---
url: https://cuonghuunguyen.github.io/features/files.md
---
# Files

The **Files** pane: a file tree and a simple editor for the session's folder. It lives in the side panel by default; it can also be a tab in the main area (see [Panes & layout](panes)).

![The file tree with cart.ts open in the editor](/screenshots/files.png)

## How to use

1. Open the side panel and pick **files** (or press Ctrl+Shift+E).
2. Click a file in the tree to open it in an editor tab.
3. Edit it and press Ctrl+S (⌘ S on Mac) to save.
4. To find a file by name, press Ctrl+P (**Open file**).

## File view

* The tree shows a file-type icon and a git status mark (modified, added, untracked…) for each file. A file inside a nested repository or a submodule gets the mark of its own repository. A repository folder shows a repository icon and a submodule an archive icon; neither gets a single `U` from the parent. Right-click one for **Show changes** or **Show graph**: they switch the [repository selector](changes#repositories) of Changes and Git graph.
* Open tabs and unsaved edits come back after a page reload.
* A single click opens a **preview tab** (its title is in italics); the next single click replaces it. Double click the tab or the tree row, or edit the file, to keep it open.
* A breadcrumb path and an unsaved marker (●) sit above the editor. Markdown files can show a rendered preview.
* Markdown preview shows tables at full height; the preview scrolls.
* Binary and very large files show a clear message instead of opening.
* **Filter files** and `@` in the prompt box also find files inside nested repositories and submodules.
* With no file open, the tree fills the tab. From 672px of panel width the tree sits beside the editor; below that it is a drawer (the **Files** button or Ctrl+\\).

## File dialog

Click **Pop out** in the Files tab to open the tree, tabs and editor in a large dialog. It is the same state: open tabs, unsaved edits, cursor and undo history carry over, and back (**Open in editor**).

A **Read** card in the timeline, a file path in Claude's answer (`src/cart.js:12`) and **Open in file dialog** in the tree menu open the file there, at its line. A bare file name in Claude's answer (`cart.js`) opens the matching file of the project. The match ignores case. When several files match, a file picker opens filtered by the name. With no match, a **File not found** message shows.

## File tree menu

Right-click (long press, or Shift+F10) a file or folder:

| Item | Does |
| --- | --- |
| **New file…**, **New folder…** | Creates it in that folder. The same items are in the menu of empty tree space. |
| **Rename** (F2), **Duplicate** | Renames or copies the file. |
| **Delete** (Delete) | Deletes it after you confirm. |
| **Copy path**, **Copy relative path** | Copies the path. |
| **Open in tab** | Moves the file into its own tab next to its session (also middle click on the row). See [Panes & layout](panes#one-file-or-one-artifact-as-a-tab). |
| **Add to prompt** | Inserts the file into the prompt box as an @mention. |

## Find in files

Ctrl+Shift+F (⌘ Shift F on Mac, or **Find in files** in the command palette) searches the text of the project's files with `git grep`, so git must be installed. Text selected in the editor or a text field becomes the query.

* Results are grouped by file, with two lines of context and the hits marked. Enter or a click opens the match at its line.
* The regex button switches to a regular expression (Perl-compatible, as `git grep -P`: `\d`, `\w` and `\b` work; a git built without PCRE says so). **Files to include** takes patterns such as `*.ts, *.tsx`.
* Ignored files are skipped in a git project; the eye button includes them. A folder that is not a git project searches everything, ignored files included, and the button hides them.
* ↑ and ↓ in the boxes recall earlier searches; in the result list (Tab) they move between matches.
* A search stops after 5 s, 200 files or 2000 matches, and says so. Binary files are skipped.

## Keys

| Key | Where | Does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ctrl+P | Anywhere | Open a file by name. Ctrl+Enter in the list inserts `@path` into the prompt instead. |
| Ctrl+Shift+F | Anywhere | Find in files |
| Ctrl+S | Editor | Save |
| Alt+K | Editor | Insert the file and the selected lines into the prompt box (⌥ K on Mac) |
| Ctrl+\ | Anywhere | Show or hide the file tree |

## Good to know

* Images and videos open as a preview. SVG files can switch between preview and text (**Show preview**).
* If the file changed on disk while you edited it, you choose: reload it or overwrite it.
* The browser warns you before you leave the page with unsaved changes.
* Only files inside the allowed roots can be opened. See [`--roots`](../reference/cli).