Multi-Git Explorer
See the branch and git status of every repository in your workspace at a glance, even with hundreds of repos.
When you keep many repositories in one folder (microservices, a polyrepo, or a ~/projects folder), it is hard to keep track of which repo is on which branch, which ones have uncommitted work, and which ones you forgot to push. Multi-Git Explorer shows all of this next to the folder names. You can narrow the tree down to what changed, review diffs, switch branches, and send files to an AI chat, all from a right-click.
- Files: your workspace, with each repo's branch and status after its name.
- Git Repositories: every repo, grouped by what needs attention, with problems first.
- Status bar: the branch of the repo you are editing in (left) and totals for all repos (right).
Highlights
- Every repo's state on one screen. It shows the branch, uncommitted changes, unpushed and behind commits, conflicts, and merges or rebases in progress.
- Filters for what changed. Show only repos with changed files, unpushed commits, or new commits on the remote.
- One-click review. Open a diff of any changed file against
HEAD, or every change in a repo in one view.
- Branch switching. Switch to a local or remote branch, or create one, with your uncommitted changes stashed only if you agree.
- Works like the built-in Explorer. The same right-click menu, keyboard shortcuts, drag and drop, and undo, and it follows the built-in Explorer's settings:
files.exclude, sort order, compact folders, file nesting and more.
- Built for scale. 300 repos are found in about 50 ms and fully checked in about 4 seconds. Showing status never fetches, pushes, or changes your repos.
Contents
Getting started
Requirements: VS Code 1.95 or later, and git on your PATH (or set in git.path).
- Install Multi-Git Explorer from the Extensions view, or see Installation.
- Open the folder that holds your repos (File → Open Folder…).
- Click the Multi-Git Explorer icon (two pages with an M) in the Activity Bar. It opens by itself the next time you open the window.
Repos are found automatically, up to 10 folder levels deep. Each repo shows its branch right away, and the rest of its status fills in within a few seconds.
Features
See every repo's branch and status
- Files works like the built-in Explorer. Expand folders, click files to open them, and use New File and New Folder in its title bar or on a folder's right-click menu. Typing a path such as
src/utils/date.ts creates the folders on the way.
- Each repo shows its branch and status after its name. Folders that contain repos show a summary such as
9 repos · !2 ●2 ↑2 ↓2, so you can tell what's inside without expanding them. Changed files carry the same letters as Source Control (M, A, U, and so on).
- Git Repositories lists every repo in groups: Conflict / in progress, Uncommitted changes, Not pushed, Behind remote, and Clean. Use the filter icon in its title bar to find a repo by path or branch name. Hover a row for buttons that open it in Source Control or in a terminal.
- The status bar shows the branch of the file you're editing on the left; click it to open that repo in Source Control. The item on the right counts repos by state; click it to jump to Git Repositories.
- Tooltips on a repo show the full picture: upstream, ahead and behind counts, changed files, stashes, and when it was last fetched.
- The file you're editing is selected in Files, with the folders above it opened, as the built-in Explorer does.
- Problems, ignored files and cut items look as they do in the built-in Explorer: files with errors or warnings are colored with a count, and so are the folders above them; files in
.gitignore are dimmed; cut items are dimmed until you paste them.
Show only what changed
The title bar of the file tree has three filter buttons. Click a button to turn its filter on, and click it again to turn it off. The icon is filled while the filter is on. You can combine filters; a repo is shown if it matches any of them.
| Filter |
Icon when off |
Icon when on |
Shows |
| Changed files |
○ |
● |
Repos with uncommitted or conflicted files, listing only those files and their folders |
| Not pushed |
↑ |
⬆︎ in a circle |
Repos with commits that aren't pushed yet |
| Behind remote |
↓ |
⬇︎ in a circle |
Repos with new commits on the remote, as of the last fetch |
Changed files use the same letters as Source Control: M modified, A added, D deleted, R renamed, U untracked, and ! conflict. A note such as staged, partly staged, or conflict may follow the letter.
Folders listed in multiGitExplorer.exclude and anything hidden by files.exclude stay hidden while filtering, even if git sees changes in them. The filter is remembered per workspace.
