# Browse and search

> How to move through the folders of your site with the folder tree, the file list and the breadcrumbs, how to sort the list, and how to find files by name, with wildcards.

Source: https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/files/browse-and-search

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## Overview

DooFiles shows the folders of your site in a tree on the left, and the folders and files of the folder you open in a list on the right. Everything starts at the folder where WordPress is installed. DooFiles never shows or opens anything outside it.

## The folder tree

The tree starts at the folder where WordPress is installed, shown with its real name on your server, such as `public_html`.

- Click a folder to open it in the list.
- Click the arrow next to a folder to show or hide its subfolders without opening it.
- DooFiles loads each folder when you open it, so the tree stays fast on large sites.

DooFiles remembers which folders you left open in the tree, in this browser. To close them all at once, go to **DooFiles › Settings** and click **Close all** in **Open folders in the tree**. See [This browser](https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/settings/this-browser).

## Open folders

- **Click a folder** in the list or in the tree to open it.
- **Click a part of the breadcrumbs**, above the list, to go back to that folder.
- **Click the name of the open folder** in the breadcrumbs to refresh it, for example after you change files by FTP.

The address of the page includes the folder you have open. The **Back** and **Forward** buttons of your browser move between the folders you visited, and you can bookmark a folder to come back to it later.

## The file list

The list shows folders first, then files, in natural order: `image-2.jpg` comes before `image-10.jpg`, and capital letters do not change the order.

Click **Name**, **Size**, **Files** or **Modified** at the top of the list to sort by that column. Click it again to reverse the order. DooFiles remembers your choice in this browser. To go back to the default order, click **Reset** in **List order**, in **DooFiles › Settings**.

On smaller screens, some columns step aside to leave room for the names: **Permissions** first, then **Files**.

Below the list, DooFiles shows how many folders and files the folder contains.

[SCREENSHOT_HERE: The file list sorted by Size, with the sort arrow on the Size column and the count of folders and files below the list]

### Very large folders

DooFiles shows up to 5,000 items of a folder. In a folder with more, it shows the first 5,000 and tells you: *This folder is very large; only part of it is shown.* Use the search to find a file in it.

## What DooFiles does not show

- **Its own private folder**, where it keeps the Trash and the backups of your files.
- **The files that protect a [private folder](https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/security/private-folders).** The private folder itself appears in the list with a padlock.
- **Anything outside the folder of WordPress**, such as a shortcut (symbolic link) that points to another place on your server.

## Search by name

1. Open the folder where you want to search. To search the whole site, open the top folder of the tree.
2. Type in **Search in this folder…**, in the toolbar.
3. Press **Enter**.

DooFiles searches the open folder and all its subfolders, and shows the results in the list, with the folder of each result under its name. Click a result to open it.

To go back to the folder, click **Clear search** above the results, or press **Escape** in the search box.

[SCREENSHOT_HERE: Search results for *.php, with the header 12 results for "*.php" in /wp-content, the folder of each result under its name and Clear search]

### How names are matched

| You type | It finds |
|---|---|
| `config` | Every file and folder whose name contains *config*, such as `wp-config.php` or `config.json` |
| `*.php` | Every name that ends in `.php` |
| `wp-config.*` | `wp-config.php`, but not `wp-config-sample.php`: the whole name must match |
| `image-??.jpg` | `image-01.jpg` or `image-25.jpg`: each `?` is exactly one character |

- Without `*` or `?`, the name only needs to contain what you type.
- With `*` or `?`, the whole name must match: `*` stands for any characters, and `?` for exactly one.
- Capital letters do not matter: `README` finds `readme.md`.
- DooFiles searches names, not the content of the files.

### Search limits

To keep your server responsive, a search stops at the first 300 results, or after 20 seconds. When that happens, DooFiles shows *Only the first results are shown. Refine your search.* Search in a smaller folder, or type a more precise name.

Private folders are not searched. Open a private folder to see what is inside it.

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| A file I changed by FTP does not appear | Click the name of the open folder in the breadcrumbs to refresh it |
| *This folder is very large; only part of it is shown.* | The folder has more than 5,000 items. Use the search to find the file you need |
| *Nothing found* | Try a shorter part of the name, or a wildcard, such as `*.php` |
| *Only the first results are shown. Refine your search.* | Search in a smaller folder, or type a more precise name |
| A file I know exists does not appear in the search | It may be inside a private folder, which the search does not enter. Open that folder |
| The search box does not appear | Your license is not active. See [License activation](https://doothemes.com/docs/doofiles/license-activation) |
| The Permissions or Files column disappeared | Your screen or window is narrow. Make the window wider to see them again |

Need more help? [Open a support ticket](https://doothemes.com/account/tickets/new).