Picker, Explorer & Project Workflow

LazyVim uses Snacks.nvim for both the picker (fuzzy finding) and the explorer (file tree). You can swap either out via extras.

Quick Reference

Key	Action	Scope
<leader><space>	Find Files	Root dir
<leader>ff	Find Files	Root dir
<leader>fF	Find Files	cwd
<leader>fg	Find Files (git)	Git tracked
<leader>/	Grep	Root dir
<leader>sG	Grep	cwd
<leader>,	Buffers	Open buffers
<leader>e	Explorer	Root dir
<leader>E	Explorer	cwd
<leader>fr	Recent files	Global
<leader>fp	Projects	Recent projects
<leader>:	Command history	Global

Root Dir vs cwd

LazyVim detects the root directory using vim.g.root_spec:

Default root detection

vim.g.root_spec = { "lsp", { ".git", "lua" }, "cwd" }

It checks (in order):

1. If LSP is attached, use LSP root
2. Look for .git or lua directory
3. Fall back to current working directory (cwd)

Impact: Commands scoped to "Root Dir" operate on your project root. Commands scoped to "cwd" operate on whatever directory you launched nvim from.

Snacks Picker (Default)

Snacks Picker replaces Telescope by default in LazyVim. It is faster and more tightly integrated.

Find Files

<leader><space>   or   <leader>ff

Fuzzy-find files under the project root.

<leader>fF

Fuzzy-find files under the current working directory.

Workflow:

1. Press <leader>ff
2. Start typing a filename fragment
3. The list filters in real-time
4. <CR> opens the file
5. <C-v> opens in vertical split
6. <C-x> opens in horizontal split
7. <C-t> opens in new tab

Live Grep (Search File Contents)

<leader>/      ← grep in root dir
<leader>sG     ← grep in cwd

Workflow:

1. Press <leader>/
2. Type a search pattern (regex or plain text)
3. Results update live as you type
4. <CR> opens the file at the match line
5. <C-q> sends all results to quickfix list

Search Tips

Tip	What to type
Find file by name	<leader>ff partialname
Search file contents	<leader>/ search term
Find word under cursor	<leader>sw
Find open buffers	<leader>,
Find recent files	<leader>fr
Find recent files in cwd	<leader>fR
Find a command to run	<leader>: + `
Find a keymap	<leader>sk
Find help topic	<leader>sh
Search registers	<leader>s"
Search marks	<leader>sm
Search jumps	<leader>sj
Resume last search	<leader>sR

Advanced Picker Modes

Key	Opens
<leader>sd	Diagnostics (all buffers)
<leader>sD	Diagnostics (current buffer)
<leader>sb	Lines in current buffer
<leader>sB	Grep across open buffers
<leader>sc	Command history
<leader>sC	Commands palette
<leader>sh	Help pages
<leader>sH	Highlight groups
<leader>si	Icons
<leader>sm	Marks
<leader>sM	Man pages
<leader>sp	Plugin specs
<leader>sq	Quickfix list
<leader>sl	Location list
<leader>su	Undo tree
<leader>s/	Search history

Picker Window Controls

Key	Action
<C-j> / <C-k>	Navigate up/down
<C-u> / <C-d>	Scroll preview up/down
<CR>	Open selected
<C-v>	Open in vertical split
<C-x>	Open in horizontal split
<C-t>	Open in new tab
<C-q>	Send to quickfix list
<Tab>	Toggle multi-select
<Esc> / q	Close picker

Snacks Explorer (Default)

The file explorer opens in a sidebar. Keyboard-only navigation:

<leader>e    ← Toggle explorer (root dir)
<leader>E    ← Toggle explorer (cwd)

Explorer Keymaps (Keyboard)

Key	Action
j / k	Navigate up/down
l / <CR>	Expand directory / open file
h	Collapse / go to parent
/	Filter visible files
Esc	Clear filter
a	Add file (trailing / for directory)
d	Delete (with confirmation)
r	Rename
y	Copy filename
Y	Copy absolute path
c	Copy file
m	Move file
R	Refresh
H	Toggle hidden files
?	Show all keymaps
q	Close explorer

Project Workflow with Explorer

1. <leader>e        ← Open explorer
2. /                ← Filter: type subdir name
3. j/k              ← Navigate to file
4. <CR>             ← Open file
5. <leader>e        ← Close explorer
6. <C-h/j/k/l>      ← Navigate between splits

Switching to Telescope

If you prefer Telescope over Snacks Picker:

lua/plugins/extras.lua

return {
  { import = "lazyvim.plugins.extras.editor.telescope" },
}

This replaces all <leader>f* and <leader>s* pickers with Telescope equivalents. All keymaps remain the same.

Telescope vs Snacks Picker

Aspect	Snacks Picker	Telescope
Speed	Faster	Slightly slower
Extensions	Built-in	Community extensions
UI	Minimal	Feature-rich previews
Default in LazyVim	Yes	No (opt-in via extra)

Switching to fzf-lua

lua/plugins/extras.lua

return {
  { import = "lazyvim.plugins.extras.editor.fzf" },
}

Requires fzf and ripgrep installed on your system.

Switching to Neo-tree

If you prefer Neo-tree over Snacks Explorer:

lua/plugins/extras.lua

return {
  { import = "lazyvim.plugins.extras.editor.neo-tree" },
}

Neo-tree provides additional views:

• <leader>e — file explorer
• <leader>be — buffer explorer
• <leader>ge — git status explorer

Switching to mini.files

lua/plugins/extras.lua

return {
  { import = "lazyvim.plugins.extras.editor.mini-files" },
}

A minimal, keyboard-friendly file explorer built on mini.nvim.

Daily Project Navigation Flow

Opening a project:
  nvim .                ← Open in project directory

  <leader>ff app.js     ← Find file quickly
  <leader>/ userAuth    ← Search across project
  <leader>,             ← Switch to open buffer
  gd                    ← Go to definition
  <C-o>                 ← Jump back in history
  <C-i>                 ← Jump forward

  <leader>fp            ← Switch to another project (recent projects)
  <leader>fr            ← Open recent file

Related

• Dashboard, UI & Notifications
• LazyVim Cheatsheet
• Configuration