---
title: "Find and view files"
description: "Browse the file tree, search by name, and see how Treehouse shows markdown, HTML, code, images and everything else."
canonical_url: "https://trytree.house/docs/files/view-files"
last_updated: "2026-09-29"
---

# Find and view files

Browse the file tree, search by name, and see how Treehouse shows markdown, HTML, code, images and everything else.

## Browse the tree

The sidebar shows every file and folder you can see in the workspace. Select a folder's arrow to expand it, or its name to open it. The first row, with a house icon and the workspace's name, is the workspace root.

To open or close every folder at once, select the **⋯** next to the search box and choose **Expand all** or **Collapse all**.

## Search for a file

1. Select **Search files…** at the top of the sidebar and start typing.
2. Use **↑** and **↓** to move through the results.
3. Press **Enter** to open the highlighted file or folder, or select it.
4. Press **Esc** to clear the search and go back to the tree.

Search matches file and folder names and paths, not what's inside files. Opening a result also reveals it in the tree, where you can rename, move or delete it. If there are too many matches, the list tells you to narrow your search.

## How each kind of file is shown

| File | What you see |
| --- | --- |
| Markdown (`.md`, `.markdown`) | Rendered as a document. Front matter appears as a collapsed **Metadata** card above it. |
| HTML (`.html`, `.htm`) | Rendered full width in a sandbox, with scripts off. See [publish an HTML page](https://trytree.house/docs/files/html-pages). |
| Text and code (`.txt`, `.json`, `.csv`, `.css`, `.js`, `.ts` and other text files) | Shown with syntax highlighting. |
| Images (PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP, SVG) | Shown inline. |
| Anything else, including PDFs | A card with the file's name, size, "not previewable" and a **Download** button. There's no PDF viewer yet. |

## The top bar

The top bar shows where you are as a breadcrumb, with the controls for the open file on the right.

- **Reading**, **Source** and **Changes** switch between views of a file. **Source** shows the raw markdown or HTML. **Changes** appears on a markdown file that has changed since you last opened it; see [version history](https://trytree.house/docs/files/version-history#see-what-changed-since-you-last-looked).
- **Edit** opens the file in the editor. See [create and edit files](https://trytree.house/docs/files/create-and-edit).
- The **⋯** menu holds **Refresh**, **Download** and **Copy path**. On a folder with a front page it also has **Open file**, and on an HTML page with scripts it has **Run scripts**.
- The panel icons at either end are **Hide sidebar** / **Show sidebar** on the left and **Hide details** / **Show details** on the right.

On a phone, the view switcher moves into the **⋯** menu.

## The details panel

**Show details** opens a panel on the right with four tabs, shown as icons along its top: **Info**, **History** (with a count of versions), **Comments** (markdown files only) and **Share**.

![A markdown file open in the web app, with the Info tab of the details panel showing its path, type, size, version, word count and front matter](https://trytree.house/docs/images/file-info.webp)

The **Info** tab lists:

- **Path**, **Type**, **Size** and **Version** (for example `v4`).
- **Dimensions** for images, and **Lines** and **Words** for text files.
- **Modified** and **Created**, with who did it.
- The file's front matter under **Metadata**, for markdown files.
- **Copy path** and **Download** buttons.

With a folder selected, the panel shows the folder's path and how many folders and files it holds. With nothing selected, it shows the workspace's details.

## Links between files

Relative links and images in markdown and HTML files resolve from the file's own folder, the same way they would on disk. In `projects/acme/README.md`, `![Plan](plan.png)` shows `projects/acme/plan.png`, and `[Notes](../notes.md)` opens `projects/notes.md`. A link starting with `/` resolves from the workspace root. Selecting a link to another file opens it in the app.

The files themselves are never rewritten, so the same links keep working in a synced folder and for agents.

## Related

- [Create and edit files](https://trytree.house/docs/files/create-and-edit): Make new files and folders in the web app, edit markdown, code and HTML, and save your changes.
- [Turn a folder into a page or calendar](https://trytree.house/docs/files/folder-pages): Give a folder a front page with a README, or show a folder of dated notes as a calendar you can reschedule by dragging.
- [See and restore earlier versions](https://trytree.house/docs/files/version-history): Look through every change to a file, see who made it, view or restore an older version, and catch up on what changed while you were away.