To search by file name or content, right-click a folder or repo and choose Find in Folder…. It opens the Search view limited to that folder.
Review a change
With Changed files on, click a file to review it. A diff opens comparing the last commit (HEAD) with your working copy, so staged and unstaged changes appear together.
- Added lines are green and removed lines are red. Within a changed line, the exact part that changed is highlighted.
- New files appear fully added and deleted files fully removed. Renamed files are compared with their old name.
- Files with conflicts open as normal files, so you can resolve them.
- The diff opens as a preview tab, so the next file you click replaces it instead of opening another tab.
- To edit the file, use the Open File button on its row.
- To review every changed file in a repo in one tab, right-click the repo and choose View All Changes.
Switch branches
Right-click a repo and choose Switch Branch…, the first item in the menu.
- Local branches are listed newest first. Each shows how far it is ahead of or behind its upstream, and whether the upstream was deleted.
- Remote branches you haven't checked out yet follow. Picking one creates a local branch that tracks it.
- Create new branch… starts a branch from where you are. Create new branch from… lets you choose the starting branch. Names are checked against git's rules as you type.
- Uncommitted changes move to the new branch when git allows it. If they would be overwritten, you're asked whether to Stash and Switch. Your changes are then kept in a stash, which you can restore with
git stash pop.
- Switching is not allowed while a merge or rebase is in progress, so finish or abort it first.
The Files menu has the built-in Explorer's commands, plus git commands on repos. To act on several rows at once, select them first with Cmd/Ctrl+click or Shift+click.
Repo commands appear at the top of a repo's menu:
| Command |
What it does |
| Switch Branch… |
Switches to a branch, or creates one (details) |
| Open in Source Control |
Opens the repo in VS Code's Git and shows the Source Control view |
| View All Changes |
Opens every changed file in the repo in one diff view |
| Fetch / Pull / Push |
Runs the git command for this repo. Push sets an upstream if the branch has none |
| Open Repo in New Window |
Opens only this repo in a new VS Code window |
| Copy Branch Name |
Copies the current branch name |
Fetch appears only for repos with a remote, Pull only for branches with an upstream, and Push only when there is something to push.
File and folder commands work like the built-in Explorer:
| Command |
Shows on |
What it does |
| Open Changes / Open File |
Changed files |
Opens the diff against HEAD, or the file itself |
| Open to the Side |
Files |
Opens the file in an editor beside the current one |
| Open With… |
Files |
Opens the file with another editor, such as the image viewer or a hex editor |
| Add to Claude Chat / Add to Codex Chat |
Files |
Adds the files to that chat (details) |
| Copy to AI Chat |
All rows |
Copies @path mentions to paste into any AI chat |
| New File… / New Folder… |
Folders, repos |
Creates an item. A path such as src/utils/date.ts creates the folders on the way |
| Reveal in Finder |
All rows |
Shows the item in Finder. Called Reveal in File Explorer on Windows and Open Containing Folder on Linux |
| Open in Integrated Terminal |
All rows |
Opens a terminal in the folder, or in the folder that contains the file |
| Reveal in Explorer View |
All rows |
Selects the same item in the built-in Explorer, where other extensions' menu items appear |
| Find in Folder… |
Folders, repos |
Opens the Search view limited to the folder |
| Select for Compare, then Compare with Selected |
Files |
Shows the differences between two files. With two files selected, use Compare Selected |
| Open Timeline |
Files |
Opens the file and shows its history (commits and local saves) in the Timeline view |
| Cut / Copy / Paste |
All rows |
Moves or copies items to another folder. Pasting onto a taken name creates name copy.ext; moving onto a taken name asks before replacing it |
| Copy Path / Copy Relative Path |
All rows |
Copies the full path, or the path from the project folder. Several rows are copied one per line |
| Copy Remote File URL / Open on Remote (Web) |
Rows in a repo with a remote |
Copies or opens the item's page on its git host (details) |
| Rename… |
All rows except workspace folders |
Renames the item. Open editors follow it, and languages such as TypeScript update imports |
| Delete |
All rows except workspace folders |
Moves the items to the Trash after asking (details) |
| Add Folder to Workspace… / Remove Folder from Workspace |
Workspace folders |
Adds another folder to the workspace, or removes this one |
While Changed files is on, rows for deleted files offer only the commands that don't need the file: Open Changes, Copy Path, Copy Relative Path, the remote links, and Copy to AI Chat.
