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Yazi File Manager Navigation

Path: Computer Tech/Terminal/Yazi/Yazi File Manager Navigation.mdUpdated: 2/3/2026

Yazi File Manager Navigation

Yazi is a terminal-based file manager written in Rust with vim-like keybindings and built-in fzf/zoxide integration.

Directory Navigation with fzf

Yazi has native fzf integration for quick directory jumping:

Built-in Directory Search

KeyFunctionDetails
zZoxide jumpOpens zoxide picker - jumps to frecent directories based on your history
Zfzf recursive searchOpens fzf to search all subdirectories under current location
:cdCommand mode cdOpens fzf to select from directory history

Recommended Workflow

Quick jump to known directory:

  • Press z β†’ Type partial name β†’ Select from frecent matches
  • Example: z midi β†’ jumps to ~/Code/github.com/theslyprofessor/midimaze
  • Best for: Directories you've visited before (zoxide tracks your history)

Explore unknown structure:

  • Press Z (capital) β†’ Search all subdirectories recursively with fzf
  • Useful when you know the folder name but not the path
  • Important: Works best in specific project directories, NOT from home (~)
  • Tip: Navigate to parent directory first (e.g., ~/Code/github.com/theslyprofessor/) then use Z

Troubleshooting fzf Search

Z doesn't find directories or times out:

  1. Too many subdirectories - If you're in ~ (home directory), there are thousands of subdirectories

    • Solution: Navigate to a more specific parent directory first
    • Example: cd ~/Code then press Z to search within Code

  2. Directory not in zoxide history - z only shows directories you've visited

    • Solution: Use Z (fzf) or manually cd to the directory once to add it to zoxide

  3. Performance in large directories:

    • Home directory (~) has too many files/folders
    • Use zoxide (z) instead for top-level navigation
    • Save Z for searching within specific projects

Basic Navigation

KeyFunction
h / ←Go up one directory
l / β†’Enter directory / Open file
j / ↓Move cursor down
k / ↑Move cursor up
gJump to top
GJump to bottom
~Go to home directory

File Operations

KeyFunction
<Space>Toggle selection
yYank (copy) selected files
pPaste files
dCut (move) files
DDelete files
rRename file
aCreate new file/directory

Search and Filter

KeyFunction
/Search in current directory
nNext search result
NPrevious search result
fFilter files (show only matches)

View Options

KeyFunction
[Go to parent directory in preview
]Go to first child in preview
{Decrease preview size
}Increase preview size

Integration with Other Tools

Yazi works seamlessly with:

  • zoxide - Smart directory jumping based on frecency
  • fzf - Fuzzy finding for files and directories
  • ripgrep - Content search (via plugins)

Configuration

Yazi config lives in ~/.config/yazi/:

  • yazi.toml - Main configuration
  • keymap.toml - Custom keybindings
  • theme.toml - Color scheme

Links

Official Documentation