File Markers

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Track file and folder status directly in VSCode's Explorer. Right-click to add visual markers like Done, In Progress, or Pending—no config files to edit, no separate sidebar to manage.
Perfect for migrations, refactoring projects, and code reviews.

Features
Right-Click to Mark
Add markers to any file or folder directly from the Explorer context menu.
Visual Badges
See file status at a glance with colored badges in the Explorer panel.
| Marker |
Badge |
Color |
Use Case |
| Done |
✓ |
Green |
Completed files |
| In Progress |
◐ |
Yellow |
Currently working on |
| Pending |
○ |
Red |
Not started yet |
| Important |
★ |
Orange |
High priority files |
| Needs Review |
◉ |
Blue |
Ready for code review |
| Question |
? |
Purple |
Need clarification |
Note: Badges are limited to 2 characters maximum (VSCode FileDecoration API limitation).
Folder Markers with Inheritance
Mark entire folders! With inheritance enabled, unmarked files inside a marked folder automatically display a dimmed version of the parent's marker.
Keyboard Shortcut
Quickly toggle markers on the active file:
- Windows/Linux:
Ctrl+Shift+M
- macOS:
Cmd+Shift+M
Status Bar Summary
See marker counts at a glance in the status bar. Click to view detailed statistics.
Bulk Operations
- Multi-select files and apply markers to all at once
- Remove all markers in a folder
- Remove all markers in workspace via Command Palette
Persistent & Shareable
Markers are stored in .vscode/file-markers.json. Commit this file to share markers with your team, or add it to .gitignore for personal use.
Custom Marker Types
You can define custom marker types by editing .vscode/file-markers.json directly. The file supports both marker assignments and custom marker type definitions:
{
"markerTypes": [
{
"id": "done",
"badge": "✓",
"color": "gitDecoration.addedResourceForeground",
"label": "Done"
},
{
"id": "blocked",
"badge": "🚫",
"color": "errorForeground",
"label": "Blocked"
}
],
"markers": {
"src/old-api.ts": "done",
"src/utils": "blocked"
}
}
Marker Type Properties:
| Property |
Required |
Description |
id |
Yes |
Unique identifier used in the markers object |
badge |
Yes |
1-2 character badge displayed in Explorer (emoji or text) |
color |
Yes |
VSCode theme color ID (e.g., errorForeground, gitDecoration.addedResourceForeground) |
label |
Yes |
Display name shown in QuickPick and tooltips |
Tip: Use File Markers: Open Configuration command to quickly open the config file. Changes are detected automatically—no need to reload VSCode.
Installation
- Open VSCode
- Go to Extensions (
Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
- Search for "File Markers"
- Click Install
Or install via command line:
code --install-extension joneldominic-dev.file-markers
Usage
Setting a Marker
- Right-click any file or folder in the Explorer
- Select File Markers: Set Marker...
- Choose a marker type from the QuickPick menu
Removing a Marker
- Right-click a marked item → File Markers: Remove Marker
- Or use the Command Palette → File Markers: Remove All Markers
Keyboard Toggle
Press Ctrl+Shift+M (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+M (macOS) to cycle through markers on the active file.
Viewing Statistics
Click the marker summary in the status bar to see a breakdown of all markers in your workspace.
Extension Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
fileMarkers.inheritFolderMarkers |
false |
When enabled, unmarked files inside a marked folder display a dimmed version of the folder's marker |
fileMarkers.statusBarAlignment |
"left" |
Position of marker statistics in the status bar ("left" or "right") |
Use Cases
- Migrations — Track which files have been migrated to a new framework
- Refactoring — Mark files as you work through a large refactor
- Code Reviews — Flag files that need attention
- Onboarding — Mark files you've reviewed while learning a codebase
- Tech Debt — Highlight files that need improvement
- Task Tracking — Visual progress on file-by-file tasks
Commands
| Command |
Description |
File Markers: Set Marker... |
Add or change a marker on selected files |
File Markers: Remove Marker |
Remove marker from selected files |
File Markers: Remove Markers in Folder |
Remove all markers from files in a folder |
File Markers: Remove All Markers |
Remove all markers in the workspace |
File Markers: Toggle Marker |
Cycle through markers on the active file |
File Markers: Show Marker Statistics |
View marker counts by type |
File Markers: Open Configuration |
Open extension settings |
Requirements
Known Issues
None yet! Report an issue
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please open an issue or submit a pull request on GitHub.
Release Notes
See CHANGELOG.md for detailed release history.
License
MIT