🍿 explorer

October 25, 2025 · View on GitHub

A file explorer for snacks. This is actually a picker in disguise.

This module provide a shortcut to open the explorer picker and a setup function to replace netrw with the explorer.

When the explorer and replace_netrw is enabled, the explorer will be opened:

when you start nvim with a directory
when you open a directory in vim

Configuring the explorer picker is done with the picker options.

-- lazy.nvim
{
  "folke/snacks.nvim",
  ---@type snacks.Config
  opts = {
    explorer = {
      -- your explorer configuration comes here
      -- or leave it empty to use the default settings
      -- refer to the configuration section below
    },
    picker = {
      sources = {
        explorer = {
          -- your explorer picker configuration comes here
          -- or leave it empty to use the default settings
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

🚀 Usage

File Operations

The explorer provides powerful file operations with an intuitive selection-based workflow.

Moving and Copying Files

The most efficient way to move or copy multiple files:

Select files with <Tab> (works on multiple files)
Navigate to the target directory
Execute the operation:
- Press m to move selected files to the current directory
- Press c to copy selected files to the current directory

Example workflow:
1. Navigate to source files
2. Press <Tab> on file1.txt
3. Press <Tab> on file2.txt (both now selected)
4. Navigate to target directory
5. Press 'm' → files are moved!

Single file operations:

m on a single file (no selection) → renames the file
c on a single file (no selection) → prompts for new name to copy to
r → rename current file
d → delete current/selected files

Copy/Paste with Registers

Alternative workflow using yank and paste:

Select files with <Tab> or visual mode
Press y to yank file paths to register
Navigate to target directory
Press p to paste (copies files from register)

This works across different explorer instances and even after closing/reopening!

Other File Operations

a → Add new file or directory (directories end with /)
d → Delete files (uses system trash if available, see :checkhealth snacks)
o → Open file with system application
u → Update/refresh the file tree

<CR> or l → Open file or toggle directory
h → Close directory
<BS> → Go up one directory
. → Focus on current directory (set as cwd)
H → Toggle hidden files
I → Toggle ignored files (from gitignore)
Z → Close all directories

Quick Actions

<leader>/ → Grep in current directory
<c-t> → Open terminal in current directory
<c-c> → Change tab directory to current directory
P → Toggle preview

Git Integration

When git_status = true (default), files show git status indicators:

]g / [g → Jump to next/previous git change
Directories show aggregate status of contained files

Diagnostics

When diagnostics = true (default), files show diagnostic indicators:

]d / [d → Jump to next/previous diagnostic
]e / [e → Jump to next/previous error
]w / [w → Jump to next/previous warning

Visual Mode

You can use visual mode (v or V) to select multiple files, then:

y → Yank selected file paths
Any other operation works on visual selection

📦 Setup

-- lazy.nvim
{
  "folke/snacks.nvim",
  ---@type snacks.Config
  opts = {
    explorer = {
      -- your explorer configuration comes here
      -- or leave it empty to use the default settings
      -- refer to the configuration section below
    }
  }
}

⚙️ Config

These are just the general explorer settings. To configure the explorer picker, see snacks.picker.explorer.Config

---@class snacks.explorer.Config
{
  replace_netrw = true, -- Replace netrw with the snacks explorer
  trash = true, -- Use the system trash when deleting files
}

📦 Module

`Snacks.explorer()`

---@type fun(opts?: snacks.picker.explorer.Config): snacks.Picker
Snacks.explorer()

`Snacks.explorer.health()`

Snacks.explorer.health()

`Snacks.explorer.open()`

Shortcut to open the explorer picker

---@param opts? snacks.picker.explorer.Config|{}
Snacks.explorer.open(opts)

`Snacks.explorer.reveal()`

Reveals the given file/buffer or the current buffer in the explorer

---@param opts? {file?:string, buf?:number}
Snacks.explorer.reveal(opts)