More ways to work with the tree:
- Drag and drop items onto a folder to move them. You're asked first unless
explorer.confirmDragAndDrop is off. Editors and imports follow the move, just as in the built-in Explorer.
- Drop files from Finder (or from anywhere outside the tree) to copy them in. As in the built-in Explorer, you're asked before a file with the same name is replaced, folders dropped on a workspace folder can be added to the workspace instead, and a single dropped file opens (
explorer.autoOpenDroppedFile).
- Scan This Folder appears on folders deeper than the scan limit. Expanding the folder does the same.
- Git Repositories has Fetch All Repos, Filter Repos, and Refresh in its title bar. Its rows have the repo commands above, plus Open Terminal Here and Copy to AI Chat.
- The Command Palette lists every command under Multi-Git Explorer.
Other extensions add their own items (such as New Java File or Run Tests) only to the built-in Explorer's menu, and VS Code doesn't allow them here. Use Reveal in Explorer View to reach them.
Links to the remote website
Copy Remote File URL and Open on Remote (Web) link to the branch's upstream, so the page shows what you last pushed. A branch that was never pushed links to the remote's default branch instead, and a detached HEAD links to its commit.
The type of git host is detected from the host name: github, bitbucket.org, dev.azure.com, Bitbucket Server's /scm/ paths, and Gitea or Codeberg. Other self-hosted servers are treated as GitLab. If yours is different, such as GitHub Enterprise on its own domain, set it in multiGitExplorer.remoteHosts:
"multiGitExplorer.remoteHosts": {
"git.mycompany.com": "github" // github, gitlab, bitbucket, bitbucket-server, azure or gitea
}
Keyboard shortcuts
These shortcuts work when the Files tree has focus. As in the built-in Explorer, they act on the row you moved to with the arrow keys, or on all selected rows when that row is one of them. Clicking a file opens a preview and keeps focus in the tree, so the shortcuts act on the row rather than the editor.
| Command |
macOS |
Windows / Linux |
| Open, keeping focus in the tree |
Space |
Space |
| Open, moving focus to the editor |
Cmd+Down |
Enter |
| Open to the Side |
Cmd+Enter |
Ctrl+Enter |
| Rename… |
Enter or F2 |
F2 |
| Delete |
Cmd+Backspace or Delete |
Delete |
| Delete permanently |
Cmd+Option+Backspace |
Shift+Delete |
| Cut / Copy / Paste |
Cmd+X / C / V |
Ctrl+X / C / V |
| Cancel a cut |
Escape |
Escape |
| Undo / Redo |
Cmd+Z / Cmd+Shift+Z |
Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y (Windows), Ctrl+Shift+Z |
| Copy Path |
Alt+Cmd+C |
Shift+Alt+C |
| Copy Relative Path |
Alt+Shift+Cmd+C |
Ctrl+Shift+Alt+C |
| Reveal in Finder / File Explorer / containing folder |
Alt+Cmd+R |
Shift+Alt+R (Windows), Ctrl+Alt+R (Linux) |
| Find in Folder… |
Shift+Alt+F |
Shift+Alt+F |
On a folder, Space and Enter open or close it, as in any tree. Rename acts on one row. Shortcuts don't fire while you type in the tree's find box. To change them, open Preferences → Keyboard Shortcuts and search for Multi-Git Explorer.
Undo and redo
Press Cmd/Ctrl+Z in Files to undo the last change made there: a new file or folder, rename, move, paste, delete, or dropped files. Redo with Cmd+Shift+Z (Ctrl+Y on Windows). As in the built-in Explorer:
- Undoing a delete brings back files up to 5 MB with their contents. Folders come back empty; with
files.enableTrash on, what was in them can be restored from the Trash.
- Undoing asks first as
explorer.confirmUndo says: always for a new file or folder, for a paste or dropped files unless it's light, and for a rename or move only when it's verbose.
explorer.enableUndo turns it off.
A change is not undone if its files have changed since, for example in a terminal.
