Search

Search and filter files using find, filter, fd, ripgrep, and fzf

Yazi provides multiple search methods for finding files and content, with deep integration into popular command-line tools.

Quick Find

Find files by name in the current directory:

Forward and Backward Search

Key	Command	Description
/	find --smart	Find next file (forward search)
?	find --previous --smart	Find previous file (backward search)
n	find_arrow	Jump to next match
N	find_arrow --previous	Jump to previous match

1. Start search

   Press / (forward) or ? (backward)

2. Type pattern

   Enter the search pattern (smart case matching)

3. Navigate matches

   • Press n to go to next match
   • Press N to go to previous match
   • Matches are highlighted with indicators
4. Cancel search

   Press <Esc> or <C-s> to exit search mode

Smart Case Matching

The --smart flag enables smart case sensitivity:

• Lowercase pattern: Case-insensitive matching
  • /readme matches “README”, “readme”, “ReadMe”
• Mixed case pattern: Case-sensitive matching
  • /ReadMe only matches “ReadMe”

Filter

Filter files in the current directory to show only matches:

f  # Start filter with smart case

Filter vs Find:

Filter

Hides non-matching files

f        # Start filter
*.rs     # Only Rust files visible

• Changes what files are displayed
• Useful for focusing on specific file types
• Affects operations like select all

Find

Jumps between matches

/        # Start find
config   # Jumps to matches
n        # Next match

• All files remain visible
• Highlights matching files
• Quick navigation between results

Filtered files are temporarily hidden but not deleted. Clear the filter with <Esc> to show all files again.

Search with fd

Search for files using fd (faster alternative to find):

s  # Search files via fd

The search --via=fd command:

• Recursively searches from the current directory
• Respects .gitignore by default
• Supports regex patterns
• Much faster than traditional find

Example patterns:

s → *.toml           # Find all TOML files
s → README           # Find files named README
s → ^test            # Files starting with "test"

fd Features

• Fast: Uses parallel directory traversal
• Smart: Ignores hidden files and .gitignore patterns
• Colorful: Syntax-highlighted results
• Regex: Full regular expression support

Search with ripgrep

Search file contents using ripgrep:

S  # Search file contents via ripgrep (capital S)

The search --via=rg command:

• Searches inside file contents
• Extremely fast, even on large codebases
• Respects .gitignore
• Returns files containing the pattern

Example searches:

S → TODO             # Files containing "TODO"
S → fn main          # Rust files with main function
S → "error handling" # Files with exact phrase

fd (filename)

s  # Search by filename

Use when you:

• Know the filename
• Want to find specific file types
• Need path-based matching

ripgrep (content)

S  # Search by content

Use when you:

• Remember file contents but not name
• Want to find code/text patterns
• Need to search across many files

Jump with fzf

Fuzzy find files and directories using fzf:

z  # Jump to file/directory with fzf

The fzf integration provides:

• Fuzzy matching: Type partial names in any order
• Interactive preview: See file contents as you search
• Fast filtering: Real-time results as you type
• Multi-select: Select multiple files with <Tab>

fzf Workflow

1. Launch fzf

   Press z to open the fzf interface

2. Type query

   Enter fuzzy search terms (spaces for AND logic)

   src main rs  # Matches "src/main.rs"
   cfg toml     # Matches config.toml, yazi.toml, etc.
   
3. Navigate results

   • <Up>/<Down> or <C-j>/<C-k> to move
   • <Tab> to select multiple files
   • <Enter> to confirm
4. Result action

   • Single file: Navigates to it or opens it
   • Directory: Changes to that directory
   • Multiple selections: Toggles them in Yazi

fzf with Selection

If files are already selected when launching fzf:

<Space>  # Select some files
<Space>
z        # Launch fzf with selected files as input

This lets you:

• Further filter your selection
• Remove specific files from selection
• Add to existing selection

The fzf plugin is implemented in /home/daytona/workspace/source/yazi-plugin/preset/plugins/fzf.lua:11. It uses multi-select mode (-m flag) by default.

Jump with zoxide

Jump to frequently used directories with zoxide:

Z  # Jump via zoxide (capital Z)

zoxide features:

• Frecency algorithm: Ranks by frequency and recency
• Smart matching: Type partial directory names
• Learning: Automatically tracks your navigation patterns

Example:

Z → proj     # Jumps to ~/projects (if frequently visited)
Z → conf     # Jumps to ~/.config
Z → doc      # Jumps to ~/Documents

Cancel Search

Stop ongoing searches:

<C-s>  # Cancel the ongoing search
<Esc>  # Exit search mode or clear filter

Context	<Esc> behavior	<C-s> behavior
Active search	Exit search mode	Cancel search operation
Filter active	Clear filter	N/A
Find results	Clear highlights	Clear highlights

Search Methods Comparison

Method	Key	Tool	Scope	Use Case
Find	/	Built-in	Current directory	Quick file jumps
Filter	f	Built-in	Current directory	Focus on file subset
fd	s	fd	Recursive	Find files by name
ripgrep	S	ripgrep	Recursive content	Find by file contents
fzf	z	fzf	Recursive	Fuzzy interactive search
zoxide	Z	zoxide	Database	Jump to frequent directories

Search Tips

Performance

• fd and ripgrep are extremely fast even on large directories
• Filter is instant since it only processes visible files
• fzf builds an index on-demand for responsive searching

Patterns

• Use * for wildcards in filter: *.md
• Use ^ for start of line in fd/rg: ^test
• Fuzzy matching in fzf doesn’t require exact patterns

Integration

• Search results can be selected in bulk with <C-a>
• Combine searches: filter first, then find within results
• Use fzf multi-select (<Tab>) to build selections

Advanced Search Examples

Example 1: Find and Select All Markdown Files

f        # Start filter
*.md     # Show only .md files
<C-a>    # Select all visible files
<Esc>    # Clear filter (selection persists)
y        # Yank selected .md files

Example 2: Search Code for TODOs

S        # Search with ripgrep
TODO     # Find all TODOs
# Yazi shows files containing TODO
<Enter>  # Open first file

Example 3: Complex fd Search

s                    # fd search
^(test|spec).*\.rs$  # Find Rust test files

Example 4: Multi-Tool Workflow

Z        # Jump to project directory with zoxide
S        # Search for "FIXME" in code
z        # Use fzf to narrow down results
<Tab>    # Multi-select files in fzf
<Enter>  # Files are now selected in Yazi
o        # Open all selected files

Make sure fd, ripgrep, fzf, and zoxide are installed on your system for their respective search features to work.