Xshell Highlight Sets Cisco !link! May 2026
Master Cisco CLI Management: The Ultimate Guide to Xshell Highlight Sets
For network engineers, the command line is a second home. Whether you are troubleshooting a BGP flap, reviewing a running configuration, or monitoring logs on a Cisco Catalyst or ASR router, the sheer volume of text output can be overwhelming. In a sea of white-on-black (or green-on-black) text, how do you spot a critical error, a hidden warning, or a specific IP address in milliseconds?
Configuration Auditing: Highlight specific parameters like no shut, vlan IDs, or description fields to ensure consistency. Step 1: Creating a New Highlight Set xshell highlight sets cisco
BGP neighbor 10.0.0.1 remote AS 65001
BGP neighbor 10.0.0.1 state Idle
BGP neighbor 10.0.0.1 uptime 00:00:00
% BGP-3-NOTIFICATION sent to 10.0.0.1 (hold time expired)
💡 Keep it minimal: Too many colors create "rainbow fatigue."💡 Bold vs. Dim: Use bold for active statuses and dim colors for descriptions.💡 Test with 'Show' commands: Verify your colors look good against show ip int br and show run. If you’d like, I can: Master Cisco CLI Management: The Ultimate Guide to
| Purpose | Regex Pattern | Style |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Interface Up | \b(?:up|up/up)\b | Green text, Bold |
| Protocol Up | line protocol is up | Cyan text |
| Adjacency Established | BGP.*Established|OSPF.*FULL/ - | Green background, Black text |
| Ping Success | Success rate is 100 percent | Green text, Underline |
| Config Saved | OK|written to flash | Bright Green text | 💡 Keep it minimal: Too many colors create
- Regex:
^!.* - Logic: Matches any line starting with an exclamation mark.
- Color Recommendation: Bright Yellow (foreground) on Default (background).
Example Cisco Highlight Rules
| Pattern (Regex) | Purpose | Suggested Color |
|----------------|---------|----------------|
| %ERROR | Error messages | Red text + yellow background |
| %WARNING | Warnings | Orange text |
| %NOTICE | Notices | Light blue |
| down | Interface/link down | Red |
| up.+\r | Interface/link up | Green |
| err-disable | Port error state | Magenta + bold |
| deny\|block | ACL denials | Red + italic |
| authentication failed | Login failures | Red background |
| [0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+\.[0-9]+ | IP addresses | Cyan |
| vlan [0-9]+ | VLAN changes | Yellow |