VS Code: How to Open the Solution Explorer

Updated 5 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

In Visual Studio Code, the closest equivalent to Visual Studio’s Solution Explorer is the Explorer view in the Activity Bar. Open it with Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows or Linux, or Cmd+Shift+E on macOS; then open a project folder to see its files and folders.

Open the Explorer view

The Explorer is VS Code’s built-in file and folder browser. To show it, use the keyboard shortcut or select the Explorer icon—the two overlapping document-like shapes—in the Activity Bar, usually along the left edge of the window. You can also choose View > Explorer from the menu.

If the Activity Bar is hidden, the keyboard shortcut still opens the view. You can also restore the bar through VS Code’s menu and appearance settings; exact menu wording can vary slightly between releases and platform layouts. The Explorer view may contain several sections, including the open workspace’s files, open editors, and other views contributed by installed extensions.

Open a folder or workspace

The Explorer can only display project contents after you open a folder or workspace. Opening a file by itself does not necessarily open the folder that contains it. Use File > Open Folder and select the project’s root folder. In VS Code, a folder opened this way becomes a workspace, even if it contains no saved multi-folder workspace configuration.

For example, if a project is stored at projects/weather-app, open weather-app, rather than a single source file inside it. The folder’s contents should appear under the workspace name in the Explorer. Select a file to open it in the editor; use the small arrows beside folders to expand or collapse them.

If your work spans several directories, choose File > Add Folder to Workspace to add another folder to the current workspace. You can save a multi-folder workspace for later with File > Save Workspace As. A saved workspace records which folders are grouped together and can also retain workspace-specific settings.

Use Explorer for common project tasks

The Explorer is more than a list of files. Its context menus and toolbar let you perform everyday file operations without leaving the editor. Available commands can depend on the selected item, operating system, and installed extensions.

Open a file: Select its name to open it in the editor. Selecting a different file may reuse a preview tab; make a tab permanent by editing it or double-clicking its name in the Explorer.
Create a file or folder: Select the new-file or new-folder control in the Explorer toolbar, or use the context menu on a folder. Enter a name and confirm.
Rename or delete: Right-click an item and choose the appropriate command. Deletion can affect the actual file on disk, so check the selected path before confirming.
Move or organize items: Drag items between folders when appropriate, or use the context menu. Be mindful that moving source files can affect project references or imports.
Find project files: Use the Explorer’s filtering controls if available, or use Search to look through file contents across the workspace. Search is different from the Explorer’s file-tree display.

Why it is not called Solution Explorer

“Solution Explorer” is the name of a Visual Studio feature, while VS Code calls its built-in file browser Explorer. The distinction reflects a broader difference between the products: Visual Studio commonly presents projects organized around solution files and project-system features, while VS Code’s Explorer begins with ordinary folders and files.

VS Code can still work with many project types, and extensions can add specialized project views or tools. But the built-in Explorer does not automatically create a Visual Studio solution or provide every feature associated with Visual Studio’s Solution Explorer. If a project depends on a particular build system, language extension, or solution file, you may need the relevant tools in addition to opening the folder.

A related misconception is that installing an extension is always required to see a project tree. It is not: the built-in Explorer is available by default. Extensions are useful for language support, project-specific commands, or alternate views—not for basic folder browsing.

Fix a missing or empty Explorer

If you do not see the expected files, check these common causes before changing project settings:

No folder is open: The window may say that no folder or workspace is open. Choose File > Open Folder and select the project root.
The wrong folder is open: Confirm the workspace name and location. A parent directory or unrelated folder may be open instead of the project.
The view is hidden: Press Ctrl+Shift+E or Cmd+Shift+E, or select View > Explorer. If the sidebar itself is hidden, restore the primary side bar from the View menu.
Files are filtered or excluded: Check for text in the Explorer’s filter box. Some files can also be hidden from the tree by exclusion patterns in settings, such as file-exclusion or search-exclusion rules.
You are looking at a different view: The Activity Bar can hold other views, including Source Control and Search. Select Explorer rather than assuming every sidebar panel is the file tree.

When a workspace contains many files, VS Code may also omit some folders from the displayed tree because of exclusion settings or project-specific behavior. If a file is missing, use the Explorer filter or workspace search, then check the relevant settings and whether the file exists in the opened directory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the shortcut for Explorer in VS Code?
Use Ctrl+Shift+E on Windows or Linux, and Cmd+Shift+E on macOS.

How do I open Solution Explorer in VS Code?
VS Code does not label its built-in file browser “Solution Explorer.” Open the Explorer view with the shortcut or through View > Explorer, then open the project folder.

Why is my project not showing in the Explorer?
Usually, the folder is not open, the wrong directory is open, or the Explorer is hidden. Open the project root with File > Open Folder and check the view and any active filters.

Can I open a Visual Studio solution in VS Code?
You can open the folder containing a solution file and view that file in VS Code. Opening the folder does not guarantee that VS Code will provide Visual Studio’s full solution and project-management features; those depend on the project type and available extensions and tools.

How do I show the file tree again?
Select Explorer in the Activity Bar, use the keyboard shortcut, or choose View > Explorer. If the side bar is hidden, show the primary side bar from the View menu.

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