diff --git a/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout.kdl b/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout.kdl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b6d67dcf0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout.kdl
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+layout {
+    default_tab_template {
+        pane size=1 borderless=true {
+            plugin location="zellij:tab-bar"
+        }
+        children
+        pane size=2 borderless=true {
+            plugin location="zellij:status-bar"
+        }
+    }
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane size="50%"
+            pane size="50%"
+        }
+    }
+    tab
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane size="50%"
+            pane size="50%"
+        }
+    }
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane size="50%"
+            pane size="50%" split_direction="Horizontal" {
+                pane size="50%"
+                pane size="50%"
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    tab
+    tab
+    tab
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane size="20%" {
+                plugin location="zellij:strider"
+            }
+            pane size="80%" split_direction="Horizontal" {
+                pane size="50%"
+                pane size="50%"
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane size="40%"
+            pane size="60%" split_direction="Horizontal" {
+                pane size="50%"
+                pane size="50%"
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout.yaml b/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 04fca4a51a..0000000000
--- a/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,90 +0,0 @@
----
-template:
-  direction: Horizontal
-  parts:
-    - direction: Vertical
-      split_size:
-        Fixed: 1
-      run:
-        plugin:
-          location: "zellij:tab-bar"
-      borderless: true
-    - direction: Vertical
-      body: true
-    - direction: Vertical
-      split_size:
-        Fixed: 2
-      run:
-        plugin:
-          location: "zellij:status-bar"
-      borderless: true
-
-tabs:
-- direction: Vertical
-  parts:
-  - direction: Vertical
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 50
-  - direction: Vertical
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 50
-- direction: Vertical
-- direction: Vertical
-  parts:
-    - direction: Vertical
-      split_size:
-        Percent: 50
-    - direction: Vertical
-      split_size:
-        Percent: 50
-- direction: Vertical
-  parts:
-  - direction: Vertical
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 50
-  - direction: Horizontal
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 50
-    parts:
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-- direction: Vertical
-- direction: Vertical
-- direction: Vertical
-- direction: Vertical
-  parts:
-  - direction: Vertical
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 20
-    run:
-      plugin:
-        location: "zellij:strider"
-  - direction: Horizontal
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 80
-    parts:
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-- direction: Vertical
-  parts:
-  - direction: Vertical
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 40
-  - direction: Horizontal
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 60
-    parts:
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
diff --git a/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout_htop_command.kdl b/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout_htop_command.kdl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c0efcba85b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout_htop_command.kdl
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+layout {
+    default_tab_template {
+        pane size=1 borderless=true {
+            plugin location="zellij:tab-bar"
+        }
+        children
+        pane size=2 borderless=true {
+            plugin location="zellij:status-bar"
+        }
+    }
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane command="htop" size="50%"
+            pane size="50%"
+        }
+    }
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane size="50%"
+            pane size="50%"
+        }
+    }
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane size="50%"
+            pane size="50%" split_direction="Horizontal" {
+                pane size="50%"
+                pane size="50%"
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    tab
+    tab
+    tab
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane size="20%" {
+                plugin location="zellij:strider"
+            }
+            pane size="80%" split_direction="Horizontal" {
+                pane size="50%"
+                pane size="50%"
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane size="40%"
+            pane size="60%" split_direction="Horizontal" {
+                pane size="50%"
+                pane size="50%"
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout_htop_command.yaml b/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout_htop_command.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 1449aa7194..0000000000
--- a/example/layouts/multiple_tabs_layout_htop_command.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,93 +0,0 @@
----
-template:
-  direction: Horizontal
-  parts:
-    - direction: Vertical
-      split_size:
-        Fixed: 1
-      run:
-        plugin:
-          location: "zellij:tab-bar"
-      borderless: true
-    - direction: Vertical
-      body: true
-    - direction: Vertical
-      split_size:
-        Fixed: 2
-      run:
-        plugin:
-          location: "zellij:status-bar"
-      borderless: true
-
-tabs:
-- direction: Vertical
-  parts:
-  - direction: Vertical
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 50
-    run:
-      command: {cmd: htop}
-  - direction: Vertical
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 50
-- direction: Vertical
-  parts:
-    - direction: Vertical
-      split_size:
-        Percent: 50
-    - direction: Vertical
-      split_size:
-        Percent: 50
-- direction: Vertical
-  parts:
-  - direction: Vertical
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 50
-  - direction: Horizontal
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 50
-    parts:
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-- direction: Vertical
-- direction: Vertical
-  run:
-    command: {cmd: htop, args: ["-C"]}
-- direction: Vertical
-- direction: Vertical
-  parts:
-  - direction: Vertical
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 20
-    run:
-      plugin:
-        location: "zellij:strider"
-  - direction: Horizontal
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 80
-    parts:
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-- direction: Vertical
-  parts:
-  - direction: Vertical
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 40
-  - direction: Horizontal
-    split_size:
-      Percent: 60
-    parts:
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
diff --git a/example/layouts/run_htop_layout.kdl b/example/layouts/run_htop_layout.kdl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..961620160f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/layouts/run_htop_layout.kdl
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+layout {
+    default_tab_template {
+        children
+    }
+    tab split_direction="Vertical" {
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane size="50%" split_direction="Horizontal" {
+                pane size="50%"
+                pane command="htop" size="50%"
+            }
+            pane command="htop" size="50%"
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/example/layouts/run_htop_layout.yaml b/example/layouts/run_htop_layout.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 91f4f63cbe..0000000000
--- a/example/layouts/run_htop_layout.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,21 +0,0 @@
----
-tabs:
-  - direction: Vertical
-    parts:
-      - direction: Horizontal
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-        parts:
-          - direction: Vertical
-            split_size:
-              Percent: 50
-          - direction: Vertical
-            split_size:
-              Percent: 50
-            run:
-              command: {cmd: htop}
-      - direction: Horizontal
-        split_size:
-          Percent: 50
-        run:
-          command: {cmd: htop}
diff --git a/example/layouts/run_htop_layout_with_plugins.kdl b/example/layouts/run_htop_layout_with_plugins.kdl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1cfe6ba6cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/layouts/run_htop_layout_with_plugins.kdl
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+layout {
+    default_tab_template {
+        children
+    }
+    tab split_direction="Horizontal" {
+        pane size=1 borderless=true {
+            plugin location="zellij:tab-bar"
+        }
+        pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+            pane split_direction="Vertical" {
+                pane command="htop" size="50%"
+                pane command="htop" size="50%" {
+                    args "-C"
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        pane size=5
+        pane size=2 borderless=true {
+            plugin location="zellij:status-bar"
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/example/layouts/run_htop_layout_with_plugins.yaml b/example/layouts/run_htop_layout_with_plugins.yaml
deleted file mode 100644
index 840696d185..0000000000
--- a/example/layouts/run_htop_layout_with_plugins.yaml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,35 +0,0 @@
----
-tabs:
-  - direction: Horizontal
-    parts:
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Fixed: 1
-        run:
-          plugin:
-            location: "zellij:tab-bar"
-        borderless: true
-      - direction: Vertical
-        parts:
-        - direction: Vertical
-          parts:
-          - direction: Vertical
-            split_size:
-              Percent: 50
-            run:
-              command: {cmd: htop}
-          - direction: Vertical
-            split_size:
-              Percent: 50
-            run:
-              command: {cmd: htop, args: ["-C"]}
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Fixed: 5
-      - direction: Vertical
-        split_size:
-          Fixed: 2
-        run:
-          plugin:
-            location: "zellij:status-bar"
-        borderless: true