How to Configure ripgrep to Search Hidden Files and Directories

Use the --hidden flag (or -. for short) to force ripgrep to search files and directories whose names begin with a dot, overriding the default behavior that ignores hidden paths.

By default, ripgrep excludes hidden files and directories—those prefixed with a dot like .git or .config—from search results to keep output clean and relevant. If you need to configure ripgrep to search hidden files and directories, you must explicitly enable the hidden flag to include these paths in the recursive walk. This article explains the exact command-line options and their implementation in the BurntSushi/ripgrep source code.

Understanding ripgrep's Default Hidden File Behavior

ripgrep automatically filters out entries whose basenames start with a period (.) as well as files marked with the platform-specific hidden attribute on Windows. This filtering occurs at the walker level before pattern matching begins, ensuring that system directories and version control metadata remain out of your results unless specifically requested.

According to the implementation in crates/core/flags/defs.rs (lines 2772-2804), the walker iterator discards these entries by default to optimize performance and reduce noise in typical project searches.

Enabling Hidden File Search

Using the --hidden Flag

To include hidden files and directories, pass the --hidden option. This flag instructs the underlying directory iterator not to discard entries beginning with a dot or bearing the hidden attribute on Windows.

rg --hidden "TODO"

Using the Short Form (-.)

For faster typing, use the -. shorthand, which is equivalent to --hidden. This short form is defined alongside the long form in crates/core/flags/defs.rs and provides identical functionality.

rg -. "SECRET_KEY"

Combining with the -uu Shortcut

When you need to search hidden files while also bypassing .gitignore, .ignore, and other ignore files, use the -uu compound flag. As documented in crates/core/flags/doc/template.rg.1 (lines 34-50), this expands to --no-ignore --hidden, effectively searching every file in the directory tree regardless of ignore rules.

rg -uu "password"

This is particularly useful when auditing configuration files or searching across entire home directories where ignore files might otherwise exclude hidden paths.

Practical Command Examples

Search for patterns inside hidden configuration directories while showing line numbers:

rg --hidden -n "fn main" ~/.config

Combine hidden file search with context lines to see surrounding code:

rg -. -C 2 "API_KEY"

Perform a completely unrestricted search that includes hidden files, binary files, and ignores all filters:

rg -uu -a "FIXME"

Search for the word "TODO" across all files including hidden ones but respecting gitignore rules:

rg --hidden TODO

Implementation Details

The hidden flag logic resides in crates/core/flags/defs.rs, where the walker configuration is modified to respect the user's choice to include dotfiles. The feature is also documented in GUIDE.md (lines 190-199) as part of ripgrep's primary filtering toggles, illustrating how the tool balances performance with configurability. The Windows-specific hidden attribute check ensures consistent cross-platform behavior when the flag is enabled.

Summary

• ripgrep ignores hidden files by default to exclude system and configuration directories from results.
• Use --hidden or -. to enable searching files and directories starting with a dot.
• The -uu shortcut combines --hidden with --no-ignore for completely unrestricted searches.
• These flags are implemented in crates/core/flags/defs.rs and documented in both the man page template and user guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does ripgrep search hidden files by default?

No. ripgrep automatically excludes files and directories whose names begin with a dot (.) as well as Windows hidden files unless you explicitly pass the --hidden or -. flag.

What is the difference between --hidden and -uu in ripgrep?

The --hidden flag only includes dotfiles while still respecting .gitignore rules, whereas -uu (equivalent to --no-ignore --hidden) searches hidden files and completely ignores all ignore-file rules.

Can I configure ripgrep to always search hidden files?

Yes. You can set the RIPGREP_CONFIG_PATH environment variable to point to a configuration file containing --hidden, or create a shell alias like alias rg='rg --hidden' to make the behavior persistent across sessions.

Why does ripgrep skip hidden directories like .git?

ripgrep skips these by default to avoid noise from version control metadata and system configuration files, keeping search results focused on project source code unless you explicitly configure it to search hidden files and directories.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}