Manage and apply custom include/exclude file patterns for VS Code's search functionality.
Features
All commands can be accessed via the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P) unless otherwise noted.
Custom Search: Add Filter:
Prompts for a filter name, include pattern (glob), and exclude pattern (glob).
Saves the filter for later use.
Custom Search: Select Filter and Search:
Shows a list of your saved filters.
Selecting a filter opens the Search view with the corresponding include/exclude patterns pre-filled.
Custom Search: Delete Filter:
Shows a list of your saved filters.
Select a filter to permanently remove it.
Custom Search: Edit Filter:
Shows a list of your saved filters.
Selecting a filter allows you to modify its name, include pattern, and exclude pattern via input boxes.
Custom Search: Add Folder to Include Filter (Explorer Context Menu):
Right-click one or more folders in the File Explorer.
Choose this option to select an existing filter (or create a new one).
You'll be prompted to either append the selected folder path(s) (e.g., folder1/**/*,folder2/**/*) to the filter's include pattern or overwrite the existing pattern. Duplicates are skipped when appending.
Custom Search: Add Folder to Exclude Filter (Explorer Context Menu):
Right-click one or more folders in the File Explorer.
Choose this option to select an existing filter (or create a new one).
You'll be prompted to either append the selected folder path(s) to the filter's exclude pattern or overwrite the existing pattern. Duplicates are skipped when appending.
Custom Search: Add File Type to Include Filter (Explorer Context Menu):
Right-click one or more files (with extensions) in the File Explorer.
Choose this option to select an existing filter (or create a new one).
You'll be prompted to either append the selected file type(s) (e.g., **/*.ts,**/*.js) to the filter's include pattern or overwrite the existing pattern. Duplicates are skipped when appending.
Custom Search: Add File Type to Exclude Filter (Explorer Context Menu):
Right-click one or more files (with extensions) in the File Explorer.
Choose this option to select an existing filter (or create a new one).
You'll be prompted to either append the selected file type(s) to the filter's exclude pattern or overwrite the existing pattern. Duplicates are skipped when appending.
Filter Scope and Storage
Filters can be saved with two different scopes:
Global Filters
Scope: Available across all projects and workspaces
Sync: Can be synced across devices using VS Code Settings Sync
Enable/Disable: You can enable or disable global filters in VS Code settings. Disabled filters will not appear in the filter selection list
Default State: All global filters are enabled by default
Workspace Filters
Scope: Only available in the current workspace/project
Storage Location: Stored in .vscode/custom-search-filters.json in the project root directory
Sync: Included in the project repository (if committed), making them available to all team members
Visibility: Always visible in the filter selection list (cannot be disabled)
When creating a new filter, you'll be prompted to choose between Global or Workspace scope. The filter list displays both types with icons indicating their scope (🌐 for Global, 📁 for Workspace).
