Folder mentions let you bring entire directories into your conversation with Cline. Just type @/ followed by a folder path ending with a slash, and Cline gets access to the folder structure and its contents.

When you type @/ in chat, Cline shows your workspace files and folders. Navigate to the folder you want, make sure to include the trailing slash, and Cline will see the folder’s structure and contents.

I use folder mentions when I need help understanding or refactoring a whole section of my codebase. Instead of referencing individual files one by one, I can just point to the entire directory:

I'm trying to understand how the authentication flow works in my app.
Can you explain the structure and relationships between the files in @/src/auth/?

Cline can then see all the files in the auth directory, their contents, and how they relate to each other. This gives it the full context to explain complex interactions between multiple files.

Folder mentions are also perfect for getting help with project organization. When I’m unsure if my project structure makes sense, I’ll ask Cline to review it:

I'm setting up a new React project. Does this folder structure make sense? @/src/
What would you change to make it more maintainable as the project grows?

Next time you’re working with multiple related files, try using folder mentions instead of referencing each file individually. You’ll get more comprehensive help because Cline can see the bigger picture of how everything fits together.

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How It Works Under the Hood

When you use a folder mention in your message, here’s what happens behind the scenes:

  1. When you send your message, Cline detects the @/path/to/folder/ pattern (with trailing slash) in your text

  2. The extension resolves the folder path relative to your workspace root

  3. It calls fs.readdir() to get a list of all files and subdirectories in that folder

  4. For each file in the directory, it checks if it’s binary or text-based

  5. For text files, it extracts the complete content

  6. The folder structure and file contents are appended to your message in a structured format:

    <folder_content path="path/to/folder">
├── file1.txt
├── file2.js
└── subfolder/

<file_content path="path/to/folder/file1.txt">
[File content]
</file_content>

<file_content path="path/to/folder/file2.js">
[File content]
</file_content>
</folder_content>

  7. This enhanced message with the embedded folder structure and file contents is sent to the AI

  8. The AI can now “see” both the directory structure and the content of files within that directory

This process happens automatically whenever you use a folder mention, giving the AI a comprehensive view of your project structure and file contents.