Skip to main content

​
Overview

Searches files using ripgrep (or grep fallback) with token-optimized output grouped by file. Automatically truncates long lines and limits results.

​
Syntax

rtk grep [OPTIONS] <PATTERN> [PATH]

​
Arguments

​
PATTERN
string
required
Search pattern (regex supported). BRE alternation \| auto-converted to PCRE |.
​
PATH
string
default:"."
Directory to search (recursive by default)

​
Options

​
-l, --max-len
number
default:"80"
Maximum line length in results. Long lines truncated with ... around match.
​
-m, --max
number
default:"50"
Maximum total results to show across all files.
​
-c, --context-only
flag
Show only 20 chars before/after match instead of full line.
​
-t, --file-type
string
Filter by file type: ts, py, rust, js, etc. (ripgrep type names)
​
-n, --line-numbers
flag
Show line numbers (always enabled, accepted for grep/rg compatibility)

​
Pass-through Arguments

Additional ripgrep flags supported via trailing args:
  • -i - Case-insensitive search
  • -w - Match whole words
  • -A N - Show N lines after match
  • -B N - Show N lines before match
  • --glob PATTERN - Include/exclude files by glob

​
Output Format

🔍 12 in 3F:

📄 src/main.rs (5):
   42: pub fn run_grep(pattern: &str) -> Result<()> {
   67:     let matches = grep_impl(pattern)?;
  ... +3 more

📄 src/lib.rs (4):
   12: // grep helper function
   23:     pattern.to_lowercase()
  ... +2 more

... +1 more file
Format breakdown:
  • Header: 🔍 12 in 3F (12 matches in 3 files)
  • Per-file section with match count
  • Line numbers auto-enabled
  • Shows first 10 matches per file
  • Truncates at --max total results

​
Token Savings

75% reduction - grouping by file and line truncation 
rtk grep "TODO" src
# Find all TODO comments in src/

​
Special Behaviors

​
BRE to PCRE Conversion

RTK auto-converts Basic Regular Expression alternation \| to Perl-Compatible | for ripgrep compatibility: 
rtk grep "error\|warning"  # Works correctly

​
Recursive by Default

Unlike traditional grep, RTK searches recursively. The -r flag is ignored (ripgrep is always recursive).

​
Smart Truncation

Long lines are truncated intelligently:
  • Match is centered in output
  • ...prefix...match...suffix... format
  • Respects --max-len character limit
  • Handles multibyte characters (emoji, Unicode) correctly

​
Exit Codes

  • 0 - Matches found
  • 1 - No matches found
  • 2 - Error (bad regex, missing directory)
  • rtk read - View file contents
  • rtk find - Find files by name
  • rtk ls - List directory contents