command prompt. You can do this by saving the original title at the start.

Unfortunately, there is no built-in variable to get the current window title. However, if the script was run from an existing prompt, the default title is usually "Command Prompt".

@ECHO OFF
TITLE My Temporary Task

ECHO Doing some work...
TIMEOUT /T 5

ECHO Work is done. Restoring the title.
TITLE Command Prompt

Common Pitfalls and How to Solve Them​

  • Special Characters (&, |, >): If your desired title string contains special command characters, the command processor will interpret them and break the command.

    REM This will FAIL.
    TITLE R&D Department Script

    Solution: Enclose the entire title string in double quotes. The TITLE command is smart enough to handle this, and the quotes themselves will not appear in the final title.

    REM This works.
    TITLE "R&D Department Script"

  • Title Disappears: If you close a script that set a custom title, the title is gone with the window. If you run a script from an existing cmd.exe window, the title will remain changed after the script finishes. This is why restoring it can be a good practice for scripts designed to be run in an interactive session.

Practical Example: A Multi-Stage Processing Script​

This script processes a list of servers, updating the title to show which server is currently being processed. This gives the user a clear, at-a-glance status update.

@ECHO OFF
SETLOCAL

SET "ServerList=server-dc01 server-fs01 server-db01"
SET "count=0"
SET "total=3"

FOR %%S IN (%ServerList%) DO (
    SET /A "count+=1"
    
    REM --- Dynamically update the title ---
    TITLE Processing Server %count% of %total%: %%S
    
    ECHO [%count%/%total%] Pinging server %%S...
    PING -n 2 %%S > NUL
    
    ECHO Done.
    ECHO.
)

TITLE Processing Complete!
ECHO --- All servers have been processed. ---
PAUSE

ENDLOCAL

Conclusion​

The TITLE command is a simple but highly effective tool for improving the user experience of your batch scripts. It provides a clean, unobtrusive way to identify a script's purpose and display its current status.

Key takeaways:

  • The basic syntax is TITLE My New Title.
  • You can update the title multiple times throughout your script to show progress.
  • To safely handle special characters like &, enclose the entire title string in double quotes.

Using TITLE is a hallmark of a well-written, user-friendly script and adds a layer of professionalism to your automation.

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