Send files to an AI chat
Right-click in Files to send files to an AI chat, or select several rows first to send them all at once. Combined with the Changed files filter, this is a quick way to ask for a review of what you're about to push.
| Right-click on |
Command |
Result |
| A file |
Add to Claude Chat / Add to Codex Chat |
Adds the file to the chat's message box. Appears when Claude Code or Codex is installed |
| Any row |
Copy to AI Chat |
Copies @path mentions, such as @src/utils/ @README.md, to paste with Cmd/Ctrl+V. If Claude Code or Codex is the only chat installed, it opens for you |
- Nothing is sent until you press Enter in the chat.
@path mentions work in Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Windsurf, and Gemini. GitHub Copilot Chat uses #file: instead, so it doesn't read them.- Folders are copied rather than added, because neither chat extension offers a way to add a folder.
- Claude Code can only mention the file open in the editor, so Add to Claude Chat briefly opens each file in a preview tab first. If a chat extension refuses a file, its
@path is copied instead.
Tested with Claude Code 2.1.318 and Codex 26.1021. Each chat extension decides how to show what it receives, so this may change as they update.
Badges in the built-in Explorer
The built-in Explorer is left unchanged by default. Turn on multiGitExplorer.decorateExplorer to give repo folders there a color, a short badge, a tooltip, and a Git Repo right-click menu with the repo commands.
VS Code lets extensions show only a color and a badge of up to two characters in the built-in Explorer. To see branch names next to folders, use the Multi-Git Explorer view.
Built-in Explorer settings it follows
Files reads the built-in Explorer's settings, so both trees look and behave the same. Change them under Settings → Features → Explorer.
| Setting |
What it does in Files |
files.exclude |
Hides matching items, with every glob pattern, when clauses and ! exceptions. An excluded file stays shown while an editor shows it |
explorer.excludeGitIgnore |
Also hides items that .gitignore ignores |
explorer.sortOrder, explorer.sortOrderLexicographicOptions, explorer.sortOrderReverse |
How items are sorted |
explorer.compactFolders |
A folder that holds only one folder shows as one row with it once opened, such as src/main/java |
explorer.fileNesting.enabled, .patterns, .expand |
Nests related files under their parent, such as package-lock.json under package.json |
explorer.autoReveal, explorer.autoRevealExclude |
Selects the file you're editing |
explorer.confirmDelete, explorer.confirmDragAndDrop, files.enableTrash |
Whether deleting and dragging ask first, and whether deleted items go to the Trash |
explorer.enableUndo, explorer.confirmUndo |
Undo and redo |
explorer.autoOpenDroppedFile |
Opens a single file dropped from outside the tree |
explorer.copyRelativePathSeparator |
The separator Copy Relative Path uses |
problems.decorations.enabled, git.decorations.enabled |
Colors for problems, and dimming of ignored files |
Light and dark themes
Colors follow your theme. Changed files use the theme's git colors, the same as the built-in Explorer and Source Control. Repo states use colors with separate values for light, dark, and high-contrast themes. The screenshots above use Dark Modern; here is the same workspace with Light Modern:
To customize the colors, see Colors.
Status reference
Badges show a repo's most important state:
| Badge |
Color |
Meaning |
| (none) |
Default |
Clean and in sync with its upstream |
4, 9+ |
Yellow |
Files with uncommitted changes |
↑2 |
Blue |
2 commits not pushed yet |
↑ |
Blue |
The branch has never been pushed (no upstream) |
↓4 |
Purple |
4 commits behind the remote, as of the last fetch |
↕ |
Purple |
Diverged: commits to push and to pull |
! |
Red |
Files with merge conflicts |
M R C V |
Red |
Merge, rebase, cherry-pick, or revert in progress |
D |
Yellow |
Detached HEAD (not on a branch) |
… |
Gray |
Still checking |
⚠ |
Red |
The status could not be read. Hover for the error |
The text after a repo's name shows all of its states:
| Text |
Meaning |
⎇ main |
Current branch |
●2 |
2 files modified |
+1 |
1 file staged |
?1 |
1 untracked file |
✕1 |
1 file with conflicts |
↑2 ↓3 |
2 commits to push, 3 to pull |
≡1 |
1 stash entry |
MERGING, REBASING 1/2 |
An operation is in progress (here, rebase step 1 of 2) |
no upstream |
The branch has never been pushed |
submodule |
The repo is a submodule of the repo that contains it |
Folders that aren't repos show one of:
| Text |
Meaning |
no git |
No repos inside |
not scanned |
Deeper than the scan limit. Expand it, or right-click and choose Scan This Folder |
excluded |
Listed in multiGitExplorer.exclude |
Repos without a remote are never flagged as unpushed.
