The origin
Telescope.nvim made project navigation feel fast, composable, and predictable. Code Telescope started as a way to get that same feel inside VS Code.
VS Code extension
inspired by telescope.nvim
Telescope-style fuzzy finding for VS Code.
Files, grep, symbols, branches, diagnostics, tasks, Harpoon marks, and custom finders in one keyboard-first panel with previews.
- 22 built-in finders
- ripgrep power and speed for workspace search
- High performance built to handle workspaces with tens of thousands of files
What ships today
- F workspace files
- G workspace text search
- S workspace and document symbols
- B git branches and commits
- D diagnostics and breakpoints
- M Harpoon, fonts, themes, and custom finders
Why it exists
Built to close a very specific gap.
The evolution
It grew beyond a file picker into a broader navigation layer with grep, git views, workspace signals, Harpoon-style jumps, multiple layouts, and previews.
The payoff
The result is a tool that feels native to keyboard-heavy workflows and stays open to custom extension-driven integrations.
Features
Useful surface area, not filler.
Code Telescope puts navigation, search, previews, git inspection, and workspace signals behind one consistent UI.
Unified navigation
Files, recent tabs, symbols, breakpoints, references, diagnostics, tasks, and extensions share one interaction model.
Multi-language previews
Preview code across many languages through a grammar-based highlighting system instead of hardcoded assumptions.
Fast search at scale
Workspace text search uses ripgrep when available and falls back automatically, with dynamic search support for large result sets.
Theme-aware rendering
The preview layer loads theme data from the active VS Code ecosystem, so highlighted content stays aligned with the theme you already use.
Vim motions inside the prompt
Normal mode, word motions, delete and change operators, yanks, pastes, undo, and redo keep it close to terminal-native muscle memory.
Harpoon for VS Code
Mark files, jump by index, preserve cursor position, and reorder marks directly inside the fuzzy finder.
Font finder
Browse workspace fonts and preview them inside the panel. It is a surprisingly fun finder and genuinely useful when working with UI-heavy projects.
Git and code intelligence
Open finders for branches, commits, stash entries, call hierarchy, references, symbols, and package docs without leaving the same interaction loop.
Configurable UI
Choose classic or ivy layouts, then tune proportions, font sizes, borders, line numbers, and scrolling behavior.
Finder lineup
A wider set of finders than the usual file and grep combo.
The extension already ships with a broad catalog of finders, all exposed through the same panel and the same selection model.
Workspace files, recent files, current file text, workspace text, document symbols, workspace symbols, and LSP references.
Branches, commits, stash entries, diagnostics, breakpoints, tasks, installed extensions, and package docs.
Harpoon marks, font family browsing, keybindings, color schemes, builtin finder discovery, and custom finders.
The point is not just having many finders. It is that they all feel coherent, so once the panel clicks, the rest of the workflow follows.
Workflow
Built for people who navigate by keyboard.
Common jumps
Alt+M F
Alt+M G
Alt+M S
Alt+M B
Alt+M C
Alt+M D
Alt+M E
Alt+M M
Ctrl+1..9
Ctrl+J / Ctrl+K
Ctrl+U / Ctrl+D
Esc for Normal mode
What that feels like
- Open one finder instead of bouncing between quick open, search views, git panels, and menus.
- Filter what you need with the same scoring and selection behavior every time.
- Read context in the preview pane before opening, jumping, or acting.
- Keep both hands on the keyboard and let repetition do the rest.
Extensibility
Not just built-ins. Custom finders too.
Code Telescope has a typed backend/UI boundary, decorator-based registration, and a public API so other VS Code extensions can plug into the same interface.
For personal workflows
Drop CommonJS custom finders into `.vscode/code-telescope/` and surface project-specific data in the same panel you already use for files and grep.
For extension authors
const api = await ext.activate();
api.registerFinder({
provider: { fuzzyAdapterType: "ext.acme.issues" },
dataAdapter: { typeName: "ext.acme.issues" },
});Reuse the shell, prompt, and preview system instead of rebuilding them from scratch.
Why trust it
Strong internals behind a simple UI.
Backend and webview communicate through shared contracts, keeping the boundary explicit and reducing fragile glue code.
The codebase is split into clear layers and responsibilities, which makes it easier to reason about behavior and evolve features without spreading changes everywhere.
Adapters, registries, decorators, and typed message boundaries give the project a structure that favors extensibility instead of one-off patches.
This is not a pile of commands glued together. It is a well-architected extension built to support new finders, new preview behaviors, and long-term maintenance.
Ready to try it
Install it and see if it fits your hands.
If your workflow already leans on the keyboard, Code Telescope should feel familiar very quickly.