File Search

The File Search extension brings local file search into the Sliprail launcher. Find files and folders by name, keyword, or wildcard pattern without opening a file manager first.

Core Features

Smart Search

Searches file and directory names by keyword or glob pattern, helping you locate documents, photos, and other local items without browsing folders manually.

Wildcard Support

File Search supports standard glob patterns for flexible matching:

• * matches any number of characters. For example, *.jpg finds all JPEG files
• ? matches one character. For example, photo?.jpg matches photo1.jpg and photoA.jpg
• {a,b} matches one option from a set. For example, {vacation,family}.jpg matches vacation.jpg and family.jpg

How to Use

Basic Search

1. Press Sliprail's global hotkey to open the launcher
2. Enter the SearchFiles shortcut
3. Press Space
4. Enter a file name or pattern. Leave it blank to open the File Search window without running a query
5. Press Enter to execute the search

Wildcard Search Examples

Find all image files:

*.jpg

This pattern finds every file with the .jpg extension.

Find files with specific naming patterns:

photo?.jpg

This pattern matches files such as photo1.jpg and photoA.jpg.

Find multiple possible files:

{vacation,family}.jpg

This pattern searches for both vacation.jpg and family.jpg.

Exclusion list

To improve performance and reduce noise, configure an exclusion list for File Search with .gitignore syntax.

• Location: Settings > Extensions > File Search > Exclusion list
• The rules apply independently to each search root selected in the File Search window

Common examples:

node_modules/
dist/
*.log
.env
**/build/
!keep.log

Rule notes:

• A trailing / denotes a directory
• A leading ! re-includes an item excluded by an earlier rule
• ** matches across directory levels, * matches characters within a path segment, and ? matches one character
• Patterns are evaluated relative to the current search root

A focused exclusion list can significantly improve search speed and relevance.

Tips

1. Learn a few useful patterns: *, ?, and {} cover most common searches
2. Combine wildcards when you need more precise matching
3. Save frequently used patterns in a snippet if they are difficult to remember
4. Search with the most distinctive part of a file name instead of typing the complete name
5. Leave the query blank and press Enter when you want to browse from the File Search window