Preview All-in-One with QuickLook

Preview files from VS Code through the Windows QuickLook app.

中文文档：README.zh-CN.md

Highlights

• Press Space in Explorer, Source Control, Timeline, or Source Control Graph to invoke the external QuickLook preview.
• Works from Explorer, editor tabs, Search Results, Source Control, Git Diff and History, and the Command Palette.
• Uses your local QuickLook installation, including its installed format plugins.
• Resolves the correct Git version for working, staged, deleted, Diff, and History files.

Requirements

• Windows
• VS Code 1.119.0 or later
• QuickLook for Windows, installed and running

Quick start

1. Install and start QuickLook.
2. Select a file in Explorer, Source Control, Timeline, or Source Control Graph; in Source Control, Timeline, or Graph, you can first let VS Code open its Diff.
3. Press Space. Alternatively, right-click an Explorer / Source Control item and choose Preview with QuickLook, use the editor-title eye icon, or run QuickLook: Preview with QuickLook.

If QuickLook is not detected, run QuickLook: Set QuickLook Executable Path.

Keyboard shortcuts and customization

• Default shortcut (Space): Preserves the former Alt+` quick-preview scope in Explorer, Source Control, Timeline, Source Control Graph, and other non-editor contexts. Renaming, search inputs, code editors, unrelated panels, and terminals keep their normal Space behavior.
• Shortcut behavior: Explorer previews the selected file. Source Control, Timeline, and Graph preview the file or focused Diff side currently opened by VS Code—the same semantics as the editor-title eye button; the shortcut does not require the history list item itself.
• Exact Git version: To target a particular Changes, Staged Changes, or Untracked row, right-click it and choose Preview with QuickLook.
• Active text editor: Space is not bound while editing text. Use the eye icon, Command Palette, or a custom key combination there.

Changing Space to another shortcut (for example, Alt+` )

No JSON editing is required:

1. Press Ctrl+K Ctrl+S to open Keyboard Shortcuts.
2. Search for @command:quicklook.previewFile to locate the general preview command precisely.
3. Right-click it, choose Add Keybinding, press Alt+` or another key combination, then press Enter. This user binding can also work inside an editor.
4. To replace rather than keep Space, right-click the existing Space entry and choose Remove Keybinding.

VS Code stores the user-level override automatically; there is no need to write when clauses or maintain the internal SCM commands.

Source Control versions

The context-clicked SCM row wins when multiple rows are selected. Git versions are copied to version-labelled temporary files and removed after ten minutes or when the extension stops. In Timeline and Source Control Graph, Space preserves the current release shortcut and editor-eye behavior by previewing the active file or focused Diff side.

Commands

Settings

Supported formats

QuickLook commonly supports text and code, images, PDF and Office documents, archives, fonts, media, mail, design assets, and other formats. Actual coverage depends on your QuickLook version and installed plugins; see the official supported-formats list.

Tip (Markdown Preview): This extension focuses on lightweight, pop-up previews via Windows QuickLook for local files and Git history snapshots. For in-editor rendered preview and side-by-side editing, use VS Code's native Markdown preview (VS Code 1.120+ natively introduced rendered Markdown previews in Source Control / Diff editors; VS Code 1.120+ / latest 1.133+ is recommended for the full native experience).

Privacy

The extension passes selected local file paths only to the local QuickLook process. It does not upload files, collect telemetry, or send file paths to external services.

Troubleshooting

1. Run QuickLook: Check QuickLook Installation.
2. Correct the executable path if needed.
3. Open the QuickLook output channel for launch details.
4. Confirm that QuickLook itself can preview the same file outside VS Code.

For support, see the support guide.

Development and release

Run npm test to compile and test. See the release guide for packaging and publishing.

License

GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 only