diff --git a/src/cocoindex_code/settings.py b/src/cocoindex_code/settings.py
index fb5b8be..0ae03db 100644
--- a/src/cocoindex_code/settings.py
+++ b/src/cocoindex_code/settings.py
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ def default_project_settings() -> ProjectSettings:
 # ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 _SETTINGS_DIR_NAME = ".cocoindex_code"
-_SETTINGS_FILE_NAME = "settings.yml"
+_SETTINGS_FILE_NAME = "settings.yml"  # project-level
+_USER_SETTINGS_FILE_NAME = "global_settings.yml"  # user-level
 
 
 def user_settings_dir() -> Path:
@@ -127,8 +128,8 @@ def user_settings_dir() -> Path:
 
 
 def user_settings_path() -> Path:
-    """Return ``~/.cocoindex_code/settings.yml``."""
-    return user_settings_dir() / _SETTINGS_FILE_NAME
+    """Return ``~/.cocoindex_code/global_settings.yml``."""
+    return user_settings_dir() / _USER_SETTINGS_FILE_NAME
 
 
 def project_settings_path(project_root: Path) -> Path:
diff --git a/tests/test_backward_compat.py b/tests/test_backward_compat.py
index 09bb577..b8f5f35 100644
--- a/tests/test_backward_compat.py
+++ b/tests/test_backward_compat.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ def test_legacy_entry_creates_settings_from_env_vars(
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         "cocoindex_code.settings.user_settings_path",
-        lambda: tmp_path / "user" / "settings.yml",
+        lambda: tmp_path / "user" / "global_settings.yml",
     )
 
     # Simulate env vars
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def test_legacy_entry_respects_existing_settings(
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         "cocoindex_code.settings.user_settings_path",
-        lambda: tmp_path / "user" / "settings.yml",
+        lambda: tmp_path / "user" / "global_settings.yml",
     )
 
     custom = UserSettings(
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index 0f27b88..c4eb587 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def daemon_env(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> tuple[Path, s
     monkeypatch.setattr("cocoindex_code.settings.user_settings_dir", lambda: user_dir)
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         "cocoindex_code.settings.user_settings_path",
-        lambda: user_dir / "settings.yml",
+        lambda: user_dir / "global_settings.yml",
     )
     save_user_settings(default_user_settings())
 
diff --git a/tests/test_settings.py b/tests/test_settings.py
index fa038bd..9891ee5 100644
--- a/tests/test_settings.py
+++ b/tests/test_settings.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def _patch_user_dir(tmp_path: Path, monkeypatch: pytest.MonkeyPatch) -> None:
     )
     monkeypatch.setattr(
         "cocoindex_code.settings.user_settings_path",
-        lambda: tmp_path / ".cocoindex_code" / "settings.yml",
+        lambda: tmp_path / ".cocoindex_code" / "global_settings.yml",
     )