Installation
VS Code Marketplace
Search for Multi-Git Explorer in the Extensions view, or run:
code --install-extension prateep-r.multi-git-explorer
VS Code keeps it up to date automatically.
Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium, or offline machines
Download multi-git-explorer.vsix from GitHub Releases and install it with one command.
macOS / Linux
curl -fsSL -o /tmp/multi-git-explorer.vsix https://github.com/prateep-r/vscode-multi-git-explorer/releases/latest/download/multi-git-explorer.vsix && code --install-extension /tmp/multi-git-explorer.vsix --force
Windows (PowerShell)
iwr https://github.com/prateep-r/vscode-multi-git-explorer/releases/latest/download/multi-git-explorer.vsix -OutFile $env:TEMP\multi-git-explorer.vsix; code --install-extension $env:TEMP\multi-git-explorer.vsix --force
Then run Developer: Reload Window. In Cursor, Windsurf, or VSCodium, use cursor, windsurf, or codium in place of code.
To install by hand instead, download multi-git-explorer.vsix and run Extensions: Install from VSIX… from the Command Palette.
A .vsix install doesn't update itself. Run the same command again to get the latest version, and see the changelog for what changed.
Uninstalling
code --uninstall-extension prateep-r.multi-git-explorer
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
Description |
multiGitExplorer.scanDepth |
10 |
How many folder levels below each workspace folder to search for repos. There is no upper limit, so raise it if your repos are deeper |
multiGitExplorer.exclude |
node_modules, vendor, dist, build, out, target, … |
Folder names that are never searched, and are hidden while filtering |
multiGitExplorer.decorateExplorer |
false |
Also show repo colors, badges, and the Git Repo menu in the built-in Explorer |
multiGitExplorer.showOnStartup |
true |
Show Multi-Git Explorer in the side bar instead of the built-in Explorer when a window with a folder opens |
multiGitExplorer.remoteHosts |
{} |
The type of each git host, for remote links (details) |
multiGitExplorer.maxConcurrency |
6 |
Maximum number of git processes running at the same time |
multiGitExplorer.countUntracked |
true |
Count untracked files. Turn off for faster checks in very large repos |
multiGitExplorer.refreshOnFocus |
true |
Re-check repos when the VS Code window gets focus |
multiGitExplorer.backgroundRefreshMinutes |
5 |
How often to re-check all repos, in minutes. 0 turns it off |
Colors
Change the colors with workbench.colorCustomizations:
"workbench.colorCustomizations": {
"multiGitExplorer.aheadForeground": "#4FC1FF",
"multiGitExplorer.behindForeground": "#D18AE0"
}
Available colors: multiGitExplorer.conflictForeground, multiGitExplorer.dirtyForeground, multiGitExplorer.aheadForeground, multiGitExplorer.behindForeground, multiGitExplorer.pendingForeground, and multiGitExplorer.errorForeground.
What the extension changes
Showing status only reads your repos. It never changes files, branches, or the index, and it never takes git's index.lock, so it can't interfere with your own git commands. Nothing is fetched or pushed in the background.
Changes happen only when you run a command:
| Area |
Commands |
Safeguards |
| Branches |
Switch Branch…, and Stash and Switch when you confirm it |
Not allowed during a merge or rebase. Uncommitted changes that would be overwritten are stashed only if you agree |
| Remotes |
Fetch, Pull, Push, Fetch All Repos |
Push sets an upstream only for a branch that has none |
| Files |
New File/Folder, Rename, Paste, drag and drop, Delete |
Taken names are refused or given a copy name; moving onto a taken name asks first. Dragging asks first unless explorer.confirmDragAndDrop is off |
Delete follows the built-in Explorer's settings. With files.enableTrash on (the default), items go to the Trash (the Recycle Bin on Windows), and you're asked first unless explorer.confirmDelete is off. With it off, items are deleted permanently and you're always asked first. Workspace folders can't be renamed, moved, or deleted from the tree.
