Filename Search
Lightning-fast filename search for VS Code. Inspired by Sapien PowerShell Studio and Everything search.
This extension is for people who use their mouse instead of complex key combos. It adds a searchable sidebar to VSCode that lists filenames in your workspace and lets you open them with a click.
No keyboard shortcuts required. Click the icon in the Activity Bar and start typing.
Features
- Instant Filtering - Results update on every keystroke with zero latency
- Multiple Search Modes - Choose between substring (default), prefix, or fuzzy matching
- Smart Path Display - Shows paths only when duplicate filenames exist ("As needed" mode)
- Sorting Options - Sort by name, path, or modification date (ascending/descending)
- 100% GUI - Beautiful Activity Bar icon, no keyboard shortcuts needed
- Respects Ignores - Honors
.gitignore, files.exclude, and search.exclude settings
- Large Workspace Support - Efficient indexing with incremental updates
- Context Menus - Right-click files to search filename or search in files
- Customizable Icons - Choose your preferred codicon for file display
Usage
- Click the Filename Search icon in the Activity Bar (left sidebar)
- Start typing in the search box
- Click a result or use arrow keys + Enter to open
The search panel includes three buttons in the title bar:
| Button |
Description |
| Refresh |
Re-index all workspace files |
| Sort |
Cycle through sort modes (name, path, date) |
| Settings |
Open extension settings |
Right-click on any file in the Explorer or editor tabs:
| Action |
Description |
| Search Filename |
Opens the Filename Search panel and searches for the file's basename |
| Search in Files |
Opens VSCode's Search panel and searches for the file's basename in file contents |
Right-click on any folder in the Explorer:
| Action |
Description |
| Exclude Folder from Filename Search |
Adds the folder to exclude patterns (with Undo option) |
Right-click on any result in the Filename Search panel:
| Action |
Description |
| Exclude Folder from Search |
Excludes the file's parent folder from future searches |
Search Modes
Configure filenameSearch.searchMode in settings:
| Mode |
Description |
Example |
contains (default) |
Query must appear as substring |
dbadat matches Get-DbaDatabase.ps1 |
prefix |
Filename must start with query |
Get- matches Get-DbaDatabase.ps1 |
fuzzy |
Characters can be scattered |
gdb matches Get-DbaDatabase.ps1 |
Keyboard Navigation
| Key |
Action |
Ctrl+Shift+Q / Cmd+Shift+Q |
Open Filename Search panel |
Up/Down |
Navigate results |
Enter |
Open selected file |
Escape |
Clear search |
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
searchMode |
contains |
Search mode: contains, prefix, or fuzzy |
caseSensitive |
false |
Enable case-sensitive search |
showPath |
As needed |
When to show paths: Always, As needed, or Never |
sortOrder |
name-asc |
Sort order: name, path, or modified (asc/desc) |
maxResults |
100 |
Maximum results to display |
codicon |
file |
Icon next to filenames (e.g., file, file-code, book) |
includeFileTypes |
(empty) |
Only show specific file types (e.g., ts, js, ps1) |
excludePatterns |
["**/.git/**"] |
Additional glob patterns to exclude |
useIgnoreFiles |
true |
Respect root and nested .gitignore files when indexing |
useExcludeSettings |
true |
Respect files.exclude and search.exclude settings |
folder |
(empty) |
Custom folder to search instead of workspace |
depth |
10 |
Maximum subfolder depth to search (1-20) |
searchMinimum |
0 |
Minimum files before showing search box |
Commands
| Command |
Description |
Filename Search: Open |
Open the search panel |
Filename Search: Refresh |
Re-index workspace files |
Filename Search: Sort Files |
Cycle through sort orders |
Filename Search: Open Settings |
Open extension settings |
Filename Search: Search Filename |
Search for file's basename |
Filename Search: Search in Files |
Search file contents for basename |
Filename Search: Exclude Folder |
Exclude a folder from search (via Explorer context menu) |
This extension is designed for speed:
- Instant warm starts - A compact, workspace-scoped index is restored before background reconciliation begins
- No blank refreshes - Existing results remain searchable while explicit refreshes or configuration changes are processed
- Incremental updates - Batched create/delete events are sent to the webview as small deltas
- Remote-friendly discovery - Uses VS Code's workspace search and file-system APIs instead of direct local disk traversal
- Accurate exclusions - Honors
files.exclude, search.exclude, extension globs, and root or nested .gitignore files
- Bounded ranking - Search retains only the best configured number of matches instead of sorting every broad match
Large Workspaces
For workspaces with 100k+ files:
- Ensure
files.exclude and search.exclude are configured to skip large directories
- Add heavy folders to
filenameSearch.excludePatterns
- Use
includeFileTypes to filter to specific extensions
- Reduce
depth if you don't need deeply nested files
Why This Extension?
VS Code's built-in Quick Open (Ctrl+P) uses fuzzy matching which can return unexpected results. If you type dbadatabas, you might get files that vaguely match scattered characters instead of files containing that exact substring.
This extension gives you control:
- Substring mode (default) - Like PowerShell Studio, only shows files containing your exact query
- Prefix mode - Even stricter, only shows files starting with your query
- Fuzzy mode - For those who want it
I wrote this because I'm not good at key combos and prefer using a mouse for searches. It also replicates functionality that I used to appreciate in PowerShell Studio.
Requirements
Author
Chrissy LeMaire - 2025
License
MIT License - see LICENSE for details.
Contributing
Issues and pull requests welcome at GitHub.
