---
stage: Create
group: IDE
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
---
# File finder **(FREE)**
With file finder, you can search for a file in a repository directly from the GitLab UI.
File finder is powered by the [`fuzzaldrin-plus`](https://github.com/jeancroy/fuzz-aldrin-plus) library, which uses fuzzy search and highlights results as you type.
## Search for a file
To search for a file:
1. On the top bar, select **Main menu > Projects** and find your project.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Repository > Files**.
1. In the upper right, select **Find file**.
1. In the search box, start typing the filename.
1. From the dropdown list, select the file.
To go to file finder, you can also press t anywhere in your project.
To go back to **Files**, press Esc.
To narrow down your results, include `/` in your search.