Moving and renaming go through VS Code the same way as in the built-in Explorer, so open editors follow the file, and extensions such as TypeScript can update imports that point to it. After a folder is moved, copied, or deleted, the extension searches for repos again, since it may have contained one.
Tested with 300 repos: they are found in about 50 ms, every repo shows its branch immediately, and all statuses are checked in about 4 seconds in the background.
- Branch and in-progress state (merge, rebase, and so on) are read directly from files in
.git, without running git.
git status runs through a queue, a few repos at a time. Repos you're working in go first, then repos on screen, then the rest.- Changes are picked up automatically, including commits made in a terminal outside VS Code. The extension uses VS Code's own file watcher and debounces changes per repo.
- Nothing is fetched automatically. "Behind remote" is based on your last fetch; use Fetch All Repos to update it.
Troubleshooting
| Problem |
Solution |
| The Multi-Git Explorer icon is missing |
The folder is open in Restricted Mode. Like VS Code's own Git, the extension runs only in trusted folders, because a repo's git config can run programs. Select Restricted Mode in the status bar and trust the folder |
| A repo is missing |
It may be deeper than multiGitExplorer.scanDepth. Look for not scanned on a folder above it and expand it (or choose Scan This Folder), or raise the setting. Also check that its folder isn't in multiGitExplorer.exclude |
A repo shows ⚠ |
Hover it to see git's error. For the full log, open View → Output and choose Multi-Git Explorer |
| Checking is slow |
Turn off multiGitExplorer.countUntracked, or add large generated folders to multiGitExplorer.exclude |
| "Behind remote" looks wrong |
It's based on your last fetch. Run Fetch All Repos |
| Fetch or Push asks for a password and fails |
Commands run without a terminal, so set up a git credential helper or an SSH key |
| Add to Claude Chat or Add to Codex Chat is missing |
Install that extension, then reload the window |
| A shortcut copies text in the editor instead of the file |
Click the row in Files first, so the tree has focus |
| A remote link opens the wrong kind of page |
The host type was guessed from its name. Set it in multiGitExplorer.remoteHosts |
| A remote link says the branch isn't pushed |
The branch isn't on the remote yet, so the link points to the default branch. Push it, then copy the link again |
The Output log also shows how many repos were found and how long the search took.
Known limitations
- Open in Source Control shows the Source Control view but can't select the repo, because VS Code has no API for that. Use Open Repo in New Window for a Source Control view with only that repo.
- The branch name in the tree can't be made clickable; use the right-click menu instead.
- A repo nested inside another repo is found only if it's a submodule, or if the outer repo is itself a workspace folder.
- Binary files open in the diff as text.
- Only local folders are supported, not Remote SSH, WSL, or virtual workspaces.
- Rename and New File ask for the name in an input box at the top of the window, since VS Code doesn't let extensions edit names in place in a tree.
- A compact row such as
src/main/java acts on its last folder. Unlike in the built-in Explorer, you can't pick one of the other folders in it.
- Cut items have their name dimmed, but not their icon.
- Holding Option/Alt while dragging doesn't copy, as VS Code doesn't tell extensions which keys are held. Use Copy and Paste. Files dropped from outside the tree are always copied.
- Selecting the file you're editing doesn't move the tree's keyboard focus to it, and
explorer.autoReveal set to focusNoScroll still scrolls to it.
- Undo covers changes made in Files. Those made in the built-in Explorer are undone there.
- Other extensions' items in the built-in Explorer's menu (such as New Java File or Run Tests) can't appear here. Use Reveal in Explorer View.
- Copy to AI Chat writes
@path mentions, which GitHub Copilot Chat doesn't read; it uses #file: instead.
- Find in Folder can't search a folder whose name contains a comma, because the Search view splits its files to include field at commas.
Feedback
Found a bug or have an idea? Open an issue on GitHub.
License
MIT
