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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →A VS Code multi-root workspace puts two or more separate folders in one editor window. Use one when related codebases or project materials need to be navigated, searched, debugged, or managed together; keep a project in a single folder when combining roots would add clutter rather than context. Save a useful arrangement as a .code-workspace file to reopen it later or share it with teammates.
What is a VS Code multi-root workspace?
Visual Studio Code defines a workspace as “the collection of one or more folders that are opened in a VS Code window (instance).” A typical workspace has one folder. A multi-root workspace has multiple distinct folders, shown together in the Explorer and available to workspace features such as search, source control, tasks, and debugging.
The folders do not have to be inside one parent directory. For example, a team might open a product repository and a separate documentation folder together, or combine a service and a shared library that are stored in different locations. The point is a useful shared working context—not simply collecting unrelated folders in one window.
When should you use one?
| Choice | Best fit | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Open one folder | The project’s useful files share one root. | This is the simplest structure and avoids workspace-level configuration. |
| Use a multi-root workspace | Related projects or materials live in separate folders and benefit from one window. | More roots mean more need for clear names and attention to settings scope. |
| Save multiple workspace files for one repository | Different roles or tasks need different focused views of the same repository. | Each saved view is another configuration to maintain. |
Ask whether the folders are related, whether they share a parent directory, whether you need coordinated tasks or debugging, and whether seeing all roots together will improve navigation or create clutter. A multi-root workspace can be valuable even when every folder belongs to one broader project, but it is not required just because a project is complex.
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How to add folders and save a workspace
- Open a folder in VS Code, or start with an existing workspace.
- Select File > Add Folder to Workspace, then choose the folder to add. VS Code adds it as another root in the current window.
- In the Explorer, use a root’s context menu to remove that folder when it no longer belongs in the workspace.
- When you want to reuse or share the arrangement, save it as a
.code-workspacefile. The file records the roots and can also hold workspace settings, extension recommendations, tasks, and launch configurations.
You can also open multiple folders from the command line to create a multi-root workspace. The VS Code command-line interface supports adding folders to the last active VS Code instance. See the workspace guide and command-line documentation for the current CLI options.
Make a saved workspace shareable
When the workspace file and folders will keep a consistent relative layout, relative folder paths make the saved arrangement easier to share. Absolute paths may point to locations that exist only on the original user’s machine. If folder names on disk are ambiguous, give each root a descriptive display name in the workspace so teammates can tell them apart.
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Workspace files are JSON configuration files. Their folder entries identify the roots, while workspace-level sections can define settings, recommendations, tasks, and debug configurations. The official multi-root workspaces reference documents the schema and available configuration options.
How settings work across roots
Multi-root workspaces have multiple settings scopes, so where a setting is stored matters. User settings apply to you across workspaces; workspace settings apply to the saved multi-root arrangement; folder settings apply to a particular root for supported resource settings. A folder-specific setting can override a workspace setting.
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Folder-level settings in a multi-root workspace are limited to resource settings. Settings intended to control the editor across the workspace should be configured at user or workspace scope instead. Before adding a setting to a root’s .vscode/settings.json, check whether it is a resource setting and whether it should differ for that folder. VS Code explains the scope rules in its settings documentation.
Tasks and launch configurations in a multi-root workspace
VS Code can discover tasks and debug configurations in individual roots, and it displays the root name to distinguish them. This is useful when several folders have their own build, test, or launch setup. Keep root names descriptive so you can tell which configuration belongs to which project.
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Debugging
Debug configurations can be stored in a root’s .vscode/launch.json or in the workspace file. If a workspace-level launch configuration uses root-specific variables, explicitly name the intended folder. That avoids relying on an ambiguous default when several roots contain similar files or configurations.
Tasks
VS Code can detect task sources in roots and read each root’s tasks.json. You can also define tasks at workspace level, subject to documented task-type restrictions. Choose root-level task files when a task belongs to one project; use workspace-level definitions when the task coordinates work across roots. Consult the multi-root reference for supported task and variable behavior.
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Check workspace trust before running project tasks
Adding another folder can affect the trust state of the multi-root workspace. In Restricted Mode, VS Code requires trust before tasks can execute. If a folder came from an unfamiliar source, review it and decide whether to trust the workspace before running its tasks. See the official Workspace Trust guide for what Restricted Mode limits and how trust works.
Quick Recap
Common ways to keep a multi-root workspace manageable
- Use roots with a clear relationship. Put related code, documentation, or dependencies together; unrelated folders make the Explorer and search results harder to interpret.
- Use descriptive display names. Distinguish roots with identical or unclear directory names.
- Keep settings at the right scope. Use workspace settings for shared editor behavior and folder settings only for supported resource settings that need to vary by root.
- Make configurations explicit. Name the target folder in root-sensitive launch configurations, and keep tasks near the project they serve unless they coordinate multiple roots.
- Save focused views only when they help. Separate workspace files can provide different views of one repository, but each is another configuration to keep current.
- Review trust before executing tasks. Do not assume a newly added or unfamiliar folder is safe to run.
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