Tree-based navigation history for VSCode. Instead of a flat linear back-stack, Backtrace records your code exploration as a tree — every F12 / Ctrl+Click jump becomes a node, and you can backtrack or branch forward through your actual exploration trail.
Why?
VSCode's built-in Alt+← navigates through every cursor movement — accidental clicks, scroll-induced selections, and intentional jumps all mixed together. Backtrace only records meaningful navigation commands (Go to Definition by default), giving you a clean history of where you explored and how you got there.
Features
Tree navigation — each jump creates a child node; going back never destroys forward branches
Sidebar view (Backtrace Stack) — flat linear path from root to current node
Bottom panel view (Backtrace Tree) — full expanded tree with all branches visible
Jump to Caller — one click to see the exact call-site line that led to the current node
Go Back / Go Forward — keyboard-driven navigation through the tree
Multi-branch forward — when multiple forward paths exist, choose via notification or QuickPick
Persistence — tree survives VSCode restarts (workspace-scoped)
Delete nodes — prune uninteresting branches with the inline × button
Keyboard Shortcuts
Command
Default Keybinding
Backtrace: Go Back
Ctrl+Alt+[
Backtrace: Go Forward
Ctrl+Alt+]
Settings
Setting
Type
Default
Description
backtrace.maxTreeDepth
number
50
Maximum depth of the navigation tree
backtrace.persistHistory
boolean
true
Persist navigation tree across VSCode sessions
backtrace.forwardBehavior
string
"notification"
How to handle multiple forward targets: notification or quickpick
How It Works
You press F12 (Go to Definition) or Ctrl+Click a symbol
Backtrace captures the call-site (the symbol reference you jumped from) and the destination
A new node is added as a child of the current node in the tree
Use Ctrl+Alt+[ / Ctrl+Alt+] to walk back and forth through your exploration
Tip: For the most accurate call-site tracking, prefer F12 over Ctrl+Click.
F12 requires the cursor to be on the symbol first, so Backtrace can precisely
record the call-site line. Ctrl+Click captures the click position when VSCode
reports it; otherwise it falls back to the parent node's recorded position.
Views
Sidebar → Backtrace Stack: shows the linear path from root to your current position
Panel → Backtrace → Backtrace Tree: shows the full tree with all branches; inline buttons let you jump to the caller site or delete a node
