Reading

Document browser

Directory discovery, fuzzy filtering, ignored files and all browser controls.

Open the browser

Browse the current directory:

mdv -i

Or choose a directory:

mdv docs/

With terminal input and output, running mdv without arguments also browses the current directory. Redirected output does not open the browser implicitly.

With a file or standard input, --interactive opens that document directly in the selected pager. Interactive output requires a terminal:

mdv -i README.md
cat notes.md | mdv -i -

Document browser

Choose a Markdown file. Enter opens it in the pager.

mdv --no-config --theme catppuccin -i docs/
mdv outputVersion 6.1.1
                                                                                
    MDV                                                                         
                                                                                
   8 documents                                                                  
                                                                                
 │ CHANGELOG.md                                                                 
 │ 8 hours ago                                                                  
                                                                                
   README.md                                                                    
   1 hour ago                                                                   
                                                                                
   examples/code.md                                                             
   6 hours ago                                                                  
                                                                                
   examples/tables.md                                                           
   7 hours ago                                                                  
                                                                                
                                                                                
   ••                                                                           
                                                                                
   h/l ←/→ page • / find • . show ignored • r refresh • e edit • q quit • …
Example files
docs/
  README.md
  guides/installation.md
  guides/themes.md
  guides/presets.md
  guides/navigation.md
  examples/code.md
  examples/tables.md
  CHANGELOG.md

Find a document

The browser discovers Markdown files recursively and supports fuzzy filtering. Results appear as discovery progresses, so you can start looking for a document before the scan finishes.

Select a document to open it in a pager. The built-in pager provides search, copying, an outline and source-line navigation.

Understand ignored files

Discovery respects hidden-file and ignore rules, including .gitignore.

Press . to toggle files excluded by Git ignore rules. Hidden paths, .ignore rules and node_modules remain excluded in both modes.

Customize the view

mdv --theme nord docs/
mdv --preset reader -i

Themes also define the interactive interface palette. See Themes and Pager and editor for the next step.

Keyboard and mouse controls

Key Action
Enter Open the selected document.
j / k, Down / Up Select the next/previous result.
h / l, Left / Right, PageUp / PageDown Move one page backward/forward.
g / Home, G / End First/last result.
/, Ctrl+F Edit the fuzzy filter.
Esc Cancel or clear filtering; close help first when it is open.
Tab, Shift+Tab, H, L Move between result sections.
. Toggle files excluded by Git ignore rules.
e Open the selected file in the configured editor.
r Rescan the directory.
! Show discovery/opening errors.
? Toggle help.
q, Ctrl+C Exit.

The mouse wheel changes the selected result.

  • While editing a filter, type or paste text and use Backspace to remove characters.
  • Enter confirms the filter; press Enter again to open the selected result.
  • Tab, arrow keys and Ctrl+J/Ctrl+K also finish filter editing.
  • Esc cancels the filter.
  • The explicit --interactive flag cannot be combined with --pager; documents opened from the browser use the pager backend selected by MDV_PAGER.