File Explorer Filter

Instantly narrow the VS Code Explorer down to only the files you're looking for.

File Explorer Filter adds a persistent filter box above your file tree. Type a file name, a wildcard, or paste a whole list of file names, and the Explorer tree collapses to show only the matches - with every non‑matching folder hidden, not just greyed out or left empty.

Why File Explorer Filter

Large codebases - monorepos, multi-root workspaces, generated-code trees, enterprise projects with thousands of files - make the built-in Explorer tree slow to scan visually. VS Code's search view finds files, but it doesn't reshape the tree around what you found. File Explorer Filter does:

• Find a file (or a list of files) instantly, without leaving the Explorer or opening a separate search panel.
• See only what matters. Every folder with no match anywhere inside it disappears from the tree - including deeply nested ones - instead of leaving a maze of empty folders to scroll past.
• Jump straight to results. Every folder that does contain a match is auto-expanded the moment you filter, so you never have to manually click your way down to a result.
• Paste a list, not just one name. Got a list of files from a code review, a ticket, or a colleague's message? Paste it in - one file name per line - and File Explorer Filter treats it exactly like a pipe-separated search.

Use cases

• Code review / ticket triage - paste the list of changed or affected files from a PR description or ticket and jump straight to each one.
• Large multi-root / monorepo workspaces - filter across every root at once, with same-named folders in different roots handled independently.
• Unfamiliar codebases - quickly narrow a huge, unfamiliar tree down to the handful of files relevant to what you're working on right now.
• Repetitive navigation - if you find yourself opening the same handful of files across a big project throughout the day, keep the pattern in your filter history and reapply it in one keystroke.

Key features

• Three ways to match, auto-detected from what you type: | You type | File Explorer Filter does | |---|---| | invoice.service.ts | Live substring match as you type | | invoice.service.ts\|payment.service.ts (pipe-separated) | Exact match on each of the listed file names | | A pasted list, one file name per line | Treated exactly like a pipe-separated list | | *.spec.ts or Account?.cs | Wildcard match (* and ?) |
• Auto-expand to results - matching folders open automatically; nothing to click through manually.
• Empty folders are actually hidden - not just left visible-but-empty.
• Filter history - your last 10 patterns are remembered per workspace. Recall them with ↑ / ↓ (just like shell history) or pick one from the visible Recent list; delete entries you don't need individually or clear the whole list.
• Multi-line, paste-friendly input - the filter box is a real text area, so pasting a multi-line list of file names just works.
• Matched files are marked in the Explorer with a small indicator, so you can spot them at a glance even while scrolling past non-matches.
• A single, consistent input surface - the File Explorer Filter: Set Pattern command (bindable to any keyboard shortcut) focuses the exact same filter box, so behavior never differs based on how you got there.
• Non-destructive - your own files.exclude settings are read once and restored exactly when you clear the filter. File Explorer Filter never overwrites or discards your existing configuration.

How it improves your workflow

• Fewer clicks, less scrolling. Go from "where is this file" to "there it is, expanded and highlighted" in one keystroke instead of manually expanding folder after folder.
• Stays out of your way. No dialogs, no separate panel to manage - the filter box lives right where you already look, at the top of the Explorer.
• Keeps context. Filtering doesn't change your open editors, your workspace layout, or your permanent settings - it's a temporary lens on the tree that you can clear at any time.
• Scales to real-world repos. Built and tested against multi-root, multi-thousand-file workspaces, not just toy projects.

Installation

1. Open Extensions in VS Code (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X).
2. Search for File Explorer Filter.
3. Click Install.

Or from the command line:

code --install-extension honglmn.file-explorer-filter

Usage

Open the Explorer (Ctrl+Shift+E / Cmd+Shift+E) - the Filter box sits right above your file tree.

Type and press Enter to apply:

invoice.service.ts

Live substring match - shows every file with "invoice.service.ts" anywhere in its name.

invoice.service.ts|payment.service.ts|refund.service.ts

Exact match on each of the three named files, wherever they are in the workspace.

*.spec.ts

Wildcard match - every file ending in .spec.ts.

Paste a multi-line list (e.g. copied from a PR or a ticket) directly into the box:

invoice.service.ts
payment.service.ts
refund.service.ts

Press Enter once to apply the whole list - it's matched exactly like the pipe-separated example above.

Keyboard reference

Recent history

Your last 10 applied patterns are listed under the filter box:

• Click a pattern to re-apply it immediately.
• Click the small ✕ on a pattern to remove just that one.
• Click Clear all to wipe the whole history.

Commands

To add a keyboard shortcut: open Keyboard Shortcuts (Ctrl+K Ctrl+S / Cmd+K Cmd+S), search for "File Explorer Filter", and assign the keys you want.

Settings

File Explorer Filter currently works out of the box with no configuration required. (Have a setting you'd like to see exposed - result cap, default match mode, keybinding presets? Open an issue - see Support below.)

Requirements

• VS Code 1.74.0 or later.
• No other dependencies.

How it works, briefly

File Explorer Filter scans your workspace, matches file names against your pattern, then temporarily updates files.exclude so that only matching files - and every folder needed to reach them - remain visible. Clearing the filter restores your original settings exactly; nothing is ever permanently changed. Folder names containing [ or ] are handled correctly and never misinterpreted as glob syntax.

Support

Found a bug or have a feature request? Please open an issue on the GitHub repository.

License